Real and imaginary Americanisms

Working in the real and the imaginary

The science we practice is shaped by our interactions with people; the enthusiastic teachers, the fascinating mentors, the inspiring colleagues, and the inquisitive students. The science we enjoy takes us into areas we couldn't have anticipated. From time to time, we come back to reality and try to find ways to share our new explorations with our friends and relatives and to convert our insight...

Imaginary automorphisms on real hyperelliptic curves

A real hyperelliptic curve X is said to be Gaussian if there is an automorphism α : XC → XC such that α = [−1]C ◦ α, where [−1] denotes the hyperelliptic involution on X. Gaussian curves arise naturally in several contexts, for example when one studies real Jacobians. In the present paper we study the properties of Gaussian curves and we describe their moduli spaces. MSC 2000: 14H15, 14H37, 14P...

[Bird flu: a real or imaginary threat?].

A real explanation for imaginary eigenvalues

Abstract This paper first reviews how anti-symmetric matrices in two dimensions yield imaginary eigenvalues and complex eigenvectors. It is shown how this carries on to rotations by means of the Cayley transformation. Then the necessary tools from real geometric algebra are introduced and a real geometric interpretation is given to the eigenvalues and eigenvectors. The latter are seen to be two...

Imaginary bugs, real distress: delusional parasitosis.

To the Editor: Delusional parasitosis (DP) (Ekbom syndrome, psychogenic parasitosis, chronic tactile hallucinosis) is a false but unshakable conviction of personal infection by ‘bugs’ of some sort; that is, ectoor endoparasites or other pathogens. This condition may be increasing in frequency, but the subject is virtually absent from the South African medical literature. Failure to diagnose DP ...