Now we know that $\Bbb{R}[x]/(x^2+1)$ is isomorphic to $\Bbb{C}$. This fact is well understood but what I dont understand is why cant we similarly construct $\Bbb{R}$ by quotienting out $\Bbb{Q}[x]$.
I mean I do understand that why we cant do it, because like in the case of $\Bbb{C}$ we have $i$ and every complex number corresponds to a tuple of real numbers and one of them having the term $i$ associated with it, but for the reals we dont have any such $i$, that is there is no such unifying factor. But can this idea be made rigorous ?