Complex numbers represent one of the most intriguing and emblematic discoveries in the history of science. Even if they were introduced for an important but restricted mathematical purpose, they came into prominence in many branches of mathematics and applied sciences. This association with applied sciences generated a synergistic effect: applied sciences gave relevance to complex numbers and complex numbers allowed formalizing practical problems. A similar effect can be found today in the "system of hyperbolic numbers", which has acquired meaning and importance as the Mathematics of Special Relativity, as shown in this book. Let us proceed step by step and begin with the history of complex numbers and their generalization. © 2008 Birkhäuser Verlag AG.

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