Abstract
Next year we will mark the 170th anniversary of John T. Graves’ discovery of Octonion Algebra. Since its discovery Octonion Algebra has for the most part languished in relative obscurity. Almost everyone that studies Octonion Algebra revels in the beauty of its algebraic structure, yet precious few have come to believe it has any connection to physical reality. Why is this? Historically, Quaternion Algebra H got a bum rap by tinkerers that sadly assumed the forms for gradient, divergence and curl were individually fundamental, instead of structured sub-components of a more fundamental H. This hindered due consideration for Octonion Algebra throughout the 20th century. Internally, there are many fundamental assumptions about Octonion Algebra that are counter-factual. Externally, physicists have been jaded by the success of alternate mathematical systems, none of which can be demonstrated as necessary, at best only sufficient for their degree of success. The bedrock foundation for a Theory of Everything should be an Algebra of Everything. I submit it is Octonion Algebra.
Rick Lockyer