In
algebraic number theory
Algebraic number theory is a branch of number theory that uses the techniques of abstract algebra to study the integers, rational numbers, and their generalizations. Number-theoretic questions are expressed in terms of properties of algebraic ob ...
, a
number field is called totally imaginary (or totally complex) if it cannot be
embedded in the
real number
In mathematics, a real number is a number that can be used to measure a ''continuous'' one-dimensional quantity such as a distance, duration or temperature. Here, ''continuous'' means that values can have arbitrarily small variations. Every real ...
s. Specific examples include
imaginary quadratic field
In algebraic number theory, a quadratic field is an algebraic number field of degree two over \mathbf, the rational numbers.
Every such quadratic field is some \mathbf(\sqrt) where d is a (uniquely defined) square-free integer different from 0 an ...
s,
cyclotomic fields, and, more generally,
CM fields.
Any number field that is
Galois over the
rationals must be either
totally real
In number theory, a number field ''F'' is called totally real if for each embedding of ''F'' into the complex numbers the image lies inside the real numbers. Equivalent conditions are that ''F'' is generated over Q by one root of an integer polyno ...
or totally imaginary.
References
*Section 13.1 of
Algebraic number theory
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