Thus the product of pure quaternions combines the scalar product and the vector
product of the equivalent vectors.
(2) For any quaternion v=xi + yj + zk where |v| = Ö(x2 + y2 + z2) = 1
we have
v2
=-(v1 ·v1) + (v1 ×v1)
= -(x2 + y2 + z2) + 0
= -1
.
For all values of q and f there are quaternions
v = cosqcosfi + cosqsinfj + sinqk and by elementary trig:
cos2 qcos2 f+ sin2 qcos2 f+ sin2 f
= (cos2 q+ sin2 q)cos2 f+ sin2 f
= cos2 f+sin2 f
=1
so there are infinitely many quaternions whose square is -1.
(3) (i)As u0 is a point on the plane, by the rules of quaternion
multiplication:
u0n = -u0·n + u0 ×n = u0 ×nnu0 = - n ·u0 + n ×u0 = n ×u0.
Hence u0n = - nu0 so F(u0) = nu0n = n(-nu0) = - n2u0 = u0.
(ii) Here we shall use n2 = -1: