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Qmechanic ♦
Qmechanic ♦
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Why can't we measure imaginary numbers? I mean, we can take the projection of a complex wave to be the "viewable" part, so why are imaginary numbers given this immeasurable descriptor? Namely with operators in quantum mechanics, why must measurable quantities be hermitianHermitian, and consequently real?

Why can't we measure imaginary numbers? I mean, we can take the projection of a complex wave to be the "viewable" part, so why are imaginary numbers given this immeasurable descriptor? Namely with operators in quantum mechanics, why must measurable quantities be hermitian, and consequently real?

Why can't we measure imaginary numbers? I mean, we can take the projection of a complex wave to be the "viewable" part, so why are imaginary numbers given this immeasurable descriptor? Namely with operators in quantum mechanics, why must measurable quantities be Hermitian, and consequently real?

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user24082
user24082

Why are Only Real Things Measurable?

Why can't we measure imaginary numbers? I mean, we can take the projection of a complex wave to be the "viewable" part, so why are imaginary numbers given this immeasurable descriptor? Namely with operators in quantum mechanics, why must measurable quantities be hermitian, and consequently real?