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Sedenion
Sedenion
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Sedenions
Symbol
TypeHypercomplex algebra
Unitse0, ..., e15
Multiplicative identitye0
Main properties

In abstract algebra, the sedenions form a 16-dimensional noncommutative and nonassociative algebra over the real numbers, usually represented by the capital letter S, boldface S or blackboard bold .

The sedenions are obtained by applying the Cayley–Dickson construction to the octonions, which can be mathematically expressed as .[1] As such, the octonions are isomorphic to a subalgebra of the sedenions. Unlike the octonions, the sedenions are not an alternative algebra. Applying the Cayley–Dickson construction to the sedenions yields a 32-dimensional algebra, called the trigintaduonions or sometimes the 32-nions.[2]

The term sedenion is also used for other 16-dimensional algebraic structures, such as a tensor product of two copies of the biquaternions, or the algebra of 4 × 4 matrices over the real numbers, or that studied by Smith (1995).

Arithmetic

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A visualization of a 4D extension to the cubic octonion,[3] showing the 35 triads as hyperplanes through the real vertex of the sedenion example given

Every sedenion is a linear combination of the unit sedenions , , , , ..., , which form a basis of the vector space of sedenions. Every sedenion can be represented in the form

Addition and subtraction are defined by the addition and subtraction of corresponding coefficients and multiplication is distributive over addition.

Like other algebras based on the Cayley–Dickson construction, the sedenions contain the algebra they were constructed from. So they contain the octonions (generated by to in the table below), and therefore also the quaternions (generated by to ), complex numbers (generated by and ) and real numbers (generated by ).

Multiplication

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Like octonions, multiplication of sedenions is neither commutative nor associative. However, in contrast to the octonions, the sedenions do not even have the property of being alternative. They do, however, have the property of power associativity, which can be stated as that, for any element of , the power is well defined. They are also flexible.

The sedenions have a multiplicative identity element and multiplicative inverses, but they are not a division algebra because they have zero divisors: two nonzero sedenions can be multiplied to obtain zero, for example . All hypercomplex number systems after sedenions that are based on the Cayley–Dickson construction also contain zero divisors.

The sedenion multiplication table is shown below:

Sedenion properties

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An illustration of the structure of PG(3,2) that provides the multiplication law for sedenions, as shown by Saniga, Holweck & Pracna (2015). Any three points (representing three sedenion imaginary units) lying on the same line are such that the product of two of them yields the third one, sign disregarded.

From the above table, we can see that:

and

Anti-associative

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The sedenions are not fully anti-associative. Choose any four generators, and . The following 5-cycle shows that these five relations cannot all be anti-associative.

In particular, in the table above, using and the last expression associates.

Quaternionic subalgebras

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The particular sedenion multiplication table shown above is represented by 35 triads. The table and its triads have been constructed from an octonion represented by the bolded set of 7 triads using Cayley–Dickson construction. It is one of 480 possible sets of 7 triads (one of two shown in the octonion article) and is the one based on the Cayley–Dickson construction of quaternions from two possible quaternion constructions from the complex numbers. The binary representations of the indices of these triples bitwise XOR to 0. These 35 triads are:

{ {1, 2, 3}, {1, 4, 5}, {1, 7, 6}, {1, 8, 9}, {1, 11, 10}, {1, 13, 12}, {1, 14, 15},
{2, 4, 6}, {2, 5, 7}, {2, 8, 10}, {2, 9, 11}, {2, 14, 12}, {2, 15, 13}, {3, 4, 7},
{3, 6, 5}, {3, 8, 11}, {3, 10, 9}, {3, 13, 14}, {3, 15, 12}, {4, 8, 12}, {4, 9, 13},
{4, 10, 14}, {4, 11, 15}, {5, 8, 13}, {5, 10, 15}, {5, 12, 9}, {5, 14, 11}, {6, 8, 14},
{6, 11, 13}, {6, 12, 10}, {6, 15, 9}, {7, 8, 15}, {7, 9, 14}, {7, 12, 11}, {7, 13, 10} }

Zero divisors

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The list of 84 sets of zero divisors , where :

Space of Zero Divisors

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It has been shown that the pairs of zero divisors in the unit sedonions form a manifold isomorphic to the Lie group G2 in the space . [4]

Applications

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Moreno (1998) showed that the space of pairs of norm-one sedenions that multiply to zero is homeomorphic to the compact form of the exceptional Lie group G2. (Note that in his paper, a "zero divisor" means a pair of elements that multiply to zero.)

Guillard & Gresnigt (2019) demonstrated that the three generations of leptons and quarks that are associated with unbroken gauge symmetry can be represented using the algebra of the complexified sedenions . Their reasoning follows that a primitive idempotent projector — where is chosen as an imaginary unit akin to for in the Fano plane — that acts on the standard basis of the sedenions uniquely divides the algebra into three sets of split basis elements for , whose adjoint left actions on themselves generate three copies of the Clifford algebra which in-turn contain minimal left ideals that describe a single generation of fermions with unbroken gauge symmetry. In particular, they note that tensor products between normed division algebras generate zero divisors akin to those inside , where for the lack of alternativity and associativity does not affect the construction of minimal left ideals since their underlying split basis requires only two basis elements to be multiplied together, in-which associativity or alternativity are uninvolved. Still, these ideals constructed from an adjoint algebra of left actions of the algebra on itself remain associative, alternative, and isomorphic to a Clifford algebra. Altogether, this permits three copies of to exist inside . Furthermore, these three complexified octonion subalgebras are not independent; they share a common subalgebra, which the authors note could form a theoretical basis for CKM and PMNS matrices that, respectively, describe quark mixing and neutrino oscillations.

Sedenion neural networks provide[further explanation needed] a means of efficient and compact expression in machine learning applications and have been used in solving multiple time-series and traffic forecasting problems.[5][6]

See also

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Notes

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References

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Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
In mathematics, sedenions are 16-dimensional hypercomplex numbers that extend the through the , forming a power-associative over the real numbers with basis elements e0,e1,,e15e_0, e_1, \dots, e_{15}, where e0e_0 is the multiplicative identity and the others satisfy specific multiplication rules derived from lower-dimensional algebras. They represent the final stage in the sequence of real division algebras (reals, complexes, quaternions, ), beyond which the construction introduces zero divisors, rendering sedenions neither a nor a . The Cayley–Dickson process constructs sedenions as ordered pairs of (O1,O2)(O_1, O_2), with multiplication defined by (O1,O2)(O3,O4)=(O1O3O4ˉO2,O4O1+O2ˉO3)(O_1, O_2)(O_3, O_4) = (O_1 O_3 - \bar{O_4} O_2, O_4 O_1 + \bar{O_2} O_3), where overline denotes conjugation, and the generator e8e_8 extends the basis. This yields a non-commutative and non-associative structure, as multiplication fails to satisfy (ab)c=a(bc)(ab)c = a(bc) in general, though it remains alternative in lower subalgebras. Key properties include the presence of zero divisors—nonzero elements whose product is zero—preventing unique inverses for all nonzero elements, and power-associativity, meaning powers associate regardless of order. Sedenions fit into broader frameworks like over finite fields and have been explored in extensions such as sedenion loops and frames for hypercomplex structures. Applications of sedenions appear in , including models of electromagnetic theory and linear gravity, as well as in algebraic studies like Fibonacci and Lucas sedenions for sequence generalizations. Space-time variants, derived as 16-component hypercomplex values, generate associative Clifford algebras for relativistic contexts.

Introduction

Definition

Hypercomplex numbers represent a sequence of algebraic structures extending the real numbers R\mathbb{R} (1-dimensional) to higher dimensions by doubling at each step: complex numbers C\mathbb{C} (2-dimensional, retaining commutativity and associativity), quaternions H\mathbb{H} (4-dimensional, losing commutativity), octonions O\mathbb{O} (8-dimensional, losing associativity), and further to sedenions (16-dimensional). This progression, known as the Cayley-Dickson construction, systematically introduces non-commutativity after quaternions and non-associativity after octonions, while maintaining the algebras over the real numbers. Sedenions form a 16-dimensional, non-commutative, non-associative over R\mathbb{R}, obtained by applying the Cayley-Dickson construction to the . Denoted typically as S\mathbb{S}, this hypercomplex extends the pattern of dimensional doubling and property loss, resulting in a structure that is power-associative but possesses zero divisors. A general sedenion sSs \in \mathbb{S} is expressed as a of 16 basis elements with real coefficients: s=s0e0+s1e1++s15e15,s = s_0 e_0 + s_1 e_1 + \cdots + s_{15} e_{15}, where siRs_i \in \mathbb{R} for i=0,,15i = 0, \dots, 15, e0=1e_0 = 1 is the multiplicative identity, and {e1,,e15}\{e_1, \dots, e_{15}\} are the imaginary basis elements satisfying specific multiplication rules derived from the construction. This basis spans the 16-dimensional over R\mathbb{R}, emphasizing the sedenions' as the fourth stage in the Cayley-Dickson hierarchy.

Historical Background

The term "sedenion" first appeared in the mathematical literature in a brief note by James Joseph Sylvester in 1884, where he explored extensions of hypercomplex numbers beyond quaternions and nonions (9-dimensional algebras), mentioning sedenions as potential 16-dimensional structures as part of broader algebraic investigations, though without providing a complete definition or multiplication table. The systematic construction of sedenions emerged from the Cayley-Dickson process, initially developed by Arthur Cayley for octonions in 1845 and generalized by Leonard Eugene Dickson in 1919 to produce higher-dimensional algebras over the reals by iteratively doubling dimensions while preserving a quadratic norm. Sedenions represent the fourth stage in this sequence, following complex numbers (dimension 2), quaternions (dimension 4), and octonions (dimension 8), resulting in a 16-dimensional non-commutative, non-associative algebra with zero divisors. Modern development of sedenions began with Kevin Carmody's 1988 analysis, which provided the first detailed study of their arithmetic, including circular and hyperbolic variants, polar forms, and properties like non-alternativity and idempotents, establishing them firmly within the Cayley-Dickson framework. This work was extended in the and early , notably by Kyosei Imaeda and Mitsuo Imaeda, who in introduced rectangular representations and explored analytic functions over sedenions, highlighting their potential despite structural complexities like zero divisors.

Construction

Cayley-Dickson Process

The Cayley–Dickson construction provides a systematic method to generate higher-dimensional algebras by iteratively doubling the dimension of a given real star-algebra, beginning with the real numbers R\mathbb{R} and proceeding through the complex numbers C\mathbb{C}, quaternions H\mathbb{H}, octonions O\mathbb{O}, and sedenions S\mathbb{S}. This process constructs each successive algebra as the direct sum (or ordered pairs) of the previous algebra with itself, endowing the new structure with operations that preserve certain desirable features while introducing new complexities. To obtain the sedenions specifically, the is applied to the , yielding a 16-dimensional over R\mathbb{R}. A sedenion is thus represented as an s=(a,b)s = (a, b), where a,bOa, b \in \mathbb{O}, with defined componentwise as (a,b)+(c,d)=(a+c,b+d)(a, b) + (c, d) = (a + c, b + d). The multiplication is given by the formula (a,b)(c,d)=(ac+γdb,bc+da),(a, b)(c, d) = \left( a c + \gamma d \overline{b}, b \overline{c} + d a \right), where \overline{\cdot} denotes the standard octonion conjugation and γR\gamma \in \mathbb{R} is an automorphism parameter. This doubling mechanism ensures that the sedenions inherit the non-commutative and non-associative nature of the octonions while extending the algebraic framework to twice the dimension. As the construction iterates, key algebraic properties are progressively lost, reflecting the trade-off for increased dimensionality: commutativity of vanishes with the quaternions, associativity with the , and alternativity (the property that subalgebras generated by two elements are associative) with the sedenions. These losses highlight the construction's implications for the resulting structures, where the sedenions mark a further departure from the rigidity of lower-dimensional algebras like C\mathbb{C} and H\mathbb{H}. The parameter γ\gamma influences the specific form of the algebra; setting γ=1\gamma = -1 produces the standard sedenions, which are power-associative but possess zero divisors, distinguishing them from the division algebras up to the . Variations in γ\gamma can yield twisted or modified sedenion algebras, but the choice of -1 aligns with the conventional doubling process originating from the works of Cayley and Dickson.

Basis and Representation

The sedenion algebra S\mathbb{S} is a 16-dimensional vector space over the real numbers, equipped with a standard orthonormal basis consisting of the scalar unit 11 (often denoted e0e_0) and fifteen imaginary units e1,e2,,e15e_1, e_2, \dots, e_{15}. The basis elements e1e_1 to e7e_7 together with 11 generate an octonion subalgebra isomorphic to O\mathbb{O}, while the elements e8e_8 to e15e_{15} extend this structure via the Cayley-Dickson construction, pairing each octonion basis element with a corresponding new unit. This basis is orthonormal in the sense that the Euclidean inner product satisfies ei,ej=δij\langle e_i, e_j \rangle = \delta_{ij}, facilitating coordinate representations. A general sedenion sSs \in \mathbb{S} admits a rectangular representation as s=a+be8s = a + b e_8, where a,bOa, b \in \mathbb{O} are octonions and e8e_8 is the generating unit for the extension with e82=1e_8^2 = -1. Equivalently, expanding the octonions yields the full coordinate form s=k=015xkeks = \sum_{k=0}^{15} x_k e_k with real coefficients xkRx_k \in \mathbb{R}, providing a direct mapping to R16\mathbb{R}^{16}. This form underscores the hierarchical structure inherited from lower Cayley-Dickson algebras, embedding complex numbers, quaternions, and octonions as subspaces. For computational purposes, sedenions can be realized via the left-regular representation, mapping each basis element to a 16×16 real matrix corresponding to left by that element in the . Such matrix forms enable numerical implementations but increase complexity due to the dimension. Basis conventions vary across foundational works; for instance, Charles Muses' hypernumber framework (introduced as "16-ions" in 1980) employs a basis emphasizing physical interpretations like extensions, differing from Kevin Carmody's standardized sedenion basis (established in 1988), which prioritizes algebraic consistency with prior Cayley-Dickson levels. Carmody's convention, using eie_i with specific tables aligned to octonion norms, has become widely adopted in subsequent analyses. The 16-dimensional nature of sedenions poses significant visualization challenges, as direct geometric intuition beyond 3 dimensions is limited; however, embeddings of lower-dimensional s—such as multiple isomorphic copies of the quaternions—allow projections onto familiar 4-dimensional subspaces for illustrative purposes. These embeddings highlight the rich internal structure while underscoring the loss of associativity and division properties in the full space.

Arithmetic

Addition and Multiplication

Sedenions form a 16-dimensional vector space over the real numbers R\mathbb{R}, with basis {e0,e1,,e15}\{e_0, e_1, \dots, e_{15}\}, where e0=1e_0 = 1 is the multiplicative identity. Any sedenion can be expressed uniquely as s=k=015skeks = \sum_{k=0}^{15} s_k e_k with real coefficients skRs_k \in \mathbb{R}. Addition and subtraction of sedenions s=skeks = \sum s_k e_k and t=tkekt = \sum t_k e_k are defined component-wise: s+t=(sk+tk)eks + t = \sum (s_k + t_k) e_k and st=(sktk)eks - t = \sum (s_k - t_k) e_k. This inherits the standard vector space structure over R\mathbb{R}, making sedenions an R\mathbb{R}-module of dimension 16. Scalar multiplication by reals is also linear: for λR\lambda \in \mathbb{R}, λs=(λsk)ek\lambda s = \sum (\lambda s_k) e_k. Multiplication of sedenions is bilinear over R\mathbb{R}, non-commutative, and non-associative, extending the Cayley-Dickson construction from the . A sedenion ss can be represented as an ordered pair s=(a,b)s = (a, b), where a,ba, b are . For another sedenion t=(c,d)t = (c, d), the product is given by st=(acdb,da+bc),st = (ac - \overline{d} b, da + b \overline{c}), where the overline denotes the conjugate and the parameter γ=1\gamma = 1 in this construction. This formula distributes over addition, ensuring bilinearity: (s1+s2)t=s1t+s2t(s_1 + s_2)t = s_1 t + s_2 t and s(t1+t2)=st1+st2s(t_1 + t_2) = s t_1 + s t_2. The basis multiplication rules for the imaginary units eieje_i e_j (with i,j=1,,15i, j = 1, \dots, 15) follow from doubling the octonion multiplication table, yielding 112 specific relations of the form eiej=±eke_i e_j = \pm e_k or ±1\pm 1 (accounting for antisymmetry and real parts). These rules preserve subalgebra structures, such as the quaternion subalgebra spanned by {1,e1,e2,e4}\{1, e_1, e_2, e_4\}, where the products mimic those of quaternions. For instance, in this subalgebra, e1e2=e4e_1 e_2 = e_4. A partial multiplication table for select basis elements, derived from the Cayley-Dickson doubling, is as follows:
e1e_1e2e_2e3e_3e4e_4e5e_5
e1e_11-1e4e_4e5e_5e2-e_2e3-e_3
e2e_2e4-e_41-1e6e_6e1e_1e7e_7
e3e_3e5-e_5e6-e_61-1e7-e_7e1e_1
e4e_4e2e_2e1-e_1e7e_71-1e6-e_6
This table illustrates the initial octonionic substructure, with full rules extending to higher indices via the pairing in the Cayley-Dickson process. As an example of basis products, consider e1e2=e4e_1 e_2 = e_4, which aligns with the in the . For a demonstrating the operation's structure, compute (e1e2)e3=e4e3=e7(e_1 e_2) e_3 = e_4 e_3 = -e_7 and e1(e2e3)=e1e6=e7e_1 (e_2 e_3) = e_1 e_6 = -e_7; in this case, the products coincide, but the rules allow for differences in general triples. These operations extend linearly to arbitrary sedenions via bilinearity.

Conjugation and Norm

In the Cayley-Dickson construction, the conjugation of a sedenion s=(a,b)s = (a, b), where aa and bb are , is defined as sˉ=(aˉ,b)\bar{s} = (\bar{a}, -b), with aˉ\bar{a} denoting the conjugate of aa. This extends linearly to the standard basis {e0=1,e1,,e15}\{ e_0 = 1, e_1, \dots, e_{15} \}, where the conjugate satisfies eˉ0=e0\bar{e}_0 = e_0 and eˉi=ei\bar{e}_i = -e_i for i=1,,15i = 1, \dots, 15. The Euclidean norm of a sedenion ss is given by n(s)=ssˉ=a2+b2n(s) = s \bar{s} = |a|^2 + |b|^2, which equals the sum of the squares of the coefficients of ss in the and is a positive semi-definite . For the basis elements, n(ei)=1n(e_i) = 1 for all i=0,,15i = 0, \dots, 15. Unlike in the , complex numbers, quaternions, and , the norm on the sedenions is not multiplicative: while n(st)n(s)n(t)n(st) \leq n(s) n(t) holds for all sedenions s,ts, t, equality fails in cases involving zero divisors, such as when n(s)>0n(s) > 0, n(t)>0n(t) > 0, but n(st)=0n(st) = 0. For example, let i, j, ℓ be octonion basis imaginaries; the sedenions s=(i,j)s = (i\ell, j) and t=(j,i)t = (j\ell, i) satisfy n(s)=n(t)=2>0n(s) = n(t) = 2 > 0 but st=0st = 0, so n(st)=0<n(s)n(t)n(st) = 0 < n(s) n(t). The norm remains power-associative, meaning n(sk)=n(s)kn(s^k) = n(s)^k for any positive integer kk. A sedenion ss with n(s)>0n(s) > 0 has a if and only if it is not a (nor annihilated by a nonzero element), given explicitly by s1=sˉ/n(s)s^{-1} = \bar{s} / n(s).

Properties

Non-associativity

The sedenions form a non-associative , where multiplication fails to satisfy (st)u=s(tu)(st)u = s(tu) in general for sedenions s,t,us, t, u. The associator is defined as [s,t,u]=(st)us(tu)[s, t, u] = (st)u - s(tu), which vanishes identically only in the associative lower Cayley-Dickson algebras (reals, complexes, and quaternions). Unlike , which are alternative—satisfying the identities s(st)=(ss)ts(st) = (ss)t and (ts)t=t(st)(ts)t = t(st)—sedenions are non-alternative, signifying the breakdown of structured hypercomplex properties beyond dimension 8. A concrete example of this failure involves basis elements extending the octonion basis. Let x=e1+e8x = e_1 + e_8 and y=e3+e9y = e_3 + e_9, where {ei}\{e_i\} denotes the standard for the sedenions with e0=1e_0 = 1. Then (xx)y=2(e3+e9)(xx)y = -2(e_3 + e_9), while x(xy)=e3+e52e9e10e12x(xy) = -e_3 + e_5 - 2e_9 - e_{10} - e_{12}, so (xx)yx(xy)(xx)y \neq x(xy). This violates the left alternative law and illustrates the associator's non-vanishing, as the generated by xx and yy is not associative. Sedenions exhibit partial anti-associativity among pure imaginary units: for some basis imaginaries ei,ej,eke_i, e_j, e_k, the relation (eiej)ek+ei(ejek)=0(e_i e_j)e_k + e_i(e_j e_k) = 0 holds, reflecting inheritance from octonionic structure. However, this fails more broadly, contributing to non-alternativity; for instance, in basis notation with i1,i2,,i15i_1, i_2, \dots, i_{15} as imaginaries, [i2,i1,i12]=0[i_2, i_1, i_{12}] = 0 but [i2,i12,i1]=i150[i_2, i_{12}, i_1] = i_{15} \neq 0, demonstrating asymmetric non-associativity. Despite general non-associativity, sedenions are power-associative: for any sedenion ss and nonnegative integers n,mn, m, snsm=sn+ms^n s^m = s^{n+m}. This property, ensuring associativity in powers of a single element, propagates through the Cayley-Dickson process from the reals onward. Verification involves direct computation showing s2s=ss2s^2 s = s s^2 and (s2s)s=s2s2(s^2 s)s = s^2 s^2 for arbitrary s=λieis = \sum \lambda_i e_i. The associator in sedenions derives from the Cayley-Dickson doubling of OO. Represent sedenions as S=OOS = O \oplus O \ell with 2=1\ell^2 = -1 and b=bˉb \ell = -\ell \bar{b} for bOb \in O, where multiplication is (b1+c1)(b2+c2)=(b1b2c2c1)+(c2b1+c1b2)(b_1 + c_1 \ell)(b_2 + c_2 \ell) = (b_1 b_2 - \overline{c_2} c_1) + (c_2 b_1 + c_1 \overline{b_2}) \ell. For elements p=(a,u)p = (a, u), q=(b,v)q = (b, v), r=(c,w)r = (c, w), the associator [p,q,r][p, q, r] expands to [(abvˉu)c(abvˉu)w+,terms involving [a,b,c],[u,v,w], and commutators like (avˉvˉa)w],\begin{aligned} &[(a b - \bar{v} u)c - (a b - \bar{v} u)w \ell + \cdots, \\ & \text{terms involving } [a, b, c], [u, v, w], \text{ and commutators like } (a \bar{v} - \bar{v} a)w], \end{aligned} yielding nonzero values due to octonions' non-associativity and the introduced bilinear forms.

Zero Divisors and Subalgebras

Sedenions possess zero divisors, which are non-zero elements s,tSs, t \in \mathbb{S} such that st=0st = 0. These arise in the Cayley-Dickson construction as pairs (a,b)(a, b) and (c,d)(c, d) of where the components satisfy specific conditions, such as a=0a = 0, b0b \neq 0, and bb to cˉ\bar{c} in the sense, leading to the product vanishing. For example, the elements e1+e10e_1 + e_{10} and e4e15e_4 - e_{15} (in the ) form a pair of zero divisors with norm 2\sqrt{2}
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