Re: [math-fun] The Axiom of Choice for roots of z^2 + 1

26 Nov 2007

      If i and -i were treated as indistinguishable, wouldn't this destroy the 
map of the complexes onto the XY plane?

Steve Gray

James Propp wrote:
...
...
I've often wondered if it is somehow a mistake for
mathematics to distinguish between i and -i.
There is absolutely no mathematical way to distinguish 
between the two.  Perhaps they should only be referred
to as a pair, and never one at a time?
Opinions?