Are There Complex Primes? Exploring the Fascinating World of Complex Numbers

[Dashin]

Complex Numbers have always facinated me.

But... Do complex primes exist? If so, How?

 

[Hurkyl]

There are no primes in the complex numbers. There are no primes in the real numbers either. When every non-zero number is invertible, there is no such thing as a prime!

In the integers, there are primes. There are primes in the gaussian integers as well. The gaussian integers are numbers of the form a + bi, where a and b are both integers.

In the gaussian integers, 2 is not prime; its prime factorization is (1-i)(1+i).

 

[Dashin]

There are no primes in the complex numbers. There are no primes in the real numbers either. When every non-zero number is invertible, there is no such thing as a prime!

In the integers, there are primes. There are primes in the gaussian integers as well. The gaussian integers are numbers of the form a + bi, where a and b are both integers.

In the gaussian integers, 2 is not prime; its prime factorization is (1-i)(1+i).

Thanks!
So... What primes are there in the Gaussian Integers?

 

[chiro]

Complex Numbers have always facinated me.

But... Do complex primes exist? If so, How?

Not really but you could define an analog in terms of behavior. The thing you would need to think about are what the atoms are in the complex case and the constraints.

Did you have an idea of something in mind?

 

[Dashin]

Not really but you could define an analog in terms of behavior. The thing you would need to think about are what the atoms are in the complex case and the constraints.

Did you have an idea of something in mind?

 

[Hurkyl]

Thanks!
So... What primes are there in the Gaussian Integers?

If p is an integer prime, and you can write [itex]a^2 + b^2 = |p|[/itex], then both [itex]a+bi[/itex] and [itex]a-bi[/itex] are Gaussian integer primes. If you cannot, then [itex]p[/itex] is also a Gaussian integer prime.

All primes in the Gaussian integers are of this form.

 

[Dashin]

If p is an integer prime, and you can write [itex]a^2 + b^2 = |p|[/itex], then both [itex]a+bi[/itex] and [itex]a-bi[/itex] are Gaussian integer primes. If you cannot, then [itex]p[/itex] is also a Gaussian integer prime.

All primes in the Gaussian integers are of this form.

Does the order of a and b matter? Do you need to make the larger number be a, or doesn't it matter?

 

[Hurkyl]

Does the order of a and b matter? Do you need to make the larger number be a, or doesn't it matter?

Doesn't matter; they just differ by a unit. Just like -5 and 5 are both integer primes -- and in a certain sense the "same" prime, (3+2i), i(3+2i), (-1)(3+2i), and (-i)(3+2i) are all the "same" gaussian integer prime.The prime factorization of 2 I mentioned earlier: I could have (and probably should have) also written it as (-i) (1+i)^2, since 1+i and 1-i are the "same" prime.

(Just like prime factorizations in the integers can have a (-1) out front, factorizations in the guassian integers can have a (-1), (-i), or i out front)

If you don't like multiple primes being the "same", then I suppose you could insist on a being positive, and being larger in magnitude than b. (and have a special rule for deciding which of 1+i, 1-i, -1+i, and -1-i you like)

 

[Dashin]

Doesn't matter; they just differ by a unit. Just like -5 and 5 are both integer primes -- and in a certain sense the "same" prime, (3+2i), i(3+2i), (-1)(3+2i), and (-i)(3+2i) are all the "same" gaussian integer prime.


The prime factorization of 2 I mentioned earlier: I could have (and probably should have) also written it as (-i) (1+i)^2, since 1+i and 1-i are the "same" prime.

(Just like prime factorizations in the integers can have a (-1) out front, factorizations in the guassian integers can have a (-1), (-i), or i out front)

If you don't like multiple primes being the "same", then I suppose you could insist on a being positive, and being larger in magnitude than b. (and have a special rule for deciding which of 1+i, 1-i, -1+i, and -1-i you like)

Thank you very much.

 

[Number Nine]

Not really but you could define an analog in terms of behavior. The thing you would need to think about are what the atoms are in the complex case and the constraints.

Did you have an idea of something in mind?

There really aren't any good analogs in terms of behaviour. Every non-zero complex number is a unit and lacks a unique factorization, so even if your defined some sort of prime-analog, they would lack the importance of prime numbers in the integers (i.e. you can't really build anything with them).