The Biquaternions

Renee Russell
Kim Kesting
Caitlin Hult
SPWM 2011
Sir William Rowan Hamilton
(1805-1865)

Physicist, Astronomer and Mathematician

 Contributions to Science and
Mathematics:

• Optics
• Classical and Quantum
Mechanics
• Electromagnetism

• Algebra:
• Discovered
Quaternions &
“This young man, I do not say
will be, but is, the first
Biquaternions!
mathematician of his age”
– Bishop Dr. John Brinkley
 Review of Quaternions, H

A quaternion is a number of the form of:

Q = a + bi + cj + dk
where a, b, c, d  R,
2 2 2
and i = j = k = ijk = -1.

So… what is a biquaternion?

 Biquaternions

• A biquaternion is a number of the form

B = a + bi + cj + dk
where a, b, c, d  C,
and 2 2
i =j = 2
k = ijk = -1.
 Biquaternions
CONFUSING:

(a+bi) + (c+di)i + (w+xi)j + (y+zi)k

* Notice this i is different from the i component of the

basis, {1, i, j, k} for a (bi)quaternion! *

We can avoid this confusion by renaming i, j,and k:

B = (a +bi) + (c+di)e1 +(w+xi)e2 +(y+zi)e3
e12 = e22 = e32 =e1e2e3 = -1.
 Biquaternions
B can also be written as the complex combination
of two quaternions:
B = Q + iQ’ where i =√-1, and Q,Q’  H.

B = (a+bi) + (c+di)e1 + (w+xi)e2 + (y+zi)e3

=(a + ce1 + we2 +ye3) +i(b + de3 + xe2 +ze3)

where a, b, c, d, w, x, y, z  R
 Properties of the Biquarternions
ADDITION:
• We define addition component-wise:

B = a + be1 + ce2 + de3 where a, b, c, d  C

B’ = w + xe1 + ye2 + ze3 where w, x, y, z  C

B +B’ =(a+w) + (b+x)e1 +(c+y)e2 +(d+z)e3

 Properties of the Biquarternions
ADDITION:

• Closed
• Commutative
• Associative
• Additive Identity
0 = 0 + 0e1 + 0e2 + 0e3
• Additive Inverse:
-B = -a + (-b)e1 + (-c)e2 + (-d)e3
 Properties of the Biquarternions
SCALAR MULTIPLICATION:
• hB =ha + hbe2 +hce3 +hde3 where h  C or R

The Biquaternions form a vector

space over C and R!!
 Properties of the Biquarternions
MULTIPLICATION:

• The formula for the product of two

biquaternions is the same as for quaternions:

(a,b)(c,d) = (ac-db*, a*d+cb) where a, b, c, d  C.

•Closed
•Associative
•NOT Commutative
•Identity:
1 = (1+0i) + 0e1 + 0e2 + 0e3
Biquaternions
are an algebra
over C!
biquaterions
 Properties of the Biquarternions

So far, the biquaterions over C have all the same

properties as the quaternions over R.

DIVISION?
In other words, does every non-zero element have a
multiplicative inverse?
 Properties of the Biquarternions

Recall for a quaternion, Q  H,

Q-1 = a – be1 – ce2 – de3 where a, b, c, d  R

2 2
a +b +c +d 2 2

Does this work for biquaternions?

Biquaternions are NOT a division algebra
over C!
Quaternions Biquaternions
(over R) (over C)
Vector Space? ✔ ✔

Algebra? ✔ ✔

Division ✔ ✖
Algebra?
Normed ✔ ✖
Division
Algebra?
 Biquaternions are
isomorphic to M2x2(C)
Define a map f: BQ  M2x2(C) by the following:

f(w + xe1 + ye2 + ze2 ) =

[ w+xi
-y+zi
y+zi
w-xi
]
where w, x, y, z  C.

We can show that f is one-to-one, onto, and is a linear

transformation. Therefore, BQ is isomorphic to M2x2(C).
 Applications of Biquarternions

• Special Relativity
• Physics
• Linear Algebra
• Electromagnetism