- Physicists have developed a quantum mechanics model that uses only real numbers, challenging the long-held belief that complex numbers are essential.
- The model matches all predictions of standard quantum mechanics, resolving a debate over whether complex numbers are fundamental or just a convenience.
- Previous research in 2021 suggested real-number quantum mechanics would fail in experiments with multiple particles, but this was based on the tensor product rule.
- The new study replaces the tensor product with a different rule that ensures actions on one part of a system do not affect separate parts, using flags to track information.