We want to find the inverse of the vector 'a' which is

equivalent to solving the equation:

a-1 a = 1
To solve this equation we can use the property that, in
geometric algebra, the square of a vector is a scalar, so,
a2 = |a|2
Combining these gives:
a-1 = a /|a|2
a=[1 3 5 ];
c=a/(dot(a, a))
c=
0.0286 0.0857 0.1429
d=a/norm(a)^2
d=
0.0286 0.0857 0.1429
dot(a, c)
ans =
1.0000
First of all, you need to know why imaginary numbers are used to represent
REAL phenomena!
Imaginary representation of waves make their MATHEMATICAL solution
via Maxwell's equations much easier.
Second, you need to know how wave vector is connected to the wave
propagation and instantaneous field intensity.
Waves propagates in 1D can be represented by one of the two equivalent
forms:
E(x,t) = 𝐸0 cos (w.t -k.x) = REAL{ 𝐸0 exp (i (w.t -k.x))}
Where i is the square root of -1 and k is the wave vector

If k and 𝐸0 are purely real, then the wave will be simply a travelling sin
wave with CONSTANT amplitude.
On the other hand, when has an imaginary part (k= 𝛽 − 𝑖𝛼 ) this means
that the wave amplitude decays while wave propagates in the x direction.
HOW?
let's substitute by k= 𝛽 − 𝑖𝛼 in the wave representation.
E(x,t) = REAL{𝐸0 exp (i(w.t -(𝛽 − 𝑖𝛼 )x)}
lets decompose the exp to two multiplied parts;
E(x,t) = REAL{ 𝐸0 𝑒 −𝛼𝑥 𝑒 i(w.t− 𝛽𝑥)
Now you have a real part multiplied by 𝐸0 , which is 𝑒 −𝛼𝑥
if 𝐸0 is also real, then we can do the following:
 E(x,t) = [𝐸0 𝑒 −𝛼𝑥 ] cos(w. t − 𝛽𝑥)
The term in bracket is the wave amplitude, which is obviously decaying as
you travel in the x direction. The other part is representing a pure
sinusoidal propagating in the x positive direction with velocity V=w/𝛽.
V=w /(Re(k))
Dans un milieu absorbant, l'indice de réfraction est un nombre complexe
dont la partie imaginaire rend compte de l'atténuation de l'onde.
In media with absorption or gain, the wave vector can have complex components. In case
of an evanescent wave (→ total internal reflection), it can even have a purely imaginary
component.

k= 𝛽 − 𝑖𝛼 ;
𝑐 𝑐 𝑐0 𝑐0
n= 0k= 0 (𝛽 − 𝑖𝛼)= 𝛽−𝑖 𝛼)
𝜔 𝜔 𝜔 𝜔

k= 𝑘′ + 𝑖𝑘′′ = 𝛽 + 𝑖𝛼
E(x,t) = REAL{𝐸0 𝑒 i((𝑘′+𝑖𝑘′′)x−wt) }
E(x,t) = REAL{ 𝐸0 𝑒 −𝑘"𝑥 𝑒 i(k′𝑥−𝑤𝑡) }
k= 𝛽 + 𝑖𝛼

k= 𝑘′ + 𝑖𝑘′′
E(x,t) = REAL{𝐸0 𝑒 i(wt−(𝑘′+𝑖𝑘′′)x) }
′
E(x,t) = REAL{𝐸0 𝑒 k"x) 𝑒 )𝑖(𝑤𝑡−𝑘 𝑥) }

K ‘’< 0 k= 𝛽 − 𝑖𝛼
𝜔 𝜔
k= = 𝑛
𝑉 𝑐0
𝑐0 𝑐0 𝑐0 𝑐0
n= k= (𝛽 − 𝑖𝛼)= 𝛽−𝑖 𝛼)
𝜔 𝜔 𝜔 𝜔

Dans un milieu absorbant, l'indice de réfraction est un nombre complexe dont la partie
imaginaire rend compte de l'atténuation de l'onde
n= 𝑛′ − 𝑖𝑛′’
When light passes through a medium, some part of it will always be attenuated. This can be
conveniently taken into account by defining a complex refractive index,

n = n + iκ,
Here, the real part n is the refractive index and indicates the phase velocity, while the
imaginary part κ is called the extinction coefficient — although κ can also refer to the mass
attenuation coefficient—[28]:3 and indicates the amount of attenuation when the
electromagnetic wave propagates through the material.[1]:128
That κ corresponds to attenuation can be seen by inserting this refractive index into the
expression for electric field of a planeelectromagnetic wave traveling in the z-direction. We
can do this by relating the complex wave number k to the complex refractive

index n through k = 2πn/λ , 0 with λ0 being the vacuum wavelength; this can be
inserted into the plane wave expression as
 Here we see that κ gives an exponential decay, as expected from the Beer–Lambert law.
Since intensity is proportional to the square of the electric field, it will depend on the depth
into the material as exp(−4πκz/λ0), and the attenuation coefficientbecomes α =
4πκ/λ0.[1]:128 This also relates it to the penetration depth, the distance after which the intensity
is reduced by 1/e, δp = 1/α = λ0/(4πκ)
An alternative convention uses n = n − iκ instead of n = n + iκ, but where κ > 0 still corresponds to
loss. Therefore, these two conventions are inconsistent and should not be confused. The
difference is related to defining sinusoidal time dependence as Re[exp(−iωt)] versus
Re[exp(+iωt)]. See Mathematical descriptions of opacity.

In real materials, the polarization does not respond instantaneously to an applied

field. This causes dielectric loss, which can be expressed by a permittivity that is both
complex and frequency dependent. Real materials are not perfect insulators either,
meaning they have non-zero Direct Current (DC) conductivity. Taking both aspects
into consideration, we can define a complex index of refraction:

Here, n is the refractive index indicating the phase velocity, while κ is called the
extinction coefficient, which indicates the amount of absorption loss when the
electromagnetic wave propagates through the material. Both n and κ are dependent
on the frequency.
The effect that n varies with frequency (except in vacuum, where all frequencies
travel at the same speed c) is known as dispersion, and it is what causes a prism to
divide white light into its constituent spectral colors, which is how rainbows are
formed in rain or mists. Dispersion is also the cause of chromatic aberration in
lenses.