Quaternion wavefunction theory bridges quantum formalism and classical fluid dynamics: a zero-parameter derivation of sphere drag

We present a quaternion wavefunction formulation that reduces the incompressible Euler equations to a single nonlinear Schrödinger-type equation with a holomorphic constraint, revealing hidden geometric structure connecting quantum and classical fluid mechanics. The velocity field emerges from a complex quaternion wavefunction $Ψ\in \mathbb{C} \otimes \mathbb{H}$ satisfying a constrained Gross-Pitaevskii equation, with incompressibility enforced through quaternion analyticity conditions that generalize the Cauchy-Riemann equations to three dimensions. This geometric structure provides a selection principle for physically realized Euler solutions, resolving D’Alembert’s 270-year-old paradox through geometry rather than phenomenology. The key insight is that incompressibility corresponds to quaternion holomorphicity, known as the Cauchy-Riemann-Fueter conditions, which selects physical solutions from among the infinitely many weak solutions established by De~Lellis and Székelyhidi. Application to steady flow past a sphere yields the Newton regime drag coefficient $C_{D,\infty} = 4/9 \approx 0.44$ as a \textbf{zero-parameter prediction} from quaternion orthogonality constraints, achieving 0.04% agreement with experiment. This represents the first derivation of this fundamental fluid mechanics constant from first principles. The mechanism parallels how the Kutta condition determines airfoil circulation: quaternion orthogonality constraints break fore-aft pressure symmetry, producing finite drag within inviscid theory.

💡 Research Summary

The paper proposes a novel theoretical framework that unifies quantum‑mechanical wavefunction formalism with classical incompressible fluid dynamics by introducing a complex‑quaternion wavefunction (\Psi\in\mathbb{C}\otimes\mathbb{H}). The authors show that the three‑dimensional incompressible Euler equations, traditionally expressed as four coupled nonlinear partial differential equations (three velocity components and pressure), can be reduced to a single nonlinear Schrödinger‑type (Gross‑Pitaevskii) equation together with an algebraic holomorphic constraint.

The wavefunction is defined as
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