The simple fact you wanted to write this:
replyi=0+1*i
Makes i a number. Since * is a binary operator in your space, i needs to be a number for 1*i to make any sense.
Similarly, if = is to be a binary relation in your space, i needs to be a number for i={anything} to make sense.
Comparing i with a unary operator like - shows the difference:
i*i=-1 makes perfect sense
-*-=???? does not make sense
i is a complex number, complex numbers are of the form real + i*real... Don't you see the recursive definition ? Same with 0 and 1 they are not numbers until you can actually define numbers, using 0 and 1
reply i*i=-1 makes perfect sense
There's no issue with recursive definitions. That's how arithmetic was original formalized by Peano's axioms [1].
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