Multidimensional Time and Hypercomplex Numbers

Long before physicists embarked on the study of higher-dimensional spacetimes, 19^th-century mathematicians had firmly established the geometry concept of multidimensional metric manifolds. Many of these concepts were straightforward generalizations of ideas on the properties of surfaces embedded in the three-dimensional Euclidean manifold.

To simplify things, the mathematicians have introduced a multidimensional surface-like concept called hypersurface for modeling multidimensional space embedded in a higher multidimensional ambient manifold. A flat m-hypersurface can be appropriately embedded in an (m+1) space, but matters become more complicated when one comes to consider curved hypersurfaces. A curved m-dimensional hypersurface requires an ambient space whose dimensions are at least equal to or greater than ½m (m+1) 1.

Accordingly, a 4-dimensional curved spacetime requires at least a 10-dimensional ambient space. The spacetime's point position and, hence, the curvature of the spacetime is completely defined through a collection of numbers associated with the coordinate system set up in such 10-ambient space which we are more familiar with as the metric tensor's independent components of such 4-spacetime.

So what is so startling about it is when we explore the micro realm we would be confronting with the same 10-dimensional ambient space. Alas, in the later development, such as in that of the superstring theory, physicists made a blunder as they wrongly assumed the curly nature of the extra dimensions of such ambient space,  which made them going nowhere.

The same fate happened to Big-Bang theory as physicists firmly exclude the existence of the universe's surrounding spaces. In doing so, physicists throw away the more significant part of the system, and this might be the reason why the theory incorporates only five percent of the total mass and energy that it actually should be.

Now the only option to cope with this impasse is jumping off the ship and abandon not only about the curly nature of the extra dimensions but also the one-dimensionality of time.

As the last article has deliberated,  those multiple temporal dimensions are the results of a series of successive symmetry breakings occur which had created different worlds, each of which had its respective temporal dimension (Figure-1).

Quaternion and Octonion

Now, how do we describe the structure and the geometry of such multiple temporal dimensions? To do this, we need to build a coordinate patch within such ambient space framework. To start with, let us deal with our 3-dimensional physical space embedded, as it should be, in a 6-ambient space. In such a case, we assign a coordinate patch consisting of three real space coordinates x₁, x₂, and x₃ and three imaginary time coordinates whose basis i, j and k.

If we denote x= x(x₁, x₂, x₃), then we can define any world point in such 3-physical space as:

q = x + ui + vj + wk,

where x, u, v and w are real numbers. This expression is found to be nothing but the quaternion; a generalized complex number discovered a long time ago by Hamilton who established the geometry and the algebraic structure of this quaternion in 1843.

If we express the time variables u, v and w proportionally to the speed of light c_i of the respective temporal dimensions t_i then we can write:

q = x+ ic₁t₁ + jc₂t₂ + kc₃t₃,

This quaternion describes a general vector within a 6-dimensional space expressed as a function of space and time coordinates. Quaternions, therefore, describe a 6-dimensional vector space over the real numbers, depicting the dynamical geometry of 3-space embedded in 6-ambient space.

Similarly, we can define the 4-spacetime whose ambient space is ten dimensional through a coordinate patch consisting of three real space coordinates and seven imaginary time coordinates.

Again if we assign a space coordinates as x= x(x₁, x₂, x₃) and i, j, k, l,m, n, and o denote independent imaginary numbers as the coordinate basis representing seven different time coordinates, then we can define any point located at the 3-space in such coordinate patch as:

q = x + ai + bj + ck + dl + em + fn + go

where x, a, b, c, d, e, f  and g are real numbers. Graves and Cayley had already discovered this expression, known as double quaternion or octonion, long time ago in 1845, although they did not know about the physical implication of it.

If we express the time variables a,b,c ... g proportionally to the speed of light c_i of the respective temporal dimensions t_i then we can write:

q=x+ ic₁t₁ + jc₂t₂ + kc₃t₃ +lc₄t₄ + mc₅t₅ + nc₆t₆ + oc₇t₇

Octonions form a 10-dimensional vector space over the real numbers, depicting a 3-physical space embedded in 10-dimensional ambient space.

In a later development, the original notions of quaternion and octonion are further modified and generalized through what so-called Clifford and Grassmann algebras applied to any higher dimensions framework which is found to have powerful implications in modern physics.
Many mathematicians and physicists wrongly perceived the quaternions and octonions as respectively describing 4-dimensional and 8-dimensional spacetime (having both one-dimensional time), which is inappropriate.

Penrose² regarded Hamilton's 22 year-devotion in his life in attempting to develop the quaternion calculus resulted in relative failure. On the contrary, we regard the Brougham Bridge's stone carved with the Hamilton fundamental equation would become a momentous milestone of the application of the hypercomplex calculus on the geometry of multidimensional time in both macroscopic and microscopic realms.

References:

1.  Sokolnikoff, L.S: "Tensor Analysis," Wiley Toppan, Second Edition, New York, 1964, p. 205.

2.   Penrose, R.: "The Road to Reality," Vintage Books, London, 2005, p. 201

Multidimensional Time and Hypercomplex Numbers

Symmetry and Symmetry Breaking

The asymmetry and its associated diversity that we observe today was the result of symmetry breakings which occurred in the early stage of the cosmos. In the beginning, ^a), the conditions were very different from those prevailing today, they were symmetric. The spatial dimensions as we know today did not yet exist; all dimensions were inherently temporal. However, as those temporal dimensions were yet undivided, there was no past, present ^b) and future.

At those conditions, the energy ^c) was unstable and tended to break into its positive and negative components. When it happened, the associated 4-spacetime (cosmos) ^d) was split into two parts creating an interface (3-hypersurface) in between the two. The dimensions across the interface transformed into spatial; leaving the dimensions outside it remained intact ^e).  Space, therefore, was born.

The two opposing energies ^f) perpetually generated sort of 4-lights (quantum fields) piercing through the interface (space) inducing secondary 3-(classical) fields which permeated and propagated across the interface (Figure-1A). As the quantum fields hit the interface, the strongest of them (Higgs fields) generated bright sparks which immediately disappeared as the opposite fields annihilated them (Figure-1B).

The fundamental particles as we know are in reality nothing but these quantum-sparks which perpetually appear and disappear at the interface. As those quantum fields hit the entire surface of the interface and penetrate it only a short distance (across through the thickness of the space), they seem to us (who live in such interface/3-space) as eternal, omnipresent and invisible objects that can create and annihilate quantum particles.

Minkowski ^{1, g)} brilliantly fused the space and time into its undifferentiated state and brought back the spacetime into its original condition. However, then, something wrong happened. Instead of bringing the spacetime back into its symmetrical condition, Einstein²assumed that such unification did not make the temporal and spatial dimensions equivalent. Einstein failed to recognize that the asymmetry as we see today was the result of the spacetime symmetry breaking. This blunder has hampered the progress of physics for more than one hundred years now.

On the discovery of the four-dimensional spacetime, Einstein³ commented: “The non-mathematician is seized by a mysterious shuddering when he hears of four-dimensional things, by a feeling not unlike that awakened by thoughts of the occult.” No wonder, even after one hundred years of experience dealing with such spacetime, physicists are still bewildered and fail to recognize that their chaotic spacetime model does not represent the post symmetry breaking we observe today.

Supersymmetry Breaking and Multidimensional Worlds

The symmetry breaking of the 4-spacetime as we previously described was only one of the long series of successive symmetry breakings. It was the last of the long chain of a successive splitting of a higher-dimensional spacetime into its lower-dimensional parts.

To make it clear, let us take the ambient 10-spacetime as a start. As this 10-spacetime broke its supersymmetry, a 9-hypersurface came into being along with its associated temporal dimension, t₇.  The latter, in turn, was split creating a smaller 8-hypersurface and its associated time, t₆ and so forth. This series of splits continued resulting in successive creations of the spacetimes in descending order of their dimensions and ended when the 3-space came into being along with its associated time t₁. A total of seven worlds ^h) have successively come into being with their own time, t_i, light and its respective speed, c_i, Planck constant, h_i, and “gravitational” constant, G_i.

We can depict those seven worlds in term of their relative dimensionality (Figure-2.) or pictorially described as concentric spheres whose dimensions are larger outwards, in which the innermost layer is the 3-space with all of its solar system, stars, galaxies and super-galaxies (Figure-3A).

It is worthy to note that this picture may clarify the exact physical meaning of the ancient cosmology. For hundreds of years, people had wrongly considered this configuration as the geocentric cosmology in which the earth was at the center of the universe (Figure-3B). Even now, modern physicists fail to properly grasp the multidimensionality of the seven heavens described in the ancient cosmology ⁴.

Notes:

a.    It is the relative beginning, not the beginning of time.

b. The notation of spacetime given for the cosmos at its original state is misleading as it gives the impression as it was asymmetrical from the beginning. It would be more appropriate if we use the notation world, cosmos or more technically [metric] manifold.

c.  Energy in its entirety (4-energy); to avoid misunderstanding it would be more appropriate if we use the ancient notation: eon or simply eon.  The energy as we know is merely its superficial property (3-energy).

d.  There was no space, as space and the present time are different aspects of the same thing.

e.  This symmetry breaking is analogous to the phenomenon which occurs in the separation of two immiscible liquids, such as oil and water. In the body of the liquids, the cohesive forces are symmetric exerting equally in all directions. At the interface, however, such symmetry is broken because of unbalanced force exerting at the interface. As the system is in equilibrium,  the potential energy known as interfacial tension counter the net unbalance force. In terms of coordinate geometry, we may say that the interfacial tension differentiates the dimensions across the interface ("superficial" dimensions) from those of the original.

f.   The relativistic energy is composed of two opposite components as expressed in E² = m²c⁴ + p²c²

g.  Minkowski died one year only after the discovery, leaving confusion on his discovered object (spacetime)’s structure.

h.   The ancients called such worlds seven heavens.

References:

1.  Einstein, A. et al.: " The Principle of Relativity," Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1952, p. 75.

2.    Einstein, A.: " The Meaning of Relativity," Princeton University Press, Fifth Edition, New Jersey, 1954, p. 31

3.  Einstein, A.: "Relativity," Crown Publishers Inc., Fifteenth Edition, New York, 1952, p.55

4.  Hawking, S.: "A Brief History of Time," Bantam Books, London, 1989, p. 3.

Symmetry and Symmetry Breaking