What's in a Pauli Matrix?

Abstract

Why is it that after so many years matrices continue to play such an important roll in Physics and mathematics? Is there a geometric way of looking at matrices, and linear transformations in general, that lies at the roots of their success? We take an in depth look at the Pauli matrices, 2x2 matrices over the complex numbers, and examine the various possible geometric interpretations of such matrices. The geometric interpretation of the Pauli matrices explored here natualy extends to what the author has dubbed the study of "geometric matrices". A geometric matrix is a matrix of order 2^n x 2^n over the real or complex numbers, and has its geometric roots in its algebraically isomorphic Clifford geometric algebras.