]> gitweb.michael.orlitzky.com - sage.d.git/blobdiff - mjo/eja/eja_algebra.py
eja: factor out a class for real-embedded matrices.
[sage.d.git] / mjo / eja / eja_algebra.py
index 3cb7467119f2f7aabda97a90d243e448164b3529..5bf597565b2ae292032c3f0a532763d7889cd2a8 100644 (file)
 """
-Euclidean Jordan Algebras. These are formally-real Jordan Algebras;
-specifically those where u^2 + v^2 = 0 implies that u = v = 0. They
-are used in optimization, and have some additional nice methods beyond
-what can be supported in a general Jordan Algebra.
+Representations and constructions for Euclidean Jordan algebras.
+
+A Euclidean Jordan algebra is a Jordan algebra that has some
+additional properties:
+
+  1.   It is finite-dimensional.
+  2.   Its scalar field is the real numbers.
+  3a.  An inner product is defined on it, and...
+  3b.  That inner product is compatible with the Jordan product
+       in the sense that `<x*y,z> = <y,x*z>` for all elements
+       `x,y,z` in the algebra.
+
+Every Euclidean Jordan algebra is formally-real: for any two elements
+`x` and `y` in the algebra, `x^{2} + y^{2} = 0` implies that `x = y =
+0`. Conversely, every finite-dimensional formally-real Jordan algebra
+can be made into a Euclidean Jordan algebra with an appropriate choice
+of inner-product.
+
+Formally-real Jordan algebras were originally studied as a framework
+for quantum mechanics. Today, Euclidean Jordan algebras are crucial in
+symmetric cone optimization, since every symmetric cone arises as the
+cone of squares in some Euclidean Jordan algebra.
+
+It is known that every Euclidean Jordan algebra decomposes into an
+orthogonal direct sum (essentially, a Cartesian product) of simple
+algebras, and that moreover, up to Jordan-algebra isomorphism, there
+are only five families of simple algebras. We provide constructions
+for these simple algebras:
+
+  * :class:`BilinearFormEJA`
+  * :class:`RealSymmetricEJA`
+  * :class:`ComplexHermitianEJA`
+  * :class:`QuaternionHermitianEJA`
+
+Missing from this list is the algebra of three-by-three octononion
+Hermitian matrices, as there is (as of yet) no implementation of the
+octonions in SageMath. In addition to these, we provide two other
+example constructions,
+
+  * :class:`HadamardEJA`
+  * :class:`TrivialEJA`
+
+The Jordan spin algebra is a bilinear form algebra where the bilinear
+form is the identity. The Hadamard EJA is simply a Cartesian product
+of one-dimensional spin algebras. And last but not least, the trivial
+EJA is exactly what you think. Cartesian products of these are also
+supported using the usual ``cartesian_product()`` function; as a
+result, we support (up to isomorphism) all Euclidean Jordan algebras
+that don't involve octonions.
+
+SETUP::
+
+    sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import random_eja
+
+EXAMPLES::
+
+    sage: random_eja()
+    Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension...
 """
 
-from itertools import izip, repeat
+from itertools import repeat
 
 from sage.algebras.quatalg.quaternion_algebra import QuaternionAlgebra
 from sage.categories.magmatic_algebras import MagmaticAlgebras
+from sage.categories.sets_cat import cartesian_product
 from sage.combinat.free_module import CombinatorialFreeModule
 from sage.matrix.constructor import matrix
 from sage.matrix.matrix_space import MatrixSpace
 from sage.misc.cachefunc import cached_method
-from sage.misc.prandom import choice
 from sage.misc.table import table
 from sage.modules.free_module import FreeModule, VectorSpace
-from sage.rings.integer_ring import ZZ
-from sage.rings.number_field.number_field import NumberField, QuadraticField
-from sage.rings.polynomial.polynomial_ring_constructor import PolynomialRing
-from sage.rings.rational_field import QQ
-from sage.rings.real_lazy import CLF, RLF
-
-from mjo.eja.eja_element import FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebraElement
-from mjo.eja.eja_utils import _mat2vec
-
-class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
-    # This is an ugly hack needed to prevent the category framework
-    # from implementing a coercion from our base ring (e.g. the
-    # rationals) into the algebra. First of all -- such a coercion is
-    # nonsense to begin with. But more importantly, it tries to do so
-    # in the category of rings, and since our algebras aren't
-    # associative they generally won't be rings.
-    _no_generic_basering_coercion = True
+from sage.rings.all import (ZZ, QQ, AA, QQbar, RR, RLF, CLF,
+                            PolynomialRing,
+                            QuadraticField)
+from mjo.eja.eja_element import FiniteDimensionalEJAElement
+from mjo.eja.eja_operator import FiniteDimensionalEJAOperator
+from mjo.eja.eja_utils import _all2list, _mat2vec
+
+class FiniteDimensionalEJA(CombinatorialFreeModule):
+    r"""
+    A finite-dimensional Euclidean Jordan algebra.
+
+    INPUT:
+
+      - ``basis`` -- a tuple; a tuple of basis elements in "matrix
+        form," which must be the same form as the arguments to
+        ``jordan_product`` and ``inner_product``. In reality, "matrix
+        form" can be either vectors, matrices, or a Cartesian product
+        (ordered tuple) of vectors or matrices. All of these would
+        ideally be vector spaces in sage with no special-casing
+        needed; but in reality we turn vectors into column-matrices
+        and Cartesian products `(a,b)` into column matrices
+        `(a,b)^{T}` after converting `a` and `b` themselves.
+
+      - ``jordan_product`` -- a function; afunction of two ``basis``
+        elements (in matrix form) that returns their jordan product,
+        also in matrix form; this will be applied to ``basis`` to
+        compute a multiplication table for the algebra.
+
+      - ``inner_product`` -- a function; a function of two ``basis``
+        elements (in matrix form) that returns their inner
+        product. This will be applied to ``basis`` to compute an
+        inner-product table (basically a matrix) for this algebra.
+
+      - ``field`` -- a subfield of the reals (default: ``AA``); the scalar
+        field for the algebra.
+
+      - ``orthonormalize`` -- boolean (default: ``True``); whether or
+        not to orthonormalize the basis. Doing so is expensive and
+        generally rules out using the rationals as your ``field``, but
+        is required for spectral decompositions.
+
+    SETUP::
+
+        sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import random_eja
+
+    TESTS:
+
+    We should compute that an element subalgebra is associative even
+    if we circumvent the element method::
+
+        sage: set_random_seed()
+        sage: J = random_eja(field=QQ,orthonormalize=False)
+        sage: x = J.random_element()
+        sage: A = x.subalgebra_generated_by(orthonormalize=False)
+        sage: basis = tuple(b.superalgebra_element() for b in A.basis())
+        sage: J.subalgebra(basis, orthonormalize=False).is_associative()
+        True
+
+    """
+    Element = FiniteDimensionalEJAElement
 
     def __init__(self,
-                 field,
-                 mult_table,
-                 rank,
-                 prefix='e',
-                 category=None,
-                 natural_basis=None):
+                 basis,
+                 jordan_product,
+                 inner_product,
+                 field=AA,
+                 orthonormalize=True,
+                 associative=None,
+                 cartesian_product=False,
+                 check_field=True,
+                 check_axioms=True,
+                 prefix="b"):
+
+        n = len(basis)
+
+        if check_field:
+            if not field.is_subring(RR):
+                # Note: this does return true for the real algebraic
+                # field, the rationals, and any quadratic field where
+                # we've specified a real embedding.
+                raise ValueError("scalar field is not real")
+
+        if check_axioms:
+            # Check commutativity of the Jordan and inner-products.
+            # This has to be done before we build the multiplication
+            # and inner-product tables/matrices, because we take
+            # advantage of symmetry in the process.
+            if not all( jordan_product(bi,bj) == jordan_product(bj,bi)
+                        for bi in basis
+                        for bj in basis ):
+                raise ValueError("Jordan product is not commutative")
+
+            if not all( inner_product(bi,bj) == inner_product(bj,bi)
+                        for bi in basis
+                        for bj in basis ):
+                raise ValueError("inner-product is not commutative")
+
+
+        category = MagmaticAlgebras(field).FiniteDimensional()
+        category = category.WithBasis().Unital().Commutative()
+
+        if associative is None:
+            # We should figure it out. As with check_axioms, we have to do
+            # this without the help of the _jordan_product_is_associative()
+            # method because we need to know the category before we
+            # initialize the algebra.
+            associative = all( jordan_product(jordan_product(bi,bj),bk)
+                               ==
+                               jordan_product(bi,jordan_product(bj,bk))
+                               for bi in basis
+                               for bj in basis
+                               for bk in basis)
+
+        if associative:
+            # Element subalgebras can take advantage of this.
+            category = category.Associative()
+        if cartesian_product:
+            # Use join() here because otherwise we only get the
+            # "Cartesian product of..." and not the things themselves.
+            category = category.join([category,
+                                      category.CartesianProducts()])
+
+        # Call the superclass constructor so that we can use its from_vector()
+        # method to build our multiplication table.
+        CombinatorialFreeModule.__init__(self,
+                                         field,
+                                         range(n),
+                                         prefix=prefix,
+                                         category=category,
+                                         bracket=False)
+
+        # Now comes all of the hard work. We'll be constructing an
+        # ambient vector space V that our (vectorized) basis lives in,
+        # as well as a subspace W of V spanned by those (vectorized)
+        # basis elements. The W-coordinates are the coefficients that
+        # we see in things like x = 1*b1 + 2*b2.
+        vector_basis = basis
+
+        degree = 0
+        if n > 0:
+            degree = len(_all2list(basis[0]))
+
+        # Build an ambient space that fits our matrix basis when
+        # written out as "long vectors."
+        V = VectorSpace(field, degree)
+
+        # The matrix that will hole the orthonormal -> unorthonormal
+        # coordinate transformation.
+        self._deortho_matrix = None
+
+        if orthonormalize:
+            # Save a copy of the un-orthonormalized basis for later.
+            # Convert it to ambient V (vector) coordinates while we're
+            # at it, because we'd have to do it later anyway.
+            deortho_vector_basis = tuple( V(_all2list(b)) for b in basis )
+
+            from mjo.eja.eja_utils import gram_schmidt
+            basis = tuple(gram_schmidt(basis, inner_product))
+
+        # Save the (possibly orthonormalized) matrix basis for
+        # later...
+        self._matrix_basis = basis
+
+        # Now create the vector space for the algebra, which will have
+        # its own set of non-ambient coordinates (in terms of the
+        # supplied basis).
+        vector_basis = tuple( V(_all2list(b)) for b in basis )
+        W = V.span_of_basis( vector_basis, check=check_axioms)
+
+        if orthonormalize:
+            # Now "W" is the vector space of our algebra coordinates. The
+            # variables "X1", "X2",...  refer to the entries of vectors in
+            # W. Thus to convert back and forth between the orthonormal
+            # coordinates and the given ones, we need to stick the original
+            # basis in W.
+            U = V.span_of_basis( deortho_vector_basis, check=check_axioms)
+            self._deortho_matrix = matrix( U.coordinate_vector(q)
+                                           for q in vector_basis )
+
+
+        # Now we actually compute the multiplication and inner-product
+        # tables/matrices using the possibly-orthonormalized basis.
+        self._inner_product_matrix = matrix.identity(field, n)
+        self._multiplication_table = [ [0 for j in range(i+1)]
+                                       for i in range(n) ]
+
+        # Note: the Jordan and inner-products are defined in terms
+        # of the ambient basis. It's important that their arguments
+        # are in ambient coordinates as well.
+        for i in range(n):
+            for j in range(i+1):
+                # ortho basis w.r.t. ambient coords
+                q_i = basis[i]
+                q_j = basis[j]
+
+                # The jordan product returns a matrixy answer, so we
+                # have to convert it to the algebra coordinates.
+                elt = jordan_product(q_i, q_j)
+                elt = W.coordinate_vector(V(_all2list(elt)))
+                self._multiplication_table[i][j] = self.from_vector(elt)
+
+                if not orthonormalize:
+                    # If we're orthonormalizing the basis with respect
+                    # to an inner-product, then the inner-product
+                    # matrix with respect to the resulting basis is
+                    # just going to be the identity.
+                    ip = inner_product(q_i, q_j)
+                    self._inner_product_matrix[i,j] = ip
+                    self._inner_product_matrix[j,i] = ip
+
+        self._inner_product_matrix._cache = {'hermitian': True}
+        self._inner_product_matrix.set_immutable()
+
+        if check_axioms:
+            if not self._is_jordanian():
+                raise ValueError("Jordan identity does not hold")
+            if not self._inner_product_is_associative():
+                raise ValueError("inner product is not associative")
+
+
+    def _coerce_map_from_base_ring(self):
+        """
+        Disable the map from the base ring into the algebra.
+
+        Performing a nonsense conversion like this automatically
+        is counterpedagogical. The fallback is to try the usual
+        element constructor, which should also fail.
+
+        SETUP::
+
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import random_eja
+
+        TESTS::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = random_eja()
+            sage: J(1)
+            Traceback (most recent call last):
+            ...
+            ValueError: not an element of this algebra
+
         """
+        return None
+
+
+    def product_on_basis(self, i, j):
+        r"""
+        Returns the Jordan product of the `i` and `j`th basis elements.
+
+        This completely defines the Jordan product on the algebra, and
+        is used direclty by our superclass machinery to implement
+        :meth:`product`.
+
         SETUP::
 
             sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import random_eja
 
+        TESTS::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = random_eja()
+            sage: n = J.dimension()
+            sage: bi = J.zero()
+            sage: bj = J.zero()
+            sage: bi_bj = J.zero()*J.zero()
+            sage: if n > 0:
+            ....:     i = ZZ.random_element(n)
+            ....:     j = ZZ.random_element(n)
+            ....:     bi = J.monomial(i)
+            ....:     bj = J.monomial(j)
+            ....:     bi_bj = J.product_on_basis(i,j)
+            sage: bi*bj == bi_bj
+            True
+
+        """
+        # We only stored the lower-triangular portion of the
+        # multiplication table.
+        if j <= i:
+            return self._multiplication_table[i][j]
+        else:
+            return self._multiplication_table[j][i]
+
+    def inner_product(self, x, y):
+        """
+        The inner product associated with this Euclidean Jordan algebra.
+
+        Defaults to the trace inner product, but can be overridden by
+        subclasses if they are sure that the necessary properties are
+        satisfied.
+
+        SETUP::
+
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (random_eja,
+            ....:                                  HadamardEJA,
+            ....:                                  BilinearFormEJA)
+
         EXAMPLES:
 
-        By definition, Jordan multiplication commutes::
+        Our inner product is "associative," which means the following for
+        a symmetric bilinear form::
 
             sage: set_random_seed()
             sage: J = random_eja()
+            sage: x,y,z = J.random_elements(3)
+            sage: (x*y).inner_product(z) == y.inner_product(x*z)
+            True
+
+        TESTS:
+
+        Ensure that this is the usual inner product for the algebras
+        over `R^n`::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = HadamardEJA.random_instance()
             sage: x,y = J.random_elements(2)
-            sage: x*y == y*x
+            sage: actual = x.inner_product(y)
+            sage: expected = x.to_vector().inner_product(y.to_vector())
+            sage: actual == expected
+            True
+
+        Ensure that this is one-half of the trace inner-product in a
+        BilinearFormEJA that isn't just the reals (when ``n`` isn't
+        one). This is in Faraut and Koranyi, and also my "On the
+        symmetry..." paper::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = BilinearFormEJA.random_instance()
+            sage: n = J.dimension()
+            sage: x = J.random_element()
+            sage: y = J.random_element()
+            sage: (n == 1) or (x.inner_product(y) == (x*y).trace()/2)
+            True
+
+        """
+        B = self._inner_product_matrix
+        return (B*x.to_vector()).inner_product(y.to_vector())
+
+
+    def is_associative(self):
+        r"""
+        Return whether or not this algebra's Jordan product is associative.
+
+        SETUP::
+
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import ComplexHermitianEJA
+
+        EXAMPLES::
+
+            sage: J = ComplexHermitianEJA(3, field=QQ, orthonormalize=False)
+            sage: J.is_associative()
+            False
+            sage: x = sum(J.gens())
+            sage: A = x.subalgebra_generated_by(orthonormalize=False)
+            sage: A.is_associative()
             True
 
         """
-        self._rank = rank
-        self._natural_basis = natural_basis
+        return "Associative" in self.category().axioms()
+
+    def _is_commutative(self):
+        r"""
+        Whether or not this algebra's multiplication table is commutative.
+
+        This method should of course always return ``True``, unless
+        this algebra was constructed with ``check_axioms=False`` and
+        passed an invalid multiplication table.
+        """
+        return all( x*y == y*x for x in self.gens() for y in self.gens() )
+
+    def _is_jordanian(self):
+        r"""
+        Whether or not this algebra's multiplication table respects the
+        Jordan identity `(x^{2})(xy) = x(x^{2}y)`.
+
+        We only check one arrangement of `x` and `y`, so for a
+        ``True`` result to be truly true, you should also check
+        :meth:`_is_commutative`. This method should of course always
+        return ``True``, unless this algebra was constructed with
+        ``check_axioms=False`` and passed an invalid multiplication table.
+        """
+        return all( (self.monomial(i)**2)*(self.monomial(i)*self.monomial(j))
+                    ==
+                    (self.monomial(i))*((self.monomial(i)**2)*self.monomial(j))
+                    for i in range(self.dimension())
+                    for j in range(self.dimension()) )
+
+    def _jordan_product_is_associative(self):
+        r"""
+        Return whether or not this algebra's Jordan product is
+        associative; that is, whether or not `x*(y*z) = (x*y)*z`
+        for all `x,y,x`.
+
+        This method should agree with :meth:`is_associative` unless
+        you lied about the value of the ``associative`` parameter
+        when you constructed the algebra.
+
+        SETUP::
+
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (random_eja,
+            ....:                                  RealSymmetricEJA,
+            ....:                                  ComplexHermitianEJA,
+            ....:                                  QuaternionHermitianEJA)
 
-        if category is None:
-            category = MagmaticAlgebras(field).FiniteDimensional()
-            category = category.WithBasis().Unital()
+        EXAMPLES::
+
+            sage: J = RealSymmetricEJA(4, orthonormalize=False)
+            sage: J._jordan_product_is_associative()
+            False
+            sage: x = sum(J.gens())
+            sage: A = x.subalgebra_generated_by()
+            sage: A._jordan_product_is_associative()
+            True
+
+        ::
+
+            sage: J = ComplexHermitianEJA(2,field=QQ,orthonormalize=False)
+            sage: J._jordan_product_is_associative()
+            False
+            sage: x = sum(J.gens())
+            sage: A = x.subalgebra_generated_by(orthonormalize=False)
+            sage: A._jordan_product_is_associative()
+            True
+
+        ::
+
+            sage: J = QuaternionHermitianEJA(2)
+            sage: J._jordan_product_is_associative()
+            False
+            sage: x = sum(J.gens())
+            sage: A = x.subalgebra_generated_by()
+            sage: A._jordan_product_is_associative()
+            True
+
+        TESTS:
 
-        fda = super(FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra, self)
-        fda.__init__(field,
-                     range(len(mult_table)),
-                     prefix=prefix,
-                     category=category)
-        self.print_options(bracket='')
+        The values we've presupplied to the constructors agree with
+        the computation::
 
-        # The multiplication table we're given is necessarily in terms
-        # of vectors, because we don't have an algebra yet for
-        # anything to be an element of. However, it's faster in the
-        # long run to have the multiplication table be in terms of
-        # algebra elements. We do this after calling the superclass
-        # constructor so that from_vector() knows what to do.
-        self._multiplication_table = [ map(lambda x: self.from_vector(x), ls)
-                                       for ls in mult_table ]
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = random_eja()
+            sage: J.is_associative() == J._jordan_product_is_associative()
+            True
 
+        """
+        R = self.base_ring()
+
+        # Used to check whether or not something is zero.
+        epsilon = R.zero()
+        if not R.is_exact():
+            # I don't know of any examples that make this magnitude
+            # necessary because I don't know how to make an
+            # associative algebra when the element subalgebra
+            # construction is unreliable (as it is over RDF; we can't
+            # find the degree of an element because we can't compute
+            # the rank of a matrix). But even multiplication of floats
+            # is non-associative, so *some* epsilon is needed... let's
+            # just take the one from _inner_product_is_associative?
+            epsilon = 1e-15
+
+        for i in range(self.dimension()):
+            for j in range(self.dimension()):
+                for k in range(self.dimension()):
+                    x = self.monomial(i)
+                    y = self.monomial(j)
+                    z = self.monomial(k)
+                    diff = (x*y)*z - x*(y*z)
+
+                    if diff.norm() > epsilon:
+                        return False
+
+        return True
+
+    def _inner_product_is_associative(self):
+        r"""
+        Return whether or not this algebra's inner product `B` is
+        associative; that is, whether or not `B(xy,z) = B(x,yz)`.
+
+        This method should of course always return ``True``, unless
+        this algebra was constructed with ``check_axioms=False`` and
+        passed an invalid Jordan or inner-product.
+        """
+        R = self.base_ring()
+
+        # Used to check whether or not something is zero.
+        epsilon = R.zero()
+        if not R.is_exact():
+            # This choice is sufficient to allow the construction of
+            # QuaternionHermitianEJA(2, field=RDF) with check_axioms=True.
+            epsilon = 1e-15
+
+        for i in range(self.dimension()):
+            for j in range(self.dimension()):
+                for k in range(self.dimension()):
+                    x = self.monomial(i)
+                    y = self.monomial(j)
+                    z = self.monomial(k)
+                    diff = (x*y).inner_product(z) - x.inner_product(y*z)
+
+                    if diff.abs() > epsilon:
+                        return False
+
+        return True
 
     def _element_constructor_(self, elt):
         """
-        Construct an element of this algebra from its natural
+        Construct an element of this algebra from its vector or matrix
         representation.
 
         This gets called only after the parent element _call_ method
@@ -91,8 +583,9 @@ class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
 
         SETUP::
 
-            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (JordanSpinEJA,
-            ....:                                  RealCartesianProductEJA,
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (random_eja,
+            ....:                                  JordanSpinEJA,
+            ....:                                  HadamardEJA,
             ....:                                  RealSymmetricEJA)
 
         EXAMPLES:
@@ -111,46 +604,86 @@ class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
             sage: J(A)
             Traceback (most recent call last):
             ...
-            ArithmeticError: vector is not in free module
+            ValueError: not an element of this algebra
+
+        Tuples work as well, provided that the matrix basis for the
+        algebra consists of them::
+
+            sage: J1 = HadamardEJA(3)
+            sage: J2 = RealSymmetricEJA(2)
+            sage: J = cartesian_product([J1,J2])
+            sage: J( (J1.matrix_basis()[1], J2.matrix_basis()[2]) )
+            b1 + b5
 
         TESTS:
 
-        Ensure that we can convert any element of the two non-matrix
-        simple algebras (whose natural representations are their usual
-        vector representations) back and forth faithfully::
+        Ensure that we can convert any element back and forth
+        faithfully between its matrix and algebra representations::
 
             sage: set_random_seed()
-            sage: J = RealCartesianProductEJA.random_instance()
-            sage: x = J.random_element()
-            sage: J(x.to_vector().column()) == x
-            True
-            sage: J = JordanSpinEJA.random_instance()
+            sage: J = random_eja()
             sage: x = J.random_element()
-            sage: J(x.to_vector().column()) == x
+            sage: J(x.to_matrix()) == x
             True
 
+        We cannot coerce elements between algebras just because their
+        matrix representations are compatible::
+
+            sage: J1 = HadamardEJA(3)
+            sage: J2 = JordanSpinEJA(3)
+            sage: J2(J1.one())
+            Traceback (most recent call last):
+            ...
+            ValueError: not an element of this algebra
+            sage: J1(J2.zero())
+            Traceback (most recent call last):
+            ...
+            ValueError: not an element of this algebra
         """
-        if elt == 0:
-            # The superclass implementation of random_element()
-            # needs to be able to coerce "0" into the algebra.
-            return self.zero()
+        msg = "not an element of this algebra"
+        if elt in self.base_ring():
+            # Ensure that no base ring -> algebra coercion is performed
+            # by this method. There's some stupidity in sage that would
+            # otherwise propagate to this method; for example, sage thinks
+            # that the integer 3 belongs to the space of 2-by-2 matrices.
+            raise ValueError(msg)
 
-        natural_basis = self.natural_basis()
-        basis_space = natural_basis[0].matrix_space()
-        if elt not in basis_space:
-            raise ValueError("not a naturally-represented algebra element")
+        try:
+            # Try to convert a vector into a column-matrix...
+            elt = elt.column()
+        except (AttributeError, TypeError):
+            # and ignore failure, because we weren't really expecting
+            # a vector as an argument anyway.
+            pass
+
+        if elt not in self.matrix_space():
+            raise ValueError(msg)
 
         # Thanks for nothing! Matrix spaces aren't vector spaces in
-        # Sage, so we have to figure out its natural-basis coordinates
+        # Sage, so we have to figure out its matrix-basis coordinates
         # ourselves. We use the basis space's ring instead of the
         # element's ring because the basis space might be an algebraic
         # closure whereas the base ring of the 3-by-3 identity matrix
         # could be QQ instead of QQbar.
-        V = VectorSpace(basis_space.base_ring(), elt.nrows()*elt.ncols())
-        W = V.span_of_basis( _mat2vec(s) for s in natural_basis )
-        coords =  W.coordinate_vector(_mat2vec(elt))
-        return self.from_vector(coords)
+        #
+        # And, we also have to handle Cartesian product bases (when
+        # the matrix basis consists of tuples) here. The "good news"
+        # is that we're already converting everything to long vectors,
+        # and that strategy works for tuples as well.
+        #
+        # We pass check=False because the matrix basis is "guaranteed"
+        # to be linearly independent... right? Ha ha.
+        elt = _all2list(elt)
+        V = VectorSpace(self.base_ring(), len(elt))
+        W = V.span_of_basis( (V(_all2list(s)) for s in self.matrix_basis()),
+                             check=False)
+
+        try:
+            coords = W.coordinate_vector(V(elt))
+        except ArithmeticError:  # vector is not in free module
+            raise ValueError(msg)
 
+        return self.from_vector(coords)
 
     def _repr_(self):
         """
@@ -164,8 +697,8 @@ class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
 
         Ensure that it says what we think it says::
 
-            sage: JordanSpinEJA(2, field=QQ)
-            Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 2 over Rational Field
+            sage: JordanSpinEJA(2, field=AA)
+            Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 2 over Algebraic Real Field
             sage: JordanSpinEJA(3, field=RDF)
             Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 3 over Real Double Field
 
@@ -173,168 +706,14 @@ class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
         fmt = "Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension {} over {}"
         return fmt.format(self.dimension(), self.base_ring())
 
-    def product_on_basis(self, i, j):
-        return self._multiplication_table[i][j]
-
-    def _a_regular_element(self):
-        """
-        Guess a regular element. Needed to compute the basis for our
-        characteristic polynomial coefficients.
-
-        SETUP::
-
-            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import random_eja
-
-        TESTS:
-
-        Ensure that this hacky method succeeds for every algebra that we
-        know how to construct::
-
-            sage: set_random_seed()
-            sage: J = random_eja()
-            sage: J._a_regular_element().is_regular()
-            True
-
-        """
-        gs = self.gens()
-        z = self.sum( (i+1)*gs[i] for i in range(len(gs)) )
-        if not z.is_regular():
-            raise ValueError("don't know a regular element")
-        return z
-
-
-    @cached_method
-    def _charpoly_basis_space(self):
-        """
-        Return the vector space spanned by the basis used in our
-        characteristic polynomial coefficients. This is used not only to
-        compute those coefficients, but also any time we need to
-        evaluate the coefficients (like when we compute the trace or
-        determinant).
-        """
-        z = self._a_regular_element()
-        # Don't use the parent vector space directly here in case this
-        # happens to be a subalgebra. In that case, we would be e.g.
-        # two-dimensional but span_of_basis() would expect three
-        # coordinates.
-        V = VectorSpace(self.base_ring(), self.vector_space().dimension())
-        basis = [ (z**k).to_vector() for k in range(self.rank()) ]
-        V1 = V.span_of_basis( basis )
-        b =  (V1.basis() + V1.complement().basis())
-        return V.span_of_basis(b)
-
-
-
-    @cached_method
-    def _charpoly_coeff(self, i):
-        """
-        Return the coefficient polynomial "a_{i}" of this algebra's
-        general characteristic polynomial.
-
-        Having this be a separate cached method lets us compute and
-        store the trace/determinant (a_{r-1} and a_{0} respectively)
-        separate from the entire characteristic polynomial.
-        """
-        (A_of_x, x, xr, detA) = self._charpoly_matrix_system()
-        R = A_of_x.base_ring()
-        if i >= self.rank():
-            # Guaranteed by theory
-            return R.zero()
-
-        # Danger: the in-place modification is done for performance
-        # reasons (reconstructing a matrix with huge polynomial
-        # entries is slow), but I don't know how cached_method works,
-        # so it's highly possible that we're modifying some global
-        # list variable by reference, here. In other words, you
-        # probably shouldn't call this method twice on the same
-        # algebra, at the same time, in two threads
-        Ai_orig = A_of_x.column(i)
-        A_of_x.set_column(i,xr)
-        numerator = A_of_x.det()
-        A_of_x.set_column(i,Ai_orig)
-
-        # We're relying on the theory here to ensure that each a_i is
-        # indeed back in R, and the added negative signs are to make
-        # the whole charpoly expression sum to zero.
-        return R(-numerator/detA)
-
-
-    @cached_method
-    def _charpoly_matrix_system(self):
-        """
-        Compute the matrix whose entries A_ij are polynomials in
-        X1,...,XN, the vector ``x`` of variables X1,...,XN, the vector
-        corresponding to `x^r` and the determinent of the matrix A =
-        [A_ij]. In other words, all of the fixed (cachable) data needed
-        to compute the coefficients of the characteristic polynomial.
-        """
-        r = self.rank()
-        n = self.dimension()
-
-        # Turn my vector space into a module so that "vectors" can
-        # have multivatiate polynomial entries.
-        names = tuple('X' + str(i) for i in range(1,n+1))
-        R = PolynomialRing(self.base_ring(), names)
-
-        # Using change_ring() on the parent's vector space doesn't work
-        # here because, in a subalgebra, that vector space has a basis
-        # and change_ring() tries to bring the basis along with it. And
-        # that doesn't work unless the new ring is a PID, which it usually
-        # won't be.
-        V = FreeModule(R,n)
-
-        # Now let x = (X1,X2,...,Xn) be the vector whose entries are
-        # indeterminates...
-        x = V(names)
-
-        # And figure out the "left multiplication by x" matrix in
-        # that setting.
-        lmbx_cols = []
-        monomial_matrices = [ self.monomial(i).operator().matrix()
-                              for i in range(n) ] # don't recompute these!
-        for k in range(n):
-            ek = self.monomial(k).to_vector()
-            lmbx_cols.append(
-              sum( x[i]*(monomial_matrices[i]*ek)
-                   for i in range(n) ) )
-        Lx = matrix.column(R, lmbx_cols)
-
-        # Now we can compute powers of x "symbolically"
-        x_powers = [self.one().to_vector(), x]
-        for d in range(2, r+1):
-            x_powers.append( Lx*(x_powers[-1]) )
-
-        idmat = matrix.identity(R, n)
-
-        W = self._charpoly_basis_space()
-        W = W.change_ring(R.fraction_field())
-
-        # Starting with the standard coordinates x = (X1,X2,...,Xn)
-        # and then converting the entries to W-coordinates allows us
-        # to pass in the standard coordinates to the charpoly and get
-        # back the right answer. Specifically, with x = (X1,X2,...,Xn),
-        # we have
-        #
-        #   W.coordinates(x^2) eval'd at (standard z-coords)
-        #     =
-        #   W-coords of (z^2)
-        #     =
-        #   W-coords of (standard coords of x^2 eval'd at std-coords of z)
-        #
-        # We want the middle equivalent thing in our matrix, but use
-        # the first equivalent thing instead so that we can pass in
-        # standard coordinates.
-        x_powers = [ W.coordinate_vector(xp) for xp in x_powers ]
-        l2 = [idmat.column(k-1) for k in range(r+1, n+1)]
-        A_of_x = matrix.column(R, n, (x_powers[:r] + l2))
-        return (A_of_x, x, x_powers[r], A_of_x.det())
-
 
     @cached_method
-    def characteristic_polynomial(self):
+    def characteristic_polynomial_of(self):
         """
-        Return a characteristic polynomial that works for all elements
-        of this algebra.
+        Return the algebra's "characteristic polynomial of" function,
+        which is itself a multivariate polynomial that, when evaluated
+        at the coordinates of some algebra element, returns that
+        element's characteristic polynomial.
 
         The resulting polynomial has `n+1` variables, where `n` is the
         dimension of this algebra. The first `n` variables correspond to
@@ -346,7 +725,7 @@ class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
 
         SETUP::
 
-            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import JordanSpinEJA
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import JordanSpinEJA, TrivialEJA
 
         EXAMPLES:
 
@@ -354,42 +733,64 @@ class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
         Alizadeh, Example 11.11::
 
             sage: J = JordanSpinEJA(3)
-            sage: p = J.characteristic_polynomial(); p
+            sage: p = J.characteristic_polynomial_of(); p
             X1^2 - X2^2 - X3^2 + (-2*t)*X1 + t^2
             sage: xvec = J.one().to_vector()
             sage: p(*xvec)
             t^2 - 2*t + 1
 
+        By definition, the characteristic polynomial is a monic
+        degree-zero polynomial in a rank-zero algebra. Note that
+        Cayley-Hamilton is indeed satisfied since the polynomial
+        ``1`` evaluates to the identity element of the algebra on
+        any argument::
+
+            sage: J = TrivialEJA()
+            sage: J.characteristic_polynomial_of()
+            1
+
         """
         r = self.rank()
         n = self.dimension()
 
-        # The list of coefficient polynomials a_1, a_2, ..., a_n.
-        a = [ self._charpoly_coeff(i) for i in range(n) ]
+        # The list of coefficient polynomials a_0, a_1, a_2, ..., a_(r-1).
+        a = self._charpoly_coefficients()
 
         # We go to a bit of trouble here to reorder the
         # indeterminates, so that it's easier to evaluate the
         # characteristic polynomial at x's coordinates and get back
         # something in terms of t, which is what we want.
-        R = a[0].parent()
         S = PolynomialRing(self.base_ring(),'t')
         t = S.gen(0)
-        S = PolynomialRing(S, R.variable_names())
-        t = S(t)
-
-        # Note: all entries past the rth should be zero. The
-        # coefficient of the highest power (x^r) is 1, but it doesn't
-        # appear in the solution vector which contains coefficients
-        # for the other powers (to make them sum to x^r).
-        if (r < n):
-            a[r] = 1 # corresponds to x^r
-        else:
-            # When the rank is equal to the dimension, trying to
-            # assign a[r] goes out-of-bounds.
-            a.append(1) # corresponds to x^r
+        if r > 0:
+            R = a[0].parent()
+            S = PolynomialRing(S, R.variable_names())
+            t = S(t)
+
+        return (t**r + sum( a[k]*(t**k) for k in range(r) ))
 
-        return sum( a[k]*(t**k) for k in xrange(len(a)) )
+    def coordinate_polynomial_ring(self):
+        r"""
+        The multivariate polynomial ring in which this algebra's
+        :meth:`characteristic_polynomial_of` lives.
 
+        SETUP::
+
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (HadamardEJA,
+            ....:                                  RealSymmetricEJA)
+
+        EXAMPLES::
+
+            sage: J = HadamardEJA(2)
+            sage: J.coordinate_polynomial_ring()
+            Multivariate Polynomial Ring in X1, X2...
+            sage: J = RealSymmetricEJA(3,field=QQ,orthonormalize=False)
+            sage: J.coordinate_polynomial_ring()
+            Multivariate Polynomial Ring in X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6...
+
+        """
+        var_names = tuple( "X%d" % z for z in range(1, self.dimension()+1) )
+        return PolynomialRing(self.base_ring(), var_names)
 
     def inner_product(self, x, y):
         """
@@ -401,7 +802,9 @@ class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
 
         SETUP::
 
-            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import random_eja
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (random_eja,
+            ....:                                  HadamardEJA,
+            ....:                                  BilinearFormEJA)
 
         EXAMPLES:
 
@@ -414,10 +817,34 @@ class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
             sage: (x*y).inner_product(z) == y.inner_product(x*z)
             True
 
+        TESTS:
+
+        Ensure that this is the usual inner product for the algebras
+        over `R^n`::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = HadamardEJA.random_instance()
+            sage: x,y = J.random_elements(2)
+            sage: actual = x.inner_product(y)
+            sage: expected = x.to_vector().inner_product(y.to_vector())
+            sage: actual == expected
+            True
+
+        Ensure that this is one-half of the trace inner-product in a
+        BilinearFormEJA that isn't just the reals (when ``n`` isn't
+        one). This is in Faraut and Koranyi, and also my "On the
+        symmetry..." paper::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = BilinearFormEJA.random_instance()
+            sage: n = J.dimension()
+            sage: x = J.random_element()
+            sage: y = J.random_element()
+            sage: (n == 1) or (x.inner_product(y) == (x*y).trace()/2)
+            True
         """
-        X = x.natural_representation()
-        Y = y.natural_representation()
-        return self.natural_inner_product(X,Y)
+        B = self._inner_product_matrix
+        return (B*x.to_vector()).inner_product(y.to_vector())
 
 
     def is_trivial(self):
@@ -428,15 +855,19 @@ class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
 
         SETUP::
 
-            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import ComplexHermitianEJA
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (ComplexHermitianEJA,
+            ....:                                  TrivialEJA)
 
         EXAMPLES::
 
             sage: J = ComplexHermitianEJA(3)
             sage: J.is_trivial()
             False
-            sage: A = J.zero().subalgebra_generated_by()
-            sage: A.is_trivial()
+
+        ::
+
+            sage: J = TrivialEJA()
+            sage: J.is_trivial()
             True
 
         """
@@ -457,38 +888,58 @@ class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
             sage: J = JordanSpinEJA(4)
             sage: J.multiplication_table()
             +----++----+----+----+----+
-            | *  || e0 | e1 | e2 | e3 |
+            | *  || b0 | b1 | b2 | b3 |
             +====++====+====+====+====+
-            | e0 || e0 | e1 | e2 | e3 |
+            | b0 || b0 | b1 | b2 | b3 |
             +----++----+----+----+----+
-            | e1 || e1 | e0 | 0  | 0  |
+            | b1 || b1 | b0 | 0  | 0  |
             +----++----+----+----+----+
-            | e2 || e2 | 0  | e0 | 0  |
+            | b2 || b2 | 0  | b0 | 0  |
             +----++----+----+----+----+
-            | e3 || e3 | 0  | 0  | e0 |
+            | b3 || b3 | 0  | 0  | b0 |
             +----++----+----+----+----+
 
         """
-        M = list(self._multiplication_table) # copy
-        for i in xrange(len(M)):
-            # M had better be "square"
-            M[i] = [self.monomial(i)] + M[i]
-        M = [["*"] + list(self.gens())] + M
+        n = self.dimension()
+        # Prepend the header row.
+        M = [["*"] + list(self.gens())]
+
+        # And to each subsequent row, prepend an entry that belongs to
+        # the left-side "header column."
+        M += [ [self.monomial(i)] + [ self.monomial(i)*self.monomial(j)
+                                    for j in range(n) ]
+               for i in range(n) ]
+
         return table(M, header_row=True, header_column=True, frame=True)
 
 
-    def natural_basis(self):
+    def matrix_basis(self):
         """
-        Return a more-natural representation of this algebra's basis.
+        Return an (often more natural) representation of this algebras
+        basis as an ordered tuple of matrices.
+
+        Every finite-dimensional Euclidean Jordan Algebra is a, up to
+        Jordan isomorphism, a direct sum of five simple
+        algebras---four of which comprise Hermitian matrices. And the
+        last type of algebra can of course be thought of as `n`-by-`1`
+        column matrices (ambiguusly called column vectors) to avoid
+        special cases. As a result, matrices (and column vectors) are
+        a natural representation format for Euclidean Jordan algebra
+        elements.
 
-        Every finite-dimensional Euclidean Jordan Algebra is a direct
-        sum of five simple algebras, four of which comprise Hermitian
-        matrices. This method returns the original "natural" basis
-        for our underlying vector space. (Typically, the natural basis
-        is used to construct the multiplication table in the first place.)
+        But, when we construct an algebra from a basis of matrices,
+        those matrix representations are lost in favor of coordinate
+        vectors *with respect to* that basis. We could eventually
+        convert back if we tried hard enough, but having the original
+        representations handy is valuable enough that we simply store
+        them and return them from this method.
 
-        Note that this will always return a matrix. The standard basis
-        in `R^n` will be returned as `n`-by-`1` column matrices.
+        Why implement this for non-matrix algebras? Avoiding special
+        cases for the :class:`BilinearFormEJA` pays with simplicity in
+        its own right. But mainly, we would like to be able to assume
+        that elements of a :class:`CartesianProductEJA` can be displayed
+        nicely, without having to have special classes for direct sums
+        one of whose components was a matrix algebra.
 
         SETUP::
 
@@ -499,55 +950,81 @@ class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
 
             sage: J = RealSymmetricEJA(2)
             sage: J.basis()
-            Finite family {0: e0, 1: e1, 2: e2}
-            sage: J.natural_basis()
+            Finite family {0: b0, 1: b1, 2: b2}
+            sage: J.matrix_basis()
             (
-            [1 0]  [        0 1/2*sqrt2]  [0 0]
-            [0 0], [1/2*sqrt2         0], [0 1]
+            [1 0]  [                  0 0.7071067811865475?]  [0 0]
+            [0 0], [0.7071067811865475?                   0], [0 1]
             )
 
         ::
 
             sage: J = JordanSpinEJA(2)
             sage: J.basis()
-            Finite family {0: e0, 1: e1}
-            sage: J.natural_basis()
+            Finite family {0: b0, 1: b1}
+            sage: J.matrix_basis()
             (
             [1]  [0]
             [0], [1]
             )
-
         """
-        if self._natural_basis is None:
-            M = self.natural_basis_space()
-            return tuple( M(b.to_vector()) for b in self.basis() )
-        else:
-            return self._natural_basis
+        return self._matrix_basis
 
 
-    def natural_basis_space(self):
+    def matrix_space(self):
         """
-        Return the matrix space in which this algebra's natural basis
-        elements live.
-        """
-        if self._natural_basis is None or len(self._natural_basis) == 0:
-            return MatrixSpace(self.base_ring(), self.dimension(), 1)
-        else:
-            return self._natural_basis[0].matrix_space()
+        Return the matrix space in which this algebra's elements live, if
+        we think of them as matrices (including column vectors of the
+        appropriate size).
 
+        "By default" this will be an `n`-by-`1` column-matrix space,
+        except when the algebra is trivial. There it's `n`-by-`n`
+        (where `n` is zero), to ensure that two elements of the matrix
+        space (empty matrices) can be multiplied. For algebras of
+        matrices, this returns the space in which their
+        real embeddings live.
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def natural_inner_product(X,Y):
-        """
-        Compute the inner product of two naturally-represented elements.
+        SETUP::
+
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (ComplexHermitianEJA,
+            ....:                                  JordanSpinEJA,
+            ....:                                  QuaternionHermitianEJA,
+            ....:                                  TrivialEJA)
+
+        EXAMPLES:
+
+        By default, the matrix representation is just a column-matrix
+        equivalent to the vector representation::
+
+            sage: J = JordanSpinEJA(3)
+            sage: J.matrix_space()
+            Full MatrixSpace of 3 by 1 dense matrices over Algebraic
+            Real Field
+
+        The matrix representation in the trivial algebra is
+        zero-by-zero instead of the usual `n`-by-one::
+
+            sage: J = TrivialEJA()
+            sage: J.matrix_space()
+            Full MatrixSpace of 0 by 0 dense matrices over Algebraic
+            Real Field
+
+        The matrix space for complex/quaternion Hermitian matrix EJA
+        is the space in which their real-embeddings live, not the
+        original complex/quaternion matrix space::
+
+            sage: J = ComplexHermitianEJA(2,field=QQ,orthonormalize=False)
+            sage: J.matrix_space()
+            Full MatrixSpace of 4 by 4 dense matrices over Rational Field
+            sage: J = QuaternionHermitianEJA(1,field=QQ,orthonormalize=False)
+            sage: J.matrix_space()
+            Full MatrixSpace of 4 by 4 dense matrices over Rational Field
 
-        For example in the real symmetric matrix EJA, this will compute
-        the trace inner-product of two n-by-n symmetric matrices. The
-        default should work for the real cartesian product EJA, the
-        Jordan spin EJA, and the real symmetric matrices. The others
-        will have to be overridden.
         """
-        return (X.conjugate_transpose()*Y).trace()
+        if self.is_trivial():
+            return MatrixSpace(self.base_ring(), 0)
+        else:
+            return self.matrix_basis()[0].parent()
 
 
     @cached_method
@@ -557,26 +1034,60 @@ class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
 
         SETUP::
 
-            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (RealCartesianProductEJA,
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (HadamardEJA,
             ....:                                  random_eja)
 
-        EXAMPLES::
+        EXAMPLES:
+
+        We can compute unit element in the Hadamard EJA::
+
+            sage: J = HadamardEJA(5)
+            sage: J.one()
+            b0 + b1 + b2 + b3 + b4
+
+        The unit element in the Hadamard EJA is inherited in the
+        subalgebras generated by its elements::
 
-            sage: J = RealCartesianProductEJA(5)
+            sage: J = HadamardEJA(5)
             sage: J.one()
-            e0 + e1 + e2 + e3 + e4
+            b0 + b1 + b2 + b3 + b4
+            sage: x = sum(J.gens())
+            sage: A = x.subalgebra_generated_by(orthonormalize=False)
+            sage: A.one()
+            c0
+            sage: A.one().superalgebra_element()
+            b0 + b1 + b2 + b3 + b4
 
         TESTS:
 
-        The identity element acts like the identity::
+        The identity element acts like the identity, regardless of
+        whether or not we orthonormalize::
 
             sage: set_random_seed()
             sage: J = random_eja()
             sage: x = J.random_element()
             sage: J.one()*x == x and x*J.one() == x
             True
+            sage: A = x.subalgebra_generated_by()
+            sage: y = A.random_element()
+            sage: A.one()*y == y and y*A.one() == y
+            True
+
+        ::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = random_eja(field=QQ, orthonormalize=False)
+            sage: x = J.random_element()
+            sage: J.one()*x == x and x*J.one() == x
+            True
+            sage: A = x.subalgebra_generated_by(orthonormalize=False)
+            sage: y = A.random_element()
+            sage: A.one()*y == y and y*A.one() == y
+            True
 
-        The matrix of the unit element's operator is the identity::
+        The matrix of the unit element's operator is the identity,
+        regardless of the base field and whether or not we
+        orthonormalize::
 
             sage: set_random_seed()
             sage: J = random_eja()
@@ -584,45 +1095,272 @@ class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
             sage: expected = matrix.identity(J.base_ring(), J.dimension())
             sage: actual == expected
             True
+            sage: x = J.random_element()
+            sage: A = x.subalgebra_generated_by()
+            sage: actual = A.one().operator().matrix()
+            sage: expected = matrix.identity(A.base_ring(), A.dimension())
+            sage: actual == expected
+            True
 
-        """
-        # We can brute-force compute the matrices of the operators
-        # that correspond to the basis elements of this algebra.
-        # If some linear combination of those basis elements is the
-        # algebra identity, then the same linear combination of
-        # their matrices has to be the identity matrix.
-        #
-        # Of course, matrices aren't vectors in sage, so we have to
-        # appeal to the "long vectors" isometry.
-        oper_vecs = [ _mat2vec(g.operator().matrix()) for g in self.gens() ]
+        ::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = random_eja(field=QQ, orthonormalize=False)
+            sage: actual = J.one().operator().matrix()
+            sage: expected = matrix.identity(J.base_ring(), J.dimension())
+            sage: actual == expected
+            True
+            sage: x = J.random_element()
+            sage: A = x.subalgebra_generated_by(orthonormalize=False)
+            sage: actual = A.one().operator().matrix()
+            sage: expected = matrix.identity(A.base_ring(), A.dimension())
+            sage: actual == expected
+            True
+
+        Ensure that the cached unit element (often precomputed by
+        hand) agrees with the computed one::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = random_eja()
+            sage: cached = J.one()
+            sage: J.one.clear_cache()
+            sage: J.one() == cached
+            True
+
+        ::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = random_eja(field=QQ, orthonormalize=False)
+            sage: cached = J.one()
+            sage: J.one.clear_cache()
+            sage: J.one() == cached
+            True
+
+        """
+        # We can brute-force compute the matrices of the operators
+        # that correspond to the basis elements of this algebra.
+        # If some linear combination of those basis elements is the
+        # algebra identity, then the same linear combination of
+        # their matrices has to be the identity matrix.
+        #
+        # Of course, matrices aren't vectors in sage, so we have to
+        # appeal to the "long vectors" isometry.
+        oper_vecs = [ _mat2vec(g.operator().matrix()) for g in self.gens() ]
 
-        # Now we use basis linear algebra to find the coefficients,
+        # Now we use basic linear algebra to find the coefficients,
         # of the matrices-as-vectors-linear-combination, which should
         # work for the original algebra basis too.
-        A = matrix.column(self.base_ring(), oper_vecs)
+        A = matrix(self.base_ring(), oper_vecs)
 
         # We used the isometry on the left-hand side already, but we
         # still need to do it for the right-hand side. Recall that we
         # wanted something that summed to the identity matrix.
         b = _mat2vec( matrix.identity(self.base_ring(), self.dimension()) )
 
-        # Now if there's an identity element in the algebra, this should work.
-        coeffs = A.solve_right(b)
-        return self.linear_combination(zip(self.gens(), coeffs))
+        # Now if there's an identity element in the algebra, this
+        # should work. We solve on the left to avoid having to
+        # transpose the matrix "A".
+        return self.from_vector(A.solve_left(b))
 
 
-    def random_element(self):
-        # Temporary workaround for https://trac.sagemath.org/ticket/28327
-        if self.is_trivial():
-            return self.zero()
-        else:
-            s = super(FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra, self)
-            return s.random_element()
+    def peirce_decomposition(self, c):
+        """
+        The Peirce decomposition of this algebra relative to the
+        idempotent ``c``.
+
+        In the future, this can be extended to a complete system of
+        orthogonal idempotents.
+
+        INPUT:
+
+          - ``c`` -- an idempotent of this algebra.
+
+        OUTPUT:
+
+        A triple (J0, J5, J1) containing two subalgebras and one subspace
+        of this algebra,
+
+          - ``J0`` -- the algebra on the eigenspace of ``c.operator()``
+            corresponding to the eigenvalue zero.
+
+          - ``J5`` -- the eigenspace (NOT a subalgebra) of ``c.operator()``
+            corresponding to the eigenvalue one-half.
+
+          - ``J1`` -- the algebra on the eigenspace of ``c.operator()``
+            corresponding to the eigenvalue one.
+
+        These are the only possible eigenspaces for that operator, and this
+        algebra is a direct sum of them. The spaces ``J0`` and ``J1`` are
+        orthogonal, and are subalgebras of this algebra with the appropriate
+        restrictions.
+
+        SETUP::
+
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import random_eja, RealSymmetricEJA
+
+        EXAMPLES:
+
+        The canonical example comes from the symmetric matrices, which
+        decompose into diagonal and off-diagonal parts::
+
+            sage: J = RealSymmetricEJA(3)
+            sage: C = matrix(QQ, [ [1,0,0],
+            ....:                  [0,1,0],
+            ....:                  [0,0,0] ])
+            sage: c = J(C)
+            sage: J0,J5,J1 = J.peirce_decomposition(c)
+            sage: J0
+            Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 1...
+            sage: J5
+            Vector space of degree 6 and dimension 2...
+            sage: J1
+            Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 3...
+            sage: J0.one().to_matrix()
+            [0 0 0]
+            [0 0 0]
+            [0 0 1]
+            sage: orig_df = AA.options.display_format
+            sage: AA.options.display_format = 'radical'
+            sage: J.from_vector(J5.basis()[0]).to_matrix()
+            [          0           0 1/2*sqrt(2)]
+            [          0           0           0]
+            [1/2*sqrt(2)           0           0]
+            sage: J.from_vector(J5.basis()[1]).to_matrix()
+            [          0           0           0]
+            [          0           0 1/2*sqrt(2)]
+            [          0 1/2*sqrt(2)           0]
+            sage: AA.options.display_format = orig_df
+            sage: J1.one().to_matrix()
+            [1 0 0]
+            [0 1 0]
+            [0 0 0]
+
+        TESTS:
+
+        Every algebra decomposes trivially with respect to its identity
+        element::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = random_eja()
+            sage: J0,J5,J1 = J.peirce_decomposition(J.one())
+            sage: J0.dimension() == 0 and J5.dimension() == 0
+            True
+            sage: J1.superalgebra() == J and J1.dimension() == J.dimension()
+            True
+
+        The decomposition is into eigenspaces, and its components are
+        therefore necessarily orthogonal. Moreover, the identity
+        elements in the two subalgebras are the projections onto their
+        respective subspaces of the superalgebra's identity element::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = random_eja()
+            sage: x = J.random_element()
+            sage: if not J.is_trivial():
+            ....:     while x.is_nilpotent():
+            ....:         x = J.random_element()
+            sage: c = x.subalgebra_idempotent()
+            sage: J0,J5,J1 = J.peirce_decomposition(c)
+            sage: ipsum = 0
+            sage: for (w,y,z) in zip(J0.basis(), J5.basis(), J1.basis()):
+            ....:     w = w.superalgebra_element()
+            ....:     y = J.from_vector(y)
+            ....:     z = z.superalgebra_element()
+            ....:     ipsum += w.inner_product(y).abs()
+            ....:     ipsum += w.inner_product(z).abs()
+            ....:     ipsum += y.inner_product(z).abs()
+            sage: ipsum
+            0
+            sage: J1(c) == J1.one()
+            True
+            sage: J0(J.one() - c) == J0.one()
+            True
+
+        """
+        if not c.is_idempotent():
+            raise ValueError("element is not idempotent: %s" % c)
+
+        # Default these to what they should be if they turn out to be
+        # trivial, because eigenspaces_left() won't return eigenvalues
+        # corresponding to trivial spaces (e.g. it returns only the
+        # eigenspace corresponding to lambda=1 if you take the
+        # decomposition relative to the identity element).
+        trivial = self.subalgebra(())
+        J0 = trivial                          # eigenvalue zero
+        J5 = VectorSpace(self.base_ring(), 0) # eigenvalue one-half
+        J1 = trivial                          # eigenvalue one
+
+        for (eigval, eigspace) in c.operator().matrix().right_eigenspaces():
+            if eigval == ~(self.base_ring()(2)):
+                J5 = eigspace
+            else:
+                gens = tuple( self.from_vector(b) for b in eigspace.basis() )
+                subalg = self.subalgebra(gens, check_axioms=False)
+                if eigval == 0:
+                    J0 = subalg
+                elif eigval == 1:
+                    J1 = subalg
+                else:
+                    raise ValueError("unexpected eigenvalue: %s" % eigval)
+
+        return (J0, J5, J1)
+
+
+    def random_element(self, thorough=False):
+        r"""
+        Return a random element of this algebra.
+
+        Our algebra superclass method only returns a linear
+        combination of at most two basis elements. We instead
+        want the vector space "random element" method that
+        returns a more diverse selection.
+
+        INPUT:
+
+        - ``thorough`` -- (boolean; default False) whether or not we
+          should generate irrational coefficients for the random
+          element when our base ring is irrational; this slows the
+          algebra operations to a crawl, but any truly random method
+          should include them
+
+        """
+        # For a general base ring... maybe we can trust this to do the
+        # right thing? Unlikely, but.
+        V = self.vector_space()
+        v = V.random_element()
+
+        if self.base_ring() is AA:
+            # The "random element" method of the algebraic reals is
+            # stupid at the moment, and only returns integers between
+            # -2 and 2, inclusive:
+            #
+            #   https://trac.sagemath.org/ticket/30875
+            #
+            # Instead, we implement our own "random vector" method,
+            # and then coerce that into the algebra. We use the vector
+            # space degree here instead of the dimension because a
+            # subalgebra could (for example) be spanned by only two
+            # vectors, each with five coordinates.  We need to
+            # generate all five coordinates.
+            if thorough:
+                v *= QQbar.random_element().real()
+            else:
+                v *= QQ.random_element()
+
+        return self.from_vector(V.coordinate_vector(v))
 
-    def random_elements(self, count):
+    def random_elements(self, count, thorough=False):
         """
         Return ``count`` random elements as a tuple.
 
+        INPUT:
+
+        - ``thorough`` -- (boolean; default False) whether or not we
+          should generate irrational coefficients for the random
+          elements when our base ring is irrational; this slows the
+          algebra operations to a crawl, but any truly random method
+          should include them
+
         SETUP::
 
             sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import JordanSpinEJA
@@ -637,23 +1375,91 @@ class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
             True
 
         """
-        return  tuple( self.random_element() for idx in xrange(count) )
+        return tuple( self.random_element(thorough)
+                      for idx in range(count) )
 
 
-    def rank(self):
+    @cached_method
+    def _charpoly_coefficients(self):
+        r"""
+        The `r` polynomial coefficients of the "characteristic polynomial
+        of" function.
+
+        SETUP::
+
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import random_eja
+
+        TESTS:
+
+        The theory shows that these are all homogeneous polynomials of
+        a known degree::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = random_eja()
+            sage: all(p.is_homogeneous() for p in J._charpoly_coefficients())
+            True
+
         """
-        Return the rank of this EJA.
+        n = self.dimension()
+        R = self.coordinate_polynomial_ring()
+        vars = R.gens()
+        F = R.fraction_field()
+
+        def L_x_i_j(i,j):
+            # From a result in my book, these are the entries of the
+            # basis representation of L_x.
+            return sum( vars[k]*self.monomial(k).operator().matrix()[i,j]
+                        for k in range(n) )
+
+        L_x = matrix(F, n, n, L_x_i_j)
+
+        r = None
+        if self.rank.is_in_cache():
+            r = self.rank()
+            # There's no need to pad the system with redundant
+            # columns if we *know* they'll be redundant.
+            n = r
+
+        # Compute an extra power in case the rank is equal to
+        # the dimension (otherwise, we would stop at x^(r-1)).
+        x_powers = [ (L_x**k)*self.one().to_vector()
+                     for k in range(n+1) ]
+        A = matrix.column(F, x_powers[:n])
+        AE = A.extended_echelon_form()
+        E = AE[:,n:]
+        A_rref = AE[:,:n]
+        if r is None:
+            r = A_rref.rank()
+        b = x_powers[r]
+
+        # The theory says that only the first "r" coefficients are
+        # nonzero, and they actually live in the original polynomial
+        # ring and not the fraction field. We negate them because in
+        # the actual characteristic polynomial, they get moved to the
+        # other side where x^r lives. We don't bother to trim A_rref
+        # down to a square matrix and solve the resulting system,
+        # because the upper-left r-by-r portion of A_rref is
+        # guaranteed to be the identity matrix, so e.g.
+        #
+        #   A_rref.solve_right(Y)
+        #
+        # would just be returning Y.
+        return (-E*b)[:r].change_ring(R)
 
-        ALGORITHM:
+    @cached_method
+    def rank(self):
+        r"""
+        Return the rank of this EJA.
 
-        The author knows of no algorithm to compute the rank of an EJA
-        where only the multiplication table is known. In lieu of one, we
-        require the rank to be specified when the algebra is created,
-        and simply pass along that number here.
+        This is a cached method because we know the rank a priori for
+        all of the algebras we can construct. Thus we can avoid the
+        expensive ``_charpoly_coefficients()`` call unless we truly
+        need to compute the whole characteristic polynomial.
 
         SETUP::
 
-            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (JordanSpinEJA,
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (HadamardEJA,
+            ....:                                  JordanSpinEJA,
             ....:                                  RealSymmetricEJA,
             ....:                                  ComplexHermitianEJA,
             ....:                                  QuaternionHermitianEJA,
@@ -683,15 +1489,37 @@ class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
         TESTS:
 
         Ensure that every EJA that we know how to construct has a
-        positive integer rank::
+        positive integer rank, unless the algebra is trivial in
+        which case its rank will be zero::
 
             sage: set_random_seed()
-            sage: r = random_eja().rank()
-            sage: r in ZZ and r > 0
+            sage: J = random_eja()
+            sage: r = J.rank()
+            sage: r in ZZ
+            True
+            sage: r > 0 or (r == 0 and J.is_trivial())
             True
 
+        Ensure that computing the rank actually works, since the ranks
+        of all simple algebras are known and will be cached by default::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()    # long time
+            sage: J = random_eja()     # long time
+            sage: cached = J.rank()    # long time
+            sage: J.rank.clear_cache() # long time
+            sage: J.rank() == cached   # long time
+            True
+
+        """
+        return len(self._charpoly_coefficients())
+
+
+    def subalgebra(self, basis, **kwargs):
+        r"""
+        Create a subalgebra of this algebra from the given basis.
         """
-        return self._rank
+        from mjo.eja.eja_subalgebra import FiniteDimensionalEJASubalgebra
+        return FiniteDimensionalEJASubalgebra(self, basis, **kwargs)
 
 
     def vector_space(self):
@@ -712,286 +1540,223 @@ class FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra(CombinatorialFreeModule):
         return self.zero().to_vector().parent().ambient_vector_space()
 
 
-    Element = FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebraElement
-
-
-class KnownRankEJA(object):
-    """
-    A class for algebras that we actually know we can construct.  The
-    main issue is that, for most of our methods to make sense, we need
-    to know the rank of our algebra. Thus we can't simply generate a
-    "random" algebra, or even check that a given basis and product
-    satisfy the axioms; because even if everything looks OK, we wouldn't
-    know the rank we need to actuallty build the thing.
-
-    Not really a subclass of FDEJA because doing that causes method
-    resolution errors, e.g.
-
-      TypeError: Error when calling the metaclass bases
-      Cannot create a consistent method resolution
-      order (MRO) for bases FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra,
-      KnownRankEJA
-
-    """
-    @staticmethod
-    def _max_test_case_size():
-        """
-        Return an integer "size" that is an upper bound on the size of
-        this algebra when it is used in a random test
-        case. Unfortunately, the term "size" is quite vague -- when
-        dealing with `R^n` under either the Hadamard or Jordan spin
-        product, the "size" refers to the dimension `n`. When dealing
-        with a matrix algebra (real symmetric or complex/quaternion
-        Hermitian), it refers to the size of the matrix, which is
-        far less than the dimension of the underlying vector space.
-
-        We default to five in this class, which is safe in `R^n`. The
-        matrix algebra subclasses (or any class where the "size" is
-        interpreted to be far less than the dimension) should override
-        with a smaller number.
-        """
-        return 5
-
-    @classmethod
-    def random_instance(cls, field=QQ, **kwargs):
-        """
-        Return a random instance of this type of algebra.
-
-        Beware, this will crash for "most instances" because the
-        constructor below looks wrong.
-        """
-        n = ZZ.random_element(cls._max_test_case_size()) + 1
-        return cls(n, field, **kwargs)
-
-
-class RealCartesianProductEJA(FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra,
-                              KnownRankEJA):
-    """
-    Return the Euclidean Jordan Algebra corresponding to the set
-    `R^n` under the Hadamard product.
 
-    Note: this is nothing more than the Cartesian product of ``n``
-    copies of the spin algebra. Once Cartesian product algebras
-    are implemented, this can go.
+class RationalBasisEJA(FiniteDimensionalEJA):
+    r"""
+    New class for algebras whose supplied basis elements have all rational entries.
 
     SETUP::
 
-        sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import RealCartesianProductEJA
+        sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import BilinearFormEJA
 
     EXAMPLES:
 
-    This multiplication table can be verified by hand::
-
-        sage: J = RealCartesianProductEJA(3)
-        sage: e0,e1,e2 = J.gens()
-        sage: e0*e0
-        e0
-        sage: e0*e1
-        0
-        sage: e0*e2
-        0
-        sage: e1*e1
-        e1
-        sage: e1*e2
-        0
-        sage: e2*e2
-        e2
-
-    TESTS:
-
-    We can change the generator prefix::
+    The supplied basis is orthonormalized by default::
 
-        sage: RealCartesianProductEJA(3, prefix='r').gens()
-        (r0, r1, r2)
+        sage: B = matrix(QQ, [[1, 0, 0], [0, 25, -32], [0, -32, 41]])
+        sage: J = BilinearFormEJA(B)
+        sage: J.matrix_basis()
+        (
+        [1]  [  0]  [   0]
+        [0]  [1/5]  [32/5]
+        [0], [  0], [   5]
+        )
 
     """
-    def __init__(self, n, field=QQ, **kwargs):
-        V = VectorSpace(field, n)
-        mult_table = [ [ V.gen(i)*(i == j) for j in xrange(n) ]
-                       for i in xrange(n) ]
-
-        fdeja = super(RealCartesianProductEJA, self)
-        return fdeja.__init__(field, mult_table, rank=n, **kwargs)
-
-    def inner_product(self, x, y):
-        """
-        Faster to reimplement than to use natural representations.
+    def __init__(self,
+                 basis,
+                 jordan_product,
+                 inner_product,
+                 field=AA,
+                 check_field=True,
+                 **kwargs):
+
+        if check_field:
+            # Abuse the check_field parameter to check that the entries of
+            # out basis (in ambient coordinates) are in the field QQ.
+            if not all( all(b_i in QQ for b_i in b.list()) for b in basis ):
+                raise TypeError("basis not rational")
+
+        super().__init__(basis,
+                         jordan_product,
+                         inner_product,
+                         field=field,
+                         check_field=check_field,
+                         **kwargs)
+
+        self._rational_algebra = None
+        if field is not QQ:
+            # There's no point in constructing the extra algebra if this
+            # one is already rational.
+            #
+            # Note: the same Jordan and inner-products work here,
+            # because they are necessarily defined with respect to
+            # ambient coordinates and not any particular basis.
+            self._rational_algebra = FiniteDimensionalEJA(
+                                       basis,
+                                       jordan_product,
+                                       inner_product,
+                                       field=QQ,
+                                       associative=self.is_associative(),
+                                       orthonormalize=False,
+                                       check_field=False,
+                                       check_axioms=False)
 
+    @cached_method
+    def _charpoly_coefficients(self):
+        r"""
         SETUP::
 
-            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import RealCartesianProductEJA
-
-        TESTS:
-
-        Ensure that this is the usual inner product for the algebras
-        over `R^n`::
-
-            sage: set_random_seed()
-            sage: J = RealCartesianProductEJA.random_instance()
-            sage: x,y = J.random_elements(2)
-            sage: X = x.natural_representation()
-            sage: Y = y.natural_representation()
-            sage: x.inner_product(y) == J.natural_inner_product(X,Y)
-            True
-
-        """
-        return x.to_vector().inner_product(y.to_vector())
-
-
-def random_eja():
-    """
-    Return a "random" finite-dimensional Euclidean Jordan Algebra.
-
-    ALGORITHM:
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (BilinearFormEJA,
+            ....:                                  JordanSpinEJA)
 
-    For now, we choose a random natural number ``n`` (greater than zero)
-    and then give you back one of the following:
-
-      * The cartesian product of the rational numbers ``n`` times; this is
-        ``QQ^n`` with the Hadamard product.
-
-      * The Jordan spin algebra on ``QQ^n``.
-
-      * The ``n``-by-``n`` rational symmetric matrices with the symmetric
-        product.
-
-      * The ``n``-by-``n`` complex-rational Hermitian matrices embedded
-        in the space of ``2n``-by-``2n`` real symmetric matrices.
+        EXAMPLES:
 
-      * The ``n``-by-``n`` quaternion-rational Hermitian matrices embedded
-        in the space of ``4n``-by-``4n`` real symmetric matrices.
+        The base ring of the resulting polynomial coefficients is what
+        it should be, and not the rationals (unless the algebra was
+        already over the rationals)::
 
-    Later this might be extended to return Cartesian products of the
-    EJAs above.
+            sage: J = JordanSpinEJA(3)
+            sage: J._charpoly_coefficients()
+            (X1^2 - X2^2 - X3^2, -2*X1)
+            sage: a0 = J._charpoly_coefficients()[0]
+            sage: J.base_ring()
+            Algebraic Real Field
+            sage: a0.base_ring()
+            Algebraic Real Field
+
+        """
+        if self._rational_algebra is None:
+            # There's no need to construct *another* algebra over the
+            # rationals if this one is already over the
+            # rationals. Likewise, if we never orthonormalized our
+            # basis, we might as well just use the given one.
+            return super()._charpoly_coefficients()
+
+        # Do the computation over the rationals. The answer will be
+        # the same, because all we've done is a change of basis.
+        # Then, change back from QQ to our real base ring
+        a = ( a_i.change_ring(self.base_ring())
+              for a_i in self._rational_algebra._charpoly_coefficients() )
+
+        if self._deortho_matrix is None:
+            # This can happen if our base ring was, say, AA and we
+            # chose not to (or didn't need to) orthonormalize. It's
+            # still faster to do the computations over QQ even if
+            # the numbers in the boxes stay the same.
+            return tuple(a)
+
+        # Otherwise, convert the coordinate variables back to the
+        # deorthonormalized ones.
+        R = self.coordinate_polynomial_ring()
+        from sage.modules.free_module_element import vector
+        X = vector(R, R.gens())
+        BX = self._deortho_matrix*X
+
+        subs_dict = { X[i]: BX[i] for i in range(len(X)) }
+        return tuple( a_i.subs(subs_dict) for a_i in a )
+
+class ConcreteEJA(RationalBasisEJA):
+    r"""
+    A class for the Euclidean Jordan algebras that we know by name.
+
+    These are the Jordan algebras whose basis, multiplication table,
+    rank, and so on are known a priori. More to the point, they are
+    the Euclidean Jordan algebras for which we are able to conjure up
+    a "random instance."
 
     SETUP::
 
-        sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import random_eja
-
-    TESTS::
-
-        sage: random_eja()
-        Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension...
-
-    """
-    classname = choice(KnownRankEJA.__subclasses__())
-    return classname.random_instance()
+        sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import ConcreteEJA
 
+    TESTS:
 
+    Our basis is normalized with respect to the algebra's inner
+    product, unless we specify otherwise::
 
+        sage: set_random_seed()
+        sage: J = ConcreteEJA.random_instance()
+        sage: all( b.norm() == 1 for b in J.gens() )
+        True
 
+    Since our basis is orthonormal with respect to the algebra's inner
+    product, and since we know that this algebra is an EJA, any
+    left-multiplication operator's matrix will be symmetric because
+    natural->EJA basis representation is an isometry and within the
+    EJA the operator is self-adjoint by the Jordan axiom::
 
+        sage: set_random_seed()
+        sage: J = ConcreteEJA.random_instance()
+        sage: x = J.random_element()
+        sage: x.operator().is_self_adjoint()
+        True
+    """
 
-class MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra):
     @staticmethod
-    def _max_test_case_size():
-        # Play it safe, since this will be squared and the underlying
-        # field can have dimension 4 (quaternions) too.
-        return 2
-
-    def __init__(self, field, basis, rank, normalize_basis=True, **kwargs):
+    def _max_random_instance_size():
         """
-        Compared to the superclass constructor, we take a basis instead of
-        a multiplication table because the latter can be computed in terms
-        of the former when the product is known (like it is here).
+        Return an integer "size" that is an upper bound on the size of
+        this algebra when it is used in a random test
+        case. Unfortunately, the term "size" is ambiguous -- when
+        dealing with `R^n` under either the Hadamard or Jordan spin
+        product, the "size" refers to the dimension `n`. When dealing
+        with a matrix algebra (real symmetric or complex/quaternion
+        Hermitian), it refers to the size of the matrix, which is far
+        less than the dimension of the underlying vector space.
+
+        This method must be implemented in each subclass.
         """
-        # Used in this class's fast _charpoly_coeff() override.
-        self._basis_normalizers = None
+        raise NotImplementedError
 
-        # We're going to loop through this a few times, so now's a good
-        # time to ensure that it isn't a generator expression.
-        basis = tuple(basis)
+    @classmethod
+    def random_instance(cls, *args, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Return a random instance of this type of algebra.
 
-        if rank > 1 and normalize_basis:
-            # We'll need sqrt(2) to normalize the basis, and this
-            # winds up in the multiplication table, so the whole
-            # algebra needs to be over the field extension.
-            R = PolynomialRing(field, 'z')
-            z = R.gen()
-            p = z**2 - 2
-            if p.is_irreducible():
-                field = NumberField(p, 'sqrt2', embedding=RLF(2).sqrt())
-                basis = tuple( s.change_ring(field) for s in basis )
-            self._basis_normalizers = tuple(
-                ~(self.natural_inner_product(s,s).sqrt()) for s in basis )
-            basis = tuple(s*c for (s,c) in izip(basis,self._basis_normalizers))
+        This method should be implemented in each subclass.
+        """
+        from sage.misc.prandom import choice
+        eja_class = choice(cls.__subclasses__())
 
-        Qs = self.multiplication_table_from_matrix_basis(basis)
+        # These all bubble up to the RationalBasisEJA superclass
+        # constructor, so any (kw)args valid there are also valid
+        # here.
+        return eja_class.random_instance(*args, **kwargs)
 
-        fdeja = super(MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra, self)
-        return fdeja.__init__(field,
-                              Qs,
-                              rank=rank,
-                              natural_basis=basis,
-                              **kwargs)
 
+class MatrixEJA:
+    @staticmethod
+    def jordan_product(X,Y):
+        return (X*Y + Y*X)/2
 
-    @cached_method
-    def _charpoly_coeff(self, i):
-        """
-        Override the parent method with something that tries to compute
-        over a faster (non-extension) field.
+    @staticmethod
+    def trace_inner_product(X,Y):
+        r"""
+        A trace inner-product for matrices that aren't embedded in the
+        reals.
         """
-        if self._basis_normalizers is None:
-            # We didn't normalize, so assume that the basis we started
-            # with had entries in a nice field.
-            return super(MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra, self)._charpoly_coeff(i)
-        else:
-            basis = ( (b/n) for (b,n) in izip(self.natural_basis(),
-                                              self._basis_normalizers) )
-
-            # Do this over the rationals and convert back at the end.
-            J = MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(QQ,
-                                             basis,
-                                             self.rank(),
-                                             normalize_basis=False)
-            (_,x,_,_) = J._charpoly_matrix_system()
-            p = J._charpoly_coeff(i)
-            # p might be missing some vars, have to substitute "optionally"
-            pairs = izip(x.base_ring().gens(), self._basis_normalizers)
-            substitutions = { v: v*c for (v,c) in pairs }
-            result = p.subs(substitutions)
-
-            # The result of "subs" can be either a coefficient-ring
-            # element or a polynomial. Gotta handle both cases.
-            if result in QQ:
-                return self.base_ring()(result)
-            else:
-                return result.change_ring(self.base_ring())
-
+        # We take the norm (absolute value) because Octonions() isn't
+        # smart enough yet to coerce its one() into the base field.
+        return (X*Y).trace().abs()
 
+class RealEmbeddedMatrixEJA(MatrixEJA):
     @staticmethod
-    def multiplication_table_from_matrix_basis(basis):
-        """
-        At least three of the five simple Euclidean Jordan algebras have the
-        symmetric multiplication (A,B) |-> (AB + BA)/2, where the
-        multiplication on the right is matrix multiplication. Given a basis
-        for the underlying matrix space, this function returns a
-        multiplication table (obtained by looping through the basis
-        elements) for an algebra of those matrices.
-        """
-        # In S^2, for example, we nominally have four coordinates even
-        # though the space is of dimension three only. The vector space V
-        # is supposed to hold the entire long vector, and the subspace W
-        # of V will be spanned by the vectors that arise from symmetric
-        # matrices. Thus for S^2, dim(V) == 4 and dim(W) == 3.
-        field = basis[0].base_ring()
-        dimension = basis[0].nrows()
-
-        V = VectorSpace(field, dimension**2)
-        W = V.span_of_basis( _mat2vec(s) for s in basis )
-        n = len(basis)
-        mult_table = [[W.zero() for j in xrange(n)] for i in xrange(n)]
-        for i in xrange(n):
-            for j in xrange(n):
-                mat_entry = (basis[i]*basis[j] + basis[j]*basis[i])/2
-                mult_table[i][j] = W.coordinate_vector(_mat2vec(mat_entry))
+    def dimension_over_reals():
+        r"""
+        The dimension of this matrix's base ring over the reals.
 
-        return mult_table
+        The reals are dimension one over themselves, obviously; that's
+        just `\mathbb{R}^{1}`. Likewise, the complex numbers `a + bi`
+        have dimension two. Finally, the quaternions have dimension
+        four over the reals.
 
+        This is used to determine the size of the matrix returned from
+        :meth:`real_embed`, among other things.
+        """
+        raise NotImplementedError
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def real_embed(M):
+    @classmethod
+    def real_embed(cls,M):
         """
         Embed the matrix ``M`` into a space of real matrices.
 
@@ -1004,56 +1769,71 @@ class MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra):
           real_embed(M*N) = real_embed(M)*real_embed(N)
 
         """
-        raise NotImplementedError
+        if M.ncols() != M.nrows():
+            raise ValueError("the matrix 'M' must be square")
+        return M
 
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def real_unembed(M):
+    @classmethod
+    def real_unembed(cls,M):
         """
         The inverse of :meth:`real_embed`.
         """
-        raise NotImplementedError
+        if M.ncols() != M.nrows():
+            raise ValueError("the matrix 'M' must be square")
+        if not ZZ(M.nrows()).mod(cls.dimension_over_reals()).is_zero():
+            raise ValueError("the matrix 'M' must be a real embedding")
+        return M
 
 
     @classmethod
-    def natural_inner_product(cls,X,Y):
-        Xu = cls.real_unembed(X)
-        Yu = cls.real_unembed(Y)
-        tr = (Xu*Yu).trace()
-        if tr in RLF:
-            # It's real already.
-            return tr
-
-        # Otherwise, try the thing that works for complex numbers; and
-        # if that doesn't work, the thing that works for quaternions.
-        try:
-            return tr.vector()[0] # real part, imag part is index 1
-        except AttributeError:
-            # A quaternions doesn't have a vector() method, but does
-            # have coefficient_tuple() method that returns the
-            # coefficients of 1, i, j, and k -- in that order.
-            return tr.coefficient_tuple()[0]
+    def trace_inner_product(cls,X,Y):
+        r"""
+        Compute the trace inner-product of two real-embeddings.
 
+        SETUP::
 
-class RealMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra):
-    @staticmethod
-    def real_embed(M):
-        """
-        The identity function, for embedding real matrices into real
-        matrices.
-        """
-        return M
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (ComplexHermitianEJA,
+            ....:                                  QuaternionHermitianEJA)
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def real_unembed(M):
-        """
-        The identity function, for unembedding real matrices from real
-        matrices.
-        """
-        return M
+        EXAMPLES::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = ComplexHermitianEJA.random_instance()
+            sage: x,y = J.random_elements(2)
+            sage: Xe = x.to_matrix()
+            sage: Ye = y.to_matrix()
+            sage: X = J.real_unembed(Xe)
+            sage: Y = J.real_unembed(Ye)
+            sage: expected = (X*Y).trace().real()
+            sage: actual = J.trace_inner_product(Xe,Ye)
+            sage: actual == expected
+            True
 
+        ::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = QuaternionHermitianEJA.random_instance()
+            sage: x,y = J.random_elements(2)
+            sage: Xe = x.to_matrix()
+            sage: Ye = y.to_matrix()
+            sage: X = J.real_unembed(Xe)
+            sage: Y = J.real_unembed(Ye)
+            sage: expected = (X*Y).trace().coefficient_tuple()[0]
+            sage: actual = J.trace_inner_product(Xe,Ye)
+            sage: actual == expected
+            True
 
-class RealSymmetricEJA(RealMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra, KnownRankEJA):
+        """
+        # This does in fact compute the real part of the trace.
+        # If we compute the trace of e.g. a complex matrix M,
+        # then we do so by adding up its diagonal entries --
+        # call them z_1 through z_n. The real embedding of z_1
+        # will be a 2-by-2 REAL matrix [a, b; -b, a] whose trace
+        # as a REAL matrix will be 2*a = 2*Re(z_1). And so forth.
+        return (X*Y).trace()/cls.dimension_over_reals()
+
+class RealSymmetricEJA(ConcreteEJA, MatrixEJA):
     """
     The rank-n simple EJA consisting of real symmetric n-by-n
     matrices, the usual symmetric Jordan product, and the trace inner
@@ -1066,20 +1846,28 @@ class RealSymmetricEJA(RealMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra, KnownRankEJA):
     EXAMPLES::
 
         sage: J = RealSymmetricEJA(2)
-        sage: e0, e1, e2 = J.gens()
-        sage: e0*e0
-        e0
-        sage: e1*e1
-        1/2*e0 + 1/2*e2
-        sage: e2*e2
-        e2
+        sage: b0, b1, b2 = J.gens()
+        sage: b0*b0
+        b0
+        sage: b1*b1
+        1/2*b0 + 1/2*b2
+        sage: b2*b2
+        b2
+
+    In theory, our "field" can be any subfield of the reals::
+
+        sage: RealSymmetricEJA(2, field=RDF, check_axioms=True)
+        Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 3 over Real Double Field
+        sage: RealSymmetricEJA(2, field=RR, check_axioms=True)
+        Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 3 over Real Field with
+        53 bits of precision
 
     TESTS:
 
     The dimension of this algebra is `(n^2 + n) / 2`::
 
         sage: set_random_seed()
-        sage: n_max = RealSymmetricEJA._max_test_case_size()
+        sage: n_max = RealSymmetricEJA._max_random_instance_size()
         sage: n = ZZ.random_element(1, n_max)
         sage: J = RealSymmetricEJA(n)
         sage: J.dimension() == (n^2 + n)/2
@@ -1090,9 +1878,9 @@ class RealSymmetricEJA(RealMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra, KnownRankEJA):
         sage: set_random_seed()
         sage: J = RealSymmetricEJA.random_instance()
         sage: x,y = J.random_elements(2)
-        sage: actual = (x*y).natural_representation()
-        sage: X = x.natural_representation()
-        sage: Y = y.natural_representation()
+        sage: actual = (x*y).to_matrix()
+        sage: X = x.to_matrix()
+        sage: Y = y.to_matrix()
         sage: expected = (X*Y + Y*X)/2
         sage: actual == expected
         True
@@ -1104,24 +1892,10 @@ class RealSymmetricEJA(RealMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra, KnownRankEJA):
         sage: RealSymmetricEJA(3, prefix='q').gens()
         (q0, q1, q2, q3, q4, q5)
 
-    Our natural basis is normalized with respect to the natural inner
-    product unless we specify otherwise::
-
-        sage: set_random_seed()
-        sage: J = RealSymmetricEJA.random_instance()
-        sage: all( b.norm() == 1 for b in J.gens() )
-        True
+    We can construct the (trivial) algebra of rank zero::
 
-    Since our natural basis is normalized with respect to the natural
-    inner product, and since we know that this algebra is an EJA, any
-    left-multiplication operator's matrix will be symmetric because
-    natural->EJA basis representation is an isometry and within the EJA
-    the operator is self-adjoint by the Jordan axiom::
-
-        sage: set_random_seed()
-        sage: x = RealSymmetricEJA.random_instance().random_element()
-        sage: x.operator().matrix().is_symmetric()
-        True
+        sage: RealSymmetricEJA(0)
+        Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 0 over Algebraic Real Field
 
     """
     @classmethod
@@ -1137,7 +1911,7 @@ class RealSymmetricEJA(RealMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra, KnownRankEJA):
 
             sage: set_random_seed()
             sage: n = ZZ.random_element(1,5)
-            sage: B = RealSymmetricEJA._denormalized_basis(n,QQ)
+            sage: B = RealSymmetricEJA._denormalized_basis(n,ZZ)
             sage: all( M.is_symmetric() for M in  B)
             True
 
@@ -1145,30 +1919,93 @@ class RealSymmetricEJA(RealMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra, KnownRankEJA):
         # The basis of symmetric matrices, as matrices, in their R^(n-by-n)
         # coordinates.
         S = []
-        for i in xrange(n):
-            for j in xrange(i+1):
+        for i in range(n):
+            for j in range(i+1):
                 Eij = matrix(field, n, lambda k,l: k==i and l==j)
                 if i == j:
                     Sij = Eij
                 else:
                     Sij = Eij + Eij.transpose()
                 S.append(Sij)
-        return S
+        return tuple(S)
 
 
     @staticmethod
-    def _max_test_case_size():
+    def _max_random_instance_size():
         return 4 # Dimension 10
 
+    @classmethod
+    def random_instance(cls, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Return a random instance of this type of algebra.
+        """
+        n = ZZ.random_element(cls._max_random_instance_size() + 1)
+        return cls(n, **kwargs)
+
+    def __init__(self, n, field=AA, **kwargs):
+        # We know this is a valid EJA, but will double-check
+        # if the user passes check_axioms=True.
+        if "check_axioms" not in kwargs: kwargs["check_axioms"] = False
+
+        associative = False
+        if n <= 1:
+            associative = True
+
+        super().__init__(self._denormalized_basis(n,field),
+                         self.jordan_product,
+                         self.trace_inner_product,
+                         field=field,
+                         associative=associative,
+                         **kwargs)
+
+        # TODO: this could be factored out somehow, but is left here
+        # because the MatrixEJA is not presently a subclass of the
+        # FDEJA class that defines rank() and one().
+        self.rank.set_cache(n)
+        idV = self.matrix_space().one()
+        self.one.set_cache(self(idV))
 
-    def __init__(self, n, field=QQ, **kwargs):
-        basis = self._denormalized_basis(n, field)
-        super(RealSymmetricEJA, self).__init__(field, basis, n, **kwargs)
 
 
-class ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra):
+class ComplexMatrixEJA(RealEmbeddedMatrixEJA):
+    # A manual dictionary-cache for the complex_extension() method,
+    # since apparently @classmethods can't also be @cached_methods.
+    _complex_extension = {}
+
+    @classmethod
+    def complex_extension(cls,field):
+        r"""
+        The complex field that we embed/unembed, as an extension
+        of the given ``field``.
+        """
+        if field in cls._complex_extension:
+            return cls._complex_extension[field]
+
+        # Sage doesn't know how to adjoin the complex "i" (the root of
+        # x^2 + 1) to a field in a general way. Here, we just enumerate
+        # all of the cases that I have cared to support so far.
+        if field is AA:
+            # Sage doesn't know how to embed AA into QQbar, i.e. how
+            # to adjoin sqrt(-1) to AA.
+            F = QQbar
+        elif not field.is_exact():
+            # RDF or RR
+            F = field.complex_field()
+        else:
+            # Works for QQ and... maybe some other fields.
+            R = PolynomialRing(field, 'z')
+            z = R.gen()
+            F = field.extension(z**2 + 1, 'I', embedding=CLF(-1).sqrt())
+
+        cls._complex_extension[field] = F
+        return F
+
     @staticmethod
-    def real_embed(M):
+    def dimension_over_reals():
+        return 2
+
+    @classmethod
+    def real_embed(cls,M):
         """
         Embed the n-by-n complex matrix ``M`` into the space of real
         matrices of size 2n-by-2n via the map the sends each entry `z = a +
@@ -1176,18 +2013,17 @@ class ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra):
 
         SETUP::
 
-            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import \
-            ....:   ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import ComplexMatrixEJA
 
         EXAMPLES::
 
-            sage: F = QuadraticField(-1, 'i')
+            sage: F = QuadraticField(-1, 'I')
             sage: x1 = F(4 - 2*i)
             sage: x2 = F(1 + 2*i)
             sage: x3 = F(-i)
             sage: x4 = F(6)
             sage: M = matrix(F,2,[[x1,x2],[x3,x4]])
-            sage: ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.real_embed(M)
+            sage: ComplexMatrixEJA.real_embed(M)
             [ 4 -2| 1  2]
             [ 2  4|-2  1]
             [-----+-----]
@@ -1199,41 +2035,41 @@ class ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra):
         Embedding is a homomorphism (isomorphism, in fact)::
 
             sage: set_random_seed()
-            sage: n_max = ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra._max_test_case_size()
-            sage: n = ZZ.random_element(n_max)
-            sage: F = QuadraticField(-1, 'i')
+            sage: n = ZZ.random_element(3)
+            sage: F = QuadraticField(-1, 'I')
             sage: X = random_matrix(F, n)
             sage: Y = random_matrix(F, n)
-            sage: Xe = ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.real_embed(X)
-            sage: Ye = ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.real_embed(Y)
-            sage: XYe = ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.real_embed(X*Y)
+            sage: Xe = ComplexMatrixEJA.real_embed(X)
+            sage: Ye = ComplexMatrixEJA.real_embed(Y)
+            sage: XYe = ComplexMatrixEJA.real_embed(X*Y)
             sage: Xe*Ye == XYe
             True
 
         """
+        super().real_embed(M)
         n = M.nrows()
-        if M.ncols() != n:
-            raise ValueError("the matrix 'M' must be square")
-        field = M.base_ring()
+
+        # We don't need any adjoined elements...
+        field = M.base_ring().base_ring()
+
         blocks = []
         for z in M.list():
-            a = z.vector()[0] # real part, I guess
-            b = z.vector()[1] # imag part, I guess
-            blocks.append(matrix(field, 2, [[a,b],[-b,a]]))
+            a = z.real()
+            b = z.imag()
+            blocks.append(matrix(field, 2, [ [ a, b],
+                                             [-b, a] ]))
 
-        # We can drop the imaginaries here.
-        return matrix.block(field.base_ring(), n, blocks)
+        return matrix.block(field, n, blocks)
 
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def real_unembed(M):
+    @classmethod
+    def real_unembed(cls,M):
         """
         The inverse of _embed_complex_matrix().
 
         SETUP::
 
-            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import \
-            ....:   ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import ComplexMatrixEJA
 
         EXAMPLES::
 
@@ -1241,42 +2077,34 @@ class ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra):
             ....:                 [-2,  1,  -4,  3],
             ....:                 [ 9,  10, 11, 12],
             ....:                 [-10, 9, -12, 11] ])
-            sage: ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.real_unembed(A)
-            [  2*i + 1   4*i + 3]
-            [ 10*i + 9 12*i + 11]
+            sage: ComplexMatrixEJA.real_unembed(A)
+            [  2*I + 1   4*I + 3]
+            [ 10*I + 9 12*I + 11]
 
         TESTS:
 
         Unembedding is the inverse of embedding::
 
             sage: set_random_seed()
-            sage: F = QuadraticField(-1, 'i')
+            sage: F = QuadraticField(-1, 'I')
             sage: M = random_matrix(F, 3)
-            sage: Me = ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.real_embed(M)
-            sage: ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.real_unembed(Me) == M
+            sage: Me = ComplexMatrixEJA.real_embed(M)
+            sage: ComplexMatrixEJA.real_unembed(Me) == M
             True
 
         """
+        super().real_unembed(M)
         n = ZZ(M.nrows())
-        if M.ncols() != n:
-            raise ValueError("the matrix 'M' must be square")
-        if not n.mod(2).is_zero():
-            raise ValueError("the matrix 'M' must be a complex embedding")
-
-        # If "M" was normalized, its base ring might have roots
-        # adjoined and they can stick around after unembedding.
-        field = M.base_ring()
-        R = PolynomialRing(field, 'z')
-        z = R.gen()
-        F = NumberField(z**2 + 1,'i', embedding=CLF(-1).sqrt())
+        d = cls.dimension_over_reals()
+        F = cls.complex_extension(M.base_ring())
         i = F.gen()
 
         # Go top-left to bottom-right (reading order), converting every
         # 2-by-2 block we see to a single complex element.
         elements = []
-        for k in xrange(n/2):
-            for j in xrange(n/2):
-                submat = M[2*k:2*k+2,2*j:2*j+2]
+        for k in range(n/d):
+            for j in range(n/d):
+                submat = M[d*k:d*k+d,d*j:d*j+d]
                 if submat[0,0] != submat[1,1]:
                     raise ValueError('bad on-diagonal submatrix')
                 if submat[0,1] != -submat[1,0]:
@@ -1284,41 +2112,10 @@ class ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra):
                 z = submat[0,0] + submat[0,1]*i
                 elements.append(z)
 
-        return matrix(F, n/2, elements)
-
-
-    @classmethod
-    def natural_inner_product(cls,X,Y):
-        """
-        Compute a natural inner product in this algebra directly from
-        its real embedding.
-
-        SETUP::
-
-            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import ComplexHermitianEJA
-
-        TESTS:
-
-        This gives the same answer as the slow, default method implemented
-        in :class:`MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra`::
-
-            sage: set_random_seed()
-            sage: J = ComplexHermitianEJA.random_instance()
-            sage: x,y = J.random_elements(2)
-            sage: Xe = x.natural_representation()
-            sage: Ye = y.natural_representation()
-            sage: X = ComplexHermitianEJA.real_unembed(Xe)
-            sage: Y = ComplexHermitianEJA.real_unembed(Ye)
-            sage: expected = (X*Y).trace().vector()[0]
-            sage: actual = ComplexHermitianEJA.natural_inner_product(Xe,Ye)
-            sage: actual == expected
-            True
-
-        """
-        return RealMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.natural_inner_product(X,Y)/2
+        return matrix(F, n/d, elements)
 
 
-class ComplexHermitianEJA(ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra, KnownRankEJA):
+class ComplexHermitianEJA(ConcreteEJA, ComplexMatrixEJA):
     """
     The rank-n simple EJA consisting of complex Hermitian n-by-n
     matrices over the real numbers, the usual symmetric Jordan product,
@@ -1329,12 +2126,22 @@ class ComplexHermitianEJA(ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra, KnownRankEJA):
 
         sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import ComplexHermitianEJA
 
+    EXAMPLES:
+
+    In theory, our "field" can be any subfield of the reals::
+
+        sage: ComplexHermitianEJA(2, field=RDF, check_axioms=True)
+        Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 4 over Real Double Field
+        sage: ComplexHermitianEJA(2, field=RR, check_axioms=True)
+        Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 4 over Real Field with
+        53 bits of precision
+
     TESTS:
 
     The dimension of this algebra is `n^2`::
 
         sage: set_random_seed()
-        sage: n_max = ComplexHermitianEJA._max_test_case_size()
+        sage: n_max = ComplexHermitianEJA._max_random_instance_size()
         sage: n = ZZ.random_element(1, n_max)
         sage: J = ComplexHermitianEJA(n)
         sage: J.dimension() == n^2
@@ -1345,9 +2152,9 @@ class ComplexHermitianEJA(ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra, KnownRankEJA):
         sage: set_random_seed()
         sage: J = ComplexHermitianEJA.random_instance()
         sage: x,y = J.random_elements(2)
-        sage: actual = (x*y).natural_representation()
-        sage: X = x.natural_representation()
-        sage: Y = y.natural_representation()
+        sage: actual = (x*y).to_matrix()
+        sage: X = x.to_matrix()
+        sage: Y = y.to_matrix()
         sage: expected = (X*Y + Y*X)/2
         sage: actual == expected
         True
@@ -1359,24 +2166,10 @@ class ComplexHermitianEJA(ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra, KnownRankEJA):
         sage: ComplexHermitianEJA(2, prefix='z').gens()
         (z0, z1, z2, z3)
 
-    Our natural basis is normalized with respect to the natural inner
-    product unless we specify otherwise::
-
-        sage: set_random_seed()
-        sage: J = ComplexHermitianEJA.random_instance()
-        sage: all( b.norm() == 1 for b in J.gens() )
-        True
-
-    Since our natural basis is normalized with respect to the natural
-    inner product, and since we know that this algebra is an EJA, any
-    left-multiplication operator's matrix will be symmetric because
-    natural->EJA basis representation is an isometry and within the EJA
-    the operator is self-adjoint by the Jordan axiom::
+    We can construct the (trivial) algebra of rank zero::
 
-        sage: set_random_seed()
-        sage: x = ComplexHermitianEJA.random_instance().random_element()
-        sage: x.operator().matrix().is_symmetric()
-        True
+        sage: ComplexHermitianEJA(0)
+        Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 0 over Algebraic Real Field
 
     """
 
@@ -1399,16 +2192,15 @@ class ComplexHermitianEJA(ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra, KnownRankEJA):
 
             sage: set_random_seed()
             sage: n = ZZ.random_element(1,5)
-            sage: field = QuadraticField(2, 'sqrt2')
-            sage: B = ComplexHermitianEJA._denormalized_basis(n, field)
+            sage: B = ComplexHermitianEJA._denormalized_basis(n,ZZ)
             sage: all( M.is_symmetric() for M in  B)
             True
 
         """
-        R = PolynomialRing(field, 'z')
+        R = PolynomialRing(ZZ, 'z')
         z = R.gen()
-        F = NumberField(z**2 + 1, 'I', embedding=CLF(-1).sqrt())
-        I = F.gen()
+        F = ZZ.extension(z**2 + 1, 'I')
+        I = F.gen(1)
 
         # This is like the symmetric case, but we need to be careful:
         #
@@ -1416,32 +2208,93 @@ class ComplexHermitianEJA(ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra, KnownRankEJA):
         #   * The diagonal will (as a result) be real.
         #
         S = []
-        for i in xrange(n):
-            for j in xrange(i+1):
-                Eij = matrix(F, n, lambda k,l: k==i and l==j)
+        Eij = matrix.zero(F,n)
+        for i in range(n):
+            for j in range(i+1):
+                # "build" E_ij
+                Eij[i,j] = 1
                 if i == j:
                     Sij = cls.real_embed(Eij)
                     S.append(Sij)
                 else:
                     # The second one has a minus because it's conjugated.
-                    Sij_real = cls.real_embed(Eij + Eij.transpose())
+                    Eij[j,i] = 1 # Eij = Eij + Eij.transpose()
+                    Sij_real = cls.real_embed(Eij)
                     S.append(Sij_real)
-                    Sij_imag = cls.real_embed(I*Eij - I*Eij.transpose())
+                    # Eij = I*Eij - I*Eij.transpose()
+                    Eij[i,j] = I
+                    Eij[j,i] = -I
+                    Sij_imag = cls.real_embed(Eij)
                     S.append(Sij_imag)
+                    Eij[j,i] = 0
+                # "erase" E_ij
+                Eij[i,j] = 0
+
+        # Since we embedded the entries, we can drop back to the
+        # desired real "field" instead of the extension "F".
+        return tuple( s.change_ring(field) for s in S )
+
+
+    def __init__(self, n, field=AA, **kwargs):
+        # We know this is a valid EJA, but will double-check
+        # if the user passes check_axioms=True.
+        if "check_axioms" not in kwargs: kwargs["check_axioms"] = False
+
+        associative = False
+        if n <= 1:
+            associative = True
+
+        super().__init__(self._denormalized_basis(n,field),
+                         self.jordan_product,
+                         self.trace_inner_product,
+                         field=field,
+                         associative=associative,
+                         **kwargs)
+        # TODO: this could be factored out somehow, but is left here
+        # because the MatrixEJA is not presently a subclass of the
+        # FDEJA class that defines rank() and one().
+        self.rank.set_cache(n)
+        idV = matrix.identity(ZZ, self.dimension_over_reals()*n)
+        self.one.set_cache(self(idV))
 
-        # Since we embedded these, we can drop back to the "field" that we
-        # started with instead of the complex extension "F".
-        return ( s.change_ring(field) for s in S )
+    @staticmethod
+    def _max_random_instance_size():
+        return 3 # Dimension 9
 
+    @classmethod
+    def random_instance(cls, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Return a random instance of this type of algebra.
+        """
+        n = ZZ.random_element(cls._max_random_instance_size() + 1)
+        return cls(n, **kwargs)
+
+class QuaternionMatrixEJA(RealEmbeddedMatrixEJA):
+
+    # A manual dictionary-cache for the quaternion_extension() method,
+    # since apparently @classmethods can't also be @cached_methods.
+    _quaternion_extension = {}
 
-    def __init__(self, n, field=QQ, **kwargs):
-        basis = self._denormalized_basis(n,field)
-        super(ComplexHermitianEJA,self).__init__(field, basis, n, **kwargs)
+    @classmethod
+    def quaternion_extension(cls,field):
+        r"""
+        The quaternion field that we embed/unembed, as an extension
+        of the given ``field``.
+        """
+        if field in cls._quaternion_extension:
+            return cls._quaternion_extension[field]
 
+        Q = QuaternionAlgebra(field,-1,-1)
+
+        cls._quaternion_extension[field] = Q
+        return Q
 
-class QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra):
     @staticmethod
-    def real_embed(M):
+    def dimension_over_reals():
+        return 4
+
+    @classmethod
+    def real_embed(cls,M):
         """
         Embed the n-by-n quaternion matrix ``M`` into the space of real
         matrices of size 4n-by-4n by first sending each quaternion entry `z
@@ -1451,8 +2304,7 @@ class QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra):
 
         SETUP::
 
-            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import \
-            ....:   QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import QuaternionMatrixEJA
 
         EXAMPLES::
 
@@ -1460,7 +2312,7 @@ class QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra):
             sage: i,j,k = Q.gens()
             sage: x = 1 + 2*i + 3*j + 4*k
             sage: M = matrix(Q, 1, [[x]])
-            sage: QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.real_embed(M)
+            sage: QuaternionMatrixEJA.real_embed(M)
             [ 1  2  3  4]
             [-2  1 -4  3]
             [-3  4  1 -2]
@@ -1469,24 +2321,22 @@ class QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra):
         Embedding is a homomorphism (isomorphism, in fact)::
 
             sage: set_random_seed()
-            sage: n_max = QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra._max_test_case_size()
-            sage: n = ZZ.random_element(n_max)
+            sage: n = ZZ.random_element(2)
             sage: Q = QuaternionAlgebra(QQ,-1,-1)
             sage: X = random_matrix(Q, n)
             sage: Y = random_matrix(Q, n)
-            sage: Xe = QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.real_embed(X)
-            sage: Ye = QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.real_embed(Y)
-            sage: XYe = QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.real_embed(X*Y)
+            sage: Xe = QuaternionMatrixEJA.real_embed(X)
+            sage: Ye = QuaternionMatrixEJA.real_embed(Y)
+            sage: XYe = QuaternionMatrixEJA.real_embed(X*Y)
             sage: Xe*Ye == XYe
             True
 
         """
+        super().real_embed(M)
         quaternions = M.base_ring()
         n = M.nrows()
-        if M.ncols() != n:
-            raise ValueError("the matrix 'M' must be square")
 
-        F = QuadraticField(-1, 'i')
+        F = QuadraticField(-1, 'I')
         i = F.gen()
 
         blocks = []
@@ -1498,7 +2348,7 @@ class QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra):
             d = t[3]
             cplxM = matrix(F, 2, [[ a + b*i, c + d*i],
                                  [-c + d*i, a - b*i]])
-            realM = ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.real_embed(cplxM)
+            realM = ComplexMatrixEJA.real_embed(cplxM)
             blocks.append(realM)
 
         # We should have real entries by now, so use the realest field
@@ -1507,15 +2357,14 @@ class QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra):
 
 
 
-    @staticmethod
-    def real_unembed(M):
+    @classmethod
+    def real_unembed(cls,M):
         """
         The inverse of _embed_quaternion_matrix().
 
         SETUP::
 
-            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import \
-            ....:   QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import QuaternionMatrixEJA
 
         EXAMPLES::
 
@@ -1523,7 +2372,7 @@ class QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra):
             ....:                 [-2,  1, -4,  3],
             ....:                 [-3,  4,  1, -2],
             ....:                 [-4, -3,  2,  1]])
-            sage: QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.real_unembed(M)
+            sage: QuaternionMatrixEJA.real_unembed(M)
             [1 + 2*i + 3*j + 4*k]
 
         TESTS:
@@ -1533,78 +2382,43 @@ class QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra(MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra):
             sage: set_random_seed()
             sage: Q = QuaternionAlgebra(QQ, -1, -1)
             sage: M = random_matrix(Q, 3)
-            sage: Me = QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.real_embed(M)
-            sage: QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.real_unembed(Me) == M
+            sage: Me = QuaternionMatrixEJA.real_embed(M)
+            sage: QuaternionMatrixEJA.real_unembed(Me) == M
             True
 
         """
+        super().real_unembed(M)
         n = ZZ(M.nrows())
-        if M.ncols() != n:
-            raise ValueError("the matrix 'M' must be square")
-        if not n.mod(4).is_zero():
-            raise ValueError("the matrix 'M' must be a quaternion embedding")
+        d = cls.dimension_over_reals()
 
         # Use the base ring of the matrix to ensure that its entries can be
         # multiplied by elements of the quaternion algebra.
-        field = M.base_ring()
-        Q = QuaternionAlgebra(field,-1,-1)
+        Q = cls.quaternion_extension(M.base_ring())
         i,j,k = Q.gens()
 
         # Go top-left to bottom-right (reading order), converting every
         # 4-by-4 block we see to a 2-by-2 complex block, to a 1-by-1
         # quaternion block.
         elements = []
-        for l in xrange(n/4):
-            for m in xrange(n/4):
-                submat = ComplexMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.real_unembed(
-                    M[4*l:4*l+4,4*m:4*m+4] )
+        for l in range(n/d):
+            for m in range(n/d):
+                submat = ComplexMatrixEJA.real_unembed(
+                    M[d*l:d*l+d,d*m:d*m+d] )
                 if submat[0,0] != submat[1,1].conjugate():
                     raise ValueError('bad on-diagonal submatrix')
                 if submat[0,1] != -submat[1,0].conjugate():
                     raise ValueError('bad off-diagonal submatrix')
-                z  = submat[0,0].vector()[0]   # real part
-                z += submat[0,0].vector()[1]*i # imag part
-                z += submat[0,1].vector()[0]*j # real part
-                z += submat[0,1].vector()[1]*k # imag part
+                z  = submat[0,0].real()
+                z += submat[0,0].imag()*i
+                z += submat[0,1].real()*j
+                z += submat[0,1].imag()*k
                 elements.append(z)
 
-        return matrix(Q, n/4, elements)
-
-
-    @classmethod
-    def natural_inner_product(cls,X,Y):
-        """
-        Compute a natural inner product in this algebra directly from
-        its real embedding.
+        return matrix(Q, n/d, elements)
 
-        SETUP::
-
-            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import QuaternionHermitianEJA
 
-        TESTS:
-
-        This gives the same answer as the slow, default method implemented
-        in :class:`MatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra`::
-
-            sage: set_random_seed()
-            sage: J = QuaternionHermitianEJA.random_instance()
-            sage: x,y = J.random_elements(2)
-            sage: Xe = x.natural_representation()
-            sage: Ye = y.natural_representation()
-            sage: X = QuaternionHermitianEJA.real_unembed(Xe)
-            sage: Y = QuaternionHermitianEJA.real_unembed(Ye)
-            sage: expected = (X*Y).trace().coefficient_tuple()[0]
-            sage: actual = QuaternionHermitianEJA.natural_inner_product(Xe,Ye)
-            sage: actual == expected
-            True
-
-        """
-        return RealMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra.natural_inner_product(X,Y)/4
-
-
-class QuaternionHermitianEJA(QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra,
-                             KnownRankEJA):
-    """
+class QuaternionHermitianEJA(ConcreteEJA, QuaternionMatrixEJA):
+    r"""
     The rank-n simple EJA consisting of self-adjoint n-by-n quaternion
     matrices, the usual symmetric Jordan product, and the
     real-part-of-trace inner product. It has dimension `2n^2 - n` over
@@ -1614,12 +2428,22 @@ class QuaternionHermitianEJA(QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra,
 
         sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import QuaternionHermitianEJA
 
+    EXAMPLES:
+
+    In theory, our "field" can be any subfield of the reals::
+
+        sage: QuaternionHermitianEJA(2, field=RDF, check_axioms=True)
+        Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 6 over Real Double Field
+        sage: QuaternionHermitianEJA(2, field=RR, check_axioms=True)
+        Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 6 over Real Field with
+        53 bits of precision
+
     TESTS:
 
     The dimension of this algebra is `2*n^2 - n`::
 
         sage: set_random_seed()
-        sage: n_max = QuaternionHermitianEJA._max_test_case_size()
+        sage: n_max = QuaternionHermitianEJA._max_random_instance_size()
         sage: n = ZZ.random_element(1, n_max)
         sage: J = QuaternionHermitianEJA(n)
         sage: J.dimension() == 2*(n^2) - n
@@ -1630,9 +2454,9 @@ class QuaternionHermitianEJA(QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra,
         sage: set_random_seed()
         sage: J = QuaternionHermitianEJA.random_instance()
         sage: x,y = J.random_elements(2)
-        sage: actual = (x*y).natural_representation()
-        sage: X = x.natural_representation()
-        sage: Y = y.natural_representation()
+        sage: actual = (x*y).to_matrix()
+        sage: X = x.to_matrix()
+        sage: Y = y.to_matrix()
         sage: expected = (X*Y + Y*X)/2
         sage: actual == expected
         True
@@ -1644,24 +2468,10 @@ class QuaternionHermitianEJA(QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra,
         sage: QuaternionHermitianEJA(2, prefix='a').gens()
         (a0, a1, a2, a3, a4, a5)
 
-    Our natural basis is normalized with respect to the natural inner
-    product unless we specify otherwise::
+    We can construct the (trivial) algebra of rank zero::
 
-        sage: set_random_seed()
-        sage: J = QuaternionHermitianEJA.random_instance()
-        sage: all( b.norm() == 1 for b in J.gens() )
-        True
-
-    Since our natural basis is normalized with respect to the natural
-    inner product, and since we know that this algebra is an EJA, any
-    left-multiplication operator's matrix will be symmetric because
-    natural->EJA basis representation is an isometry and within the EJA
-    the operator is self-adjoint by the Jordan axiom::
-
-        sage: set_random_seed()
-        sage: x = QuaternionHermitianEJA.random_instance().random_element()
-        sage: x.operator().matrix().is_symmetric()
-        True
+        sage: QuaternionHermitianEJA(0)
+        Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 0 over Algebraic Real Field
 
     """
     @classmethod
@@ -1683,7 +2493,7 @@ class QuaternionHermitianEJA(QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra,
 
             sage: set_random_seed()
             sage: n = ZZ.random_element(1,5)
-            sage: B = QuaternionHermitianEJA._denormalized_basis(n,QQ)
+            sage: B = QuaternionHermitianEJA._denormalized_basis(n,ZZ)
             sage: all( M.is_symmetric() for M in B )
             True
 
@@ -1697,39 +2507,349 @@ class QuaternionHermitianEJA(QuaternionMatrixEuclideanJordanAlgebra,
         #   * The diagonal will (as a result) be real.
         #
         S = []
-        for i in xrange(n):
-            for j in xrange(i+1):
-                Eij = matrix(Q, n, lambda k,l: k==i and l==j)
+        Eij = matrix.zero(Q,n)
+        for i in range(n):
+            for j in range(i+1):
+                # "build" E_ij
+                Eij[i,j] = 1
                 if i == j:
                     Sij = cls.real_embed(Eij)
                     S.append(Sij)
                 else:
                     # The second, third, and fourth ones have a minus
                     # because they're conjugated.
-                    Sij_real = cls.real_embed(Eij + Eij.transpose())
+                    # Eij = Eij + Eij.transpose()
+                    Eij[j,i] = 1
+                    Sij_real = cls.real_embed(Eij)
                     S.append(Sij_real)
-                    Sij_I = cls.real_embed(I*Eij - I*Eij.transpose())
+                    # Eij = I*(Eij - Eij.transpose())
+                    Eij[i,j] = I
+                    Eij[j,i] = -I
+                    Sij_I = cls.real_embed(Eij)
                     S.append(Sij_I)
-                    Sij_J = cls.real_embed(J*Eij - J*Eij.transpose())
+                    # Eij = J*(Eij - Eij.transpose())
+                    Eij[i,j] = J
+                    Eij[j,i] = -J
+                    Sij_J = cls.real_embed(Eij)
                     S.append(Sij_J)
-                    Sij_K = cls.real_embed(K*Eij - K*Eij.transpose())
+                    # Eij = K*(Eij - Eij.transpose())
+                    Eij[i,j] = K
+                    Eij[j,i] = -K
+                    Sij_K = cls.real_embed(Eij)
                     S.append(Sij_K)
+                    Eij[j,i] = 0
+                # "erase" E_ij
+                Eij[i,j] = 0
+
+        # Since we embedded the entries, we can drop back to the
+        # desired real "field" instead of the quaternion algebra "Q".
+        return tuple( s.change_ring(field) for s in S )
+
+
+    def __init__(self, n, field=AA, **kwargs):
+        # We know this is a valid EJA, but will double-check
+        # if the user passes check_axioms=True.
+        if "check_axioms" not in kwargs: kwargs["check_axioms"] = False
+
+        associative = False
+        if n <= 1:
+            associative = True
+
+        super().__init__(self._denormalized_basis(n,field),
+                         self.jordan_product,
+                         self.trace_inner_product,
+                         field=field,
+                         associative=associative,
+                         **kwargs)
+
+        # TODO: this could be factored out somehow, but is left here
+        # because the MatrixEJA is not presently a subclass of the
+        # FDEJA class that defines rank() and one().
+        self.rank.set_cache(n)
+        idV = matrix.identity(ZZ, self.dimension_over_reals()*n)
+        self.one.set_cache(self(idV))
+
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _max_random_instance_size():
+        r"""
+        The maximum rank of a random QuaternionHermitianEJA.
+        """
+        return 2 # Dimension 6
+
+    @classmethod
+    def random_instance(cls, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Return a random instance of this type of algebra.
+        """
+        n = ZZ.random_element(cls._max_random_instance_size() + 1)
+        return cls(n, **kwargs)
+
+
+class HadamardEJA(ConcreteEJA):
+    """
+    Return the Euclidean Jordan Algebra corresponding to the set
+    `R^n` under the Hadamard product.
+
+    Note: this is nothing more than the Cartesian product of ``n``
+    copies of the spin algebra. Once Cartesian product algebras
+    are implemented, this can go.
+
+    SETUP::
+
+        sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import HadamardEJA
+
+    EXAMPLES:
+
+    This multiplication table can be verified by hand::
+
+        sage: J = HadamardEJA(3)
+        sage: b0,b1,b2 = J.gens()
+        sage: b0*b0
+        b0
+        sage: b0*b1
+        0
+        sage: b0*b2
+        0
+        sage: b1*b1
+        b1
+        sage: b1*b2
+        0
+        sage: b2*b2
+        b2
+
+    TESTS:
+
+    We can change the generator prefix::
+
+        sage: HadamardEJA(3, prefix='r').gens()
+        (r0, r1, r2)
+
+    """
+    def __init__(self, n, field=AA, **kwargs):
+        if n == 0:
+            jordan_product = lambda x,y: x
+            inner_product = lambda x,y: x
+        else:
+            def jordan_product(x,y):
+                P = x.parent()
+                return P( xi*yi for (xi,yi) in zip(x,y) )
+
+            def inner_product(x,y):
+                return (x.T*y)[0,0]
+
+        # New defaults for keyword arguments. Don't orthonormalize
+        # because our basis is already orthonormal with respect to our
+        # inner-product. Don't check the axioms, because we know this
+        # is a valid EJA... but do double-check if the user passes
+        # check_axioms=True. Note: we DON'T override the "check_field"
+        # default here, because the user can pass in a field!
+        if "orthonormalize" not in kwargs: kwargs["orthonormalize"] = False
+        if "check_axioms" not in kwargs: kwargs["check_axioms"] = False
+
+        column_basis = tuple( b.column()
+                              for b in FreeModule(field, n).basis() )
+        super().__init__(column_basis,
+                         jordan_product,
+                         inner_product,
+                         field=field,
+                         associative=True,
+                         **kwargs)
+        self.rank.set_cache(n)
+
+        if n == 0:
+            self.one.set_cache( self.zero() )
+        else:
+            self.one.set_cache( sum(self.gens()) )
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _max_random_instance_size():
+        r"""
+        The maximum dimension of a random HadamardEJA.
+        """
+        return 5
+
+    @classmethod
+    def random_instance(cls, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Return a random instance of this type of algebra.
+        """
+        n = ZZ.random_element(cls._max_random_instance_size() + 1)
+        return cls(n, **kwargs)
+
+
+class BilinearFormEJA(ConcreteEJA):
+    r"""
+    The rank-2 simple EJA consisting of real vectors ``x=(x0, x_bar)``
+    with the half-trace inner product and jordan product ``x*y =
+    (<Bx,y>,y_bar>, x0*y_bar + y0*x_bar)`` where `B = 1 \times B22` is
+    a symmetric positive-definite "bilinear form" matrix. Its
+    dimension is the size of `B`, and it has rank two in dimensions
+    larger than two. It reduces to the ``JordanSpinEJA`` when `B` is
+    the identity matrix of order ``n``.
+
+    We insist that the one-by-one upper-left identity block of `B` be
+    passed in as well so that we can be passed a matrix of size zero
+    to construct a trivial algebra.
 
-        # Since we embedded these, we can drop back to the "field" that we
-        # started with instead of the quaternion algebra "Q".
-        return ( s.change_ring(field) for s in S )
+    SETUP::
+
+        sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (BilinearFormEJA,
+        ....:                                  JordanSpinEJA)
+
+    EXAMPLES:
+
+    When no bilinear form is specified, the identity matrix is used,
+    and the resulting algebra is the Jordan spin algebra::
+
+        sage: B = matrix.identity(AA,3)
+        sage: J0 = BilinearFormEJA(B)
+        sage: J1 = JordanSpinEJA(3)
+        sage: J0.multiplication_table() == J0.multiplication_table()
+        True
+
+    An error is raised if the matrix `B` does not correspond to a
+    positive-definite bilinear form::
+
+        sage: B = matrix.random(QQ,2,3)
+        sage: J = BilinearFormEJA(B)
+        Traceback (most recent call last):
+        ...
+        ValueError: bilinear form is not positive-definite
+        sage: B = matrix.zero(QQ,3)
+        sage: J = BilinearFormEJA(B)
+        Traceback (most recent call last):
+        ...
+        ValueError: bilinear form is not positive-definite
+
+    TESTS:
 
+    We can create a zero-dimensional algebra::
 
-    def __init__(self, n, field=QQ, **kwargs):
-        basis = self._denormalized_basis(n,field)
-        super(QuaternionHermitianEJA,self).__init__(field, basis, n, **kwargs)
+        sage: B = matrix.identity(AA,0)
+        sage: J = BilinearFormEJA(B)
+        sage: J.basis()
+        Finite family {}
 
+    We can check the multiplication condition given in the Jordan, von
+    Neumann, and Wigner paper (and also discussed on my "On the
+    symmetry..." paper). Note that this relies heavily on the standard
+    choice of basis, as does anything utilizing the bilinear form
+    matrix.  We opt not to orthonormalize the basis, because if we
+    did, we would have to normalize the `s_{i}` in a similar manner::
+
+        sage: set_random_seed()
+        sage: n = ZZ.random_element(5)
+        sage: M = matrix.random(QQ, max(0,n-1), algorithm='unimodular')
+        sage: B11 = matrix.identity(QQ,1)
+        sage: B22 = M.transpose()*M
+        sage: B = block_matrix(2,2,[ [B11,0  ],
+        ....:                        [0, B22 ] ])
+        sage: J = BilinearFormEJA(B, orthonormalize=False)
+        sage: eis = VectorSpace(M.base_ring(), M.ncols()).basis()
+        sage: V = J.vector_space()
+        sage: sis = [ J( V([0] + (M.inverse()*ei).list()).column() )
+        ....:         for ei in eis ]
+        sage: actual = [ sis[i]*sis[j]
+        ....:            for i in range(n-1)
+        ....:            for j in range(n-1) ]
+        sage: expected = [ J.one() if i == j else J.zero()
+        ....:              for i in range(n-1)
+        ....:              for j in range(n-1) ]
+        sage: actual == expected
+        True
 
-class JordanSpinEJA(FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra, KnownRankEJA):
+    """
+    def __init__(self, B, field=AA, **kwargs):
+        # The matrix "B" is supplied by the user in most cases,
+        # so it makes sense to check whether or not its positive-
+        # definite unless we are specifically asked not to...
+        if ("check_axioms" not in kwargs) or kwargs["check_axioms"]:
+            if not B.is_positive_definite():
+                raise ValueError("bilinear form is not positive-definite")
+
+        # However, all of the other data for this EJA is computed
+        # by us in manner that guarantees the axioms are
+        # satisfied. So, again, unless we are specifically asked to
+        # verify things, we'll skip the rest of the checks.
+        if "check_axioms" not in kwargs: kwargs["check_axioms"] = False
+
+        def inner_product(x,y):
+            return (y.T*B*x)[0,0]
+
+        def jordan_product(x,y):
+            P = x.parent()
+            x0 = x[0,0]
+            xbar = x[1:,0]
+            y0 = y[0,0]
+            ybar = y[1:,0]
+            z0 = inner_product(y,x)
+            zbar = y0*xbar + x0*ybar
+            return P([z0] + zbar.list())
+
+        n = B.nrows()
+        column_basis = tuple( b.column()
+                              for b in FreeModule(field, n).basis() )
+
+        # TODO: I haven't actually checked this, but it seems legit.
+        associative = False
+        if n <= 2:
+            associative = True
+
+        super().__init__(column_basis,
+                         jordan_product,
+                         inner_product,
+                         field=field,
+                         associative=associative,
+                         **kwargs)
+
+        # The rank of this algebra is two, unless we're in a
+        # one-dimensional ambient space (because the rank is bounded
+        # by the ambient dimension).
+        self.rank.set_cache(min(n,2))
+
+        if n == 0:
+            self.one.set_cache( self.zero() )
+        else:
+            self.one.set_cache( self.monomial(0) )
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _max_random_instance_size():
+        r"""
+        The maximum dimension of a random BilinearFormEJA.
+        """
+        return 5
+
+    @classmethod
+    def random_instance(cls, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Return a random instance of this algebra.
+        """
+        n = ZZ.random_element(cls._max_random_instance_size() + 1)
+        if n.is_zero():
+            B = matrix.identity(ZZ, n)
+            return cls(B, **kwargs)
+
+        B11 = matrix.identity(ZZ, 1)
+        M = matrix.random(ZZ, n-1)
+        I = matrix.identity(ZZ, n-1)
+        alpha = ZZ.zero()
+        while alpha.is_zero():
+            alpha = ZZ.random_element().abs()
+        B22 = M.transpose()*M + alpha*I
+
+        from sage.matrix.special import block_matrix
+        B = block_matrix(2,2, [ [B11,   ZZ(0) ],
+                                [ZZ(0), B22 ] ])
+
+        return cls(B, **kwargs)
+
+
+class JordanSpinEJA(BilinearFormEJA):
     """
     The rank-2 simple EJA consisting of real vectors ``x=(x0, x_bar)``
     with the usual inner product and jordan product ``x*y =
-    (<x_bar,y_bar>, x0*y_bar + y0*x_bar)``. It has dimension `n` over
+    (<x,y>, x0*y_bar + y0*x_bar)``. It has dimension `n` over
     the reals.
 
     SETUP::
@@ -1741,20 +2861,20 @@ class JordanSpinEJA(FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra, KnownRankEJA):
     This multiplication table can be verified by hand::
 
         sage: J = JordanSpinEJA(4)
-        sage: e0,e1,e2,e3 = J.gens()
-        sage: e0*e0
-        e0
-        sage: e0*e1
-        e1
-        sage: e0*e2
-        e2
-        sage: e0*e3
-        e3
-        sage: e1*e2
+        sage: b0,b1,b2,b3 = J.gens()
+        sage: b0*b0
+        b0
+        sage: b0*b1
+        b1
+        sage: b0*b2
+        b2
+        sage: b0*b3
+        b3
+        sage: b1*b2
         0
-        sage: e1*e3
+        sage: b1*b3
         0
-        sage: e2*e3
+        sage: b2*b3
         0
 
     We can change the generator prefix::
@@ -1762,50 +2882,594 @@ class JordanSpinEJA(FiniteDimensionalEuclideanJordanAlgebra, KnownRankEJA):
         sage: JordanSpinEJA(2, prefix='B').gens()
         (B0, B1)
 
+    TESTS:
+
+        Ensure that we have the usual inner product on `R^n`::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J = JordanSpinEJA.random_instance()
+            sage: x,y = J.random_elements(2)
+            sage: actual = x.inner_product(y)
+            sage: expected = x.to_vector().inner_product(y.to_vector())
+            sage: actual == expected
+            True
+
     """
-    def __init__(self, n, field=QQ, **kwargs):
-        V = VectorSpace(field, n)
-        mult_table = [[V.zero() for j in xrange(n)] for i in xrange(n)]
-        for i in xrange(n):
-            for j in xrange(n):
-                x = V.gen(i)
-                y = V.gen(j)
-                x0 = x[0]
-                xbar = x[1:]
-                y0 = y[0]
-                ybar = y[1:]
-                # z = x*y
-                z0 = x.inner_product(y)
-                zbar = y0*xbar + x0*ybar
-                z = V([z0] + zbar.list())
-                mult_table[i][j] = z
-
-        # The rank of the spin algebra is two, unless we're in a
-        # one-dimensional ambient space (because the rank is bounded by
-        # the ambient dimension).
-        fdeja = super(JordanSpinEJA, self)
-        return fdeja.__init__(field, mult_table, rank=min(n,2), **kwargs)
+    def __init__(self, n, *args, **kwargs):
+        # This is a special case of the BilinearFormEJA with the
+        # identity matrix as its bilinear form.
+        B = matrix.identity(ZZ, n)
 
-    def inner_product(self, x, y):
+        # Don't orthonormalize because our basis is already
+        # orthonormal with respect to our inner-product.
+        if "orthonormalize" not in kwargs: kwargs["orthonormalize"] = False
+
+        # But also don't pass check_field=False here, because the user
+        # can pass in a field!
+        super().__init__(B, *args, **kwargs)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _max_random_instance_size():
+        r"""
+        The maximum dimension of a random JordanSpinEJA.
         """
-        Faster to reimplement than to use natural representations.
+        return 5
+
+    @classmethod
+    def random_instance(cls, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Return a random instance of this type of algebra.
+
+        Needed here to override the implementation for ``BilinearFormEJA``.
+        """
+        n = ZZ.random_element(cls._max_random_instance_size() + 1)
+        return cls(n, **kwargs)
+
+
+class TrivialEJA(ConcreteEJA):
+    """
+    The trivial Euclidean Jordan algebra consisting of only a zero element.
+
+    SETUP::
+
+        sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import TrivialEJA
+
+    EXAMPLES::
+
+        sage: J = TrivialEJA()
+        sage: J.dimension()
+        0
+        sage: J.zero()
+        0
+        sage: J.one()
+        0
+        sage: 7*J.one()*12*J.one()
+        0
+        sage: J.one().inner_product(J.one())
+        0
+        sage: J.one().norm()
+        0
+        sage: J.one().subalgebra_generated_by()
+        Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 0 over Algebraic Real Field
+        sage: J.rank()
+        0
+
+    """
+    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
+        jordan_product = lambda x,y: x
+        inner_product = lambda x,y: 0
+        basis = ()
+
+        # New defaults for keyword arguments
+        if "orthonormalize" not in kwargs: kwargs["orthonormalize"] = False
+        if "check_axioms" not in kwargs: kwargs["check_axioms"] = False
+
+        super().__init__(basis,
+                         jordan_product,
+                         inner_product,
+                         associative=True,
+                         **kwargs)
+
+        # The rank is zero using my definition, namely the dimension of the
+        # largest subalgebra generated by any element.
+        self.rank.set_cache(0)
+        self.one.set_cache( self.zero() )
+
+    @classmethod
+    def random_instance(cls, **kwargs):
+        # We don't take a "size" argument so the superclass method is
+        # inappropriate for us.
+        return cls(**kwargs)
+
+
+class CartesianProductEJA(FiniteDimensionalEJA):
+    r"""
+    The external (orthogonal) direct sum of two or more Euclidean
+    Jordan algebras. Every Euclidean Jordan algebra decomposes into an
+    orthogonal direct sum of simple Euclidean Jordan algebras which is
+    then isometric to a Cartesian product, so no generality is lost by
+    providing only this construction.
+
+    SETUP::
+
+        sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (random_eja,
+        ....:                                  CartesianProductEJA,
+        ....:                                  HadamardEJA,
+        ....:                                  JordanSpinEJA,
+        ....:                                  RealSymmetricEJA)
+
+    EXAMPLES:
+
+    The Jordan product is inherited from our factors and implemented by
+    our CombinatorialFreeModule Cartesian product superclass::
+
+        sage: set_random_seed()
+        sage: J1 = HadamardEJA(2)
+        sage: J2 = RealSymmetricEJA(2)
+        sage: J = cartesian_product([J1,J2])
+        sage: x,y = J.random_elements(2)
+        sage: x*y in J
+        True
+
+    The ability to retrieve the original factors is implemented by our
+    CombinatorialFreeModule Cartesian product superclass::
+
+        sage: J1 = HadamardEJA(2, field=QQ)
+        sage: J2 = JordanSpinEJA(3, field=QQ)
+        sage: J = cartesian_product([J1,J2])
+        sage: J.cartesian_factors()
+        (Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 2 over Rational Field,
+         Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 3 over Rational Field)
+
+    You can provide more than two factors::
+
+        sage: J1 = HadamardEJA(2)
+        sage: J2 = JordanSpinEJA(3)
+        sage: J3 = RealSymmetricEJA(3)
+        sage: cartesian_product([J1,J2,J3])
+        Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 2 over Algebraic Real
+        Field (+) Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 3 over Algebraic
+        Real Field (+) Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 6 over
+        Algebraic Real Field
+
+    Rank is additive on a Cartesian product::
+
+        sage: J1 = HadamardEJA(1)
+        sage: J2 = RealSymmetricEJA(2)
+        sage: J = cartesian_product([J1,J2])
+        sage: J1.rank.clear_cache()
+        sage: J2.rank.clear_cache()
+        sage: J.rank.clear_cache()
+        sage: J.rank()
+        3
+        sage: J.rank() == J1.rank() + J2.rank()
+        True
+
+    The same rank computation works over the rationals, with whatever
+    basis you like::
+
+        sage: J1 = HadamardEJA(1, field=QQ, orthonormalize=False)
+        sage: J2 = RealSymmetricEJA(2, field=QQ, orthonormalize=False)
+        sage: J = cartesian_product([J1,J2])
+        sage: J1.rank.clear_cache()
+        sage: J2.rank.clear_cache()
+        sage: J.rank.clear_cache()
+        sage: J.rank()
+        3
+        sage: J.rank() == J1.rank() + J2.rank()
+        True
+
+    The product algebra will be associative if and only if all of its
+    components are associative::
+
+        sage: J1 = HadamardEJA(2)
+        sage: J1.is_associative()
+        True
+        sage: J2 = HadamardEJA(3)
+        sage: J2.is_associative()
+        True
+        sage: J3 = RealSymmetricEJA(3)
+        sage: J3.is_associative()
+        False
+        sage: CP1 = cartesian_product([J1,J2])
+        sage: CP1.is_associative()
+        True
+        sage: CP2 = cartesian_product([J1,J3])
+        sage: CP2.is_associative()
+        False
+
+    Cartesian products of Cartesian products work::
+
+        sage: J1 = JordanSpinEJA(1)
+        sage: J2 = JordanSpinEJA(1)
+        sage: J3 = JordanSpinEJA(1)
+        sage: J = cartesian_product([J1,cartesian_product([J2,J3])])
+        sage: J.multiplication_table()
+        +----++----+----+----+
+        | *  || b0 | b1 | b2 |
+        +====++====+====+====+
+        | b0 || b0 | 0  | 0  |
+        +----++----+----+----+
+        | b1 || 0  | b1 | 0  |
+        +----++----+----+----+
+        | b2 || 0  | 0  | b2 |
+        +----++----+----+----+
+        sage: HadamardEJA(3).multiplication_table()
+        +----++----+----+----+
+        | *  || b0 | b1 | b2 |
+        +====++====+====+====+
+        | b0 || b0 | 0  | 0  |
+        +----++----+----+----+
+        | b1 || 0  | b1 | 0  |
+        +----++----+----+----+
+        | b2 || 0  | 0  | b2 |
+        +----++----+----+----+
+
+    TESTS:
+
+    All factors must share the same base field::
+
+        sage: J1 = HadamardEJA(2, field=QQ)
+        sage: J2 = RealSymmetricEJA(2)
+        sage: CartesianProductEJA((J1,J2))
+        Traceback (most recent call last):
+        ...
+        ValueError: all factors must share the same base field
+
+    The cached unit element is the same one that would be computed::
+
+        sage: set_random_seed()              # long time
+        sage: J1 = random_eja()              # long time
+        sage: J2 = random_eja()              # long time
+        sage: J = cartesian_product([J1,J2]) # long time
+        sage: actual = J.one()               # long time
+        sage: J.one.clear_cache()            # long time
+        sage: expected = J.one()             # long time
+        sage: actual == expected             # long time
+        True
+
+    """
+    Element = FiniteDimensionalEJAElement
+
+
+    def __init__(self, factors, **kwargs):
+        m = len(factors)
+        if m == 0:
+            return TrivialEJA()
+
+        self._sets = factors
+
+        field = factors[0].base_ring()
+        if not all( J.base_ring() == field for J in factors ):
+            raise ValueError("all factors must share the same base field")
+
+        associative = all( f.is_associative() for f in factors )
+
+        MS = self.matrix_space()
+        basis = []
+        zero = MS.zero()
+        for i in range(m):
+            for b in factors[i].matrix_basis():
+                z = list(zero)
+                z[i] = b
+                basis.append(z)
+
+        basis = tuple( MS(b) for b in basis )
+
+        # Define jordan/inner products that operate on that matrix_basis.
+        def jordan_product(x,y):
+            return MS(tuple(
+                (factors[i](x[i])*factors[i](y[i])).to_matrix()
+                for i in range(m)
+            ))
+
+        def inner_product(x, y):
+            return sum(
+                factors[i](x[i]).inner_product(factors[i](y[i]))
+                for i in range(m)
+            )
+
+        # There's no need to check the field since it already came
+        # from an EJA. Likewise the axioms are guaranteed to be
+        # satisfied, unless the guy writing this class sucks.
+        #
+        # If you want the basis to be orthonormalized, orthonormalize
+        # the factors.
+        FiniteDimensionalEJA.__init__(self,
+                                      basis,
+                                      jordan_product,
+                                      inner_product,
+                                      field=field,
+                                      orthonormalize=False,
+                                      associative=associative,
+                                      cartesian_product=True,
+                                      check_field=False,
+                                      check_axioms=False)
+
+        ones = tuple(J.one().to_matrix() for J in factors)
+        self.one.set_cache(self(ones))
+        self.rank.set_cache(sum(J.rank() for J in factors))
+
+    def cartesian_factors(self):
+        # Copy/pasted from CombinatorialFreeModule_CartesianProduct.
+        return self._sets
+
+    def cartesian_factor(self, i):
+        r"""
+        Return the ``i``th factor of this algebra.
+        """
+        return self._sets[i]
+
+    def _repr_(self):
+        # Copy/pasted from CombinatorialFreeModule_CartesianProduct.
+        from sage.categories.cartesian_product import cartesian_product
+        return cartesian_product.symbol.join("%s" % factor
+                                             for factor in self._sets)
+
+    def matrix_space(self):
+        r"""
+        Return the space that our matrix basis lives in as a Cartesian
+        product.
 
         SETUP::
 
-            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import JordanSpinEJA
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (HadamardEJA,
+            ....:                                  RealSymmetricEJA)
+
+        EXAMPLES::
+
+            sage: J1 = HadamardEJA(1)
+            sage: J2 = RealSymmetricEJA(2)
+            sage: J = cartesian_product([J1,J2])
+            sage: J.matrix_space()
+            The Cartesian product of (Full MatrixSpace of 1 by 1 dense
+            matrices over Algebraic Real Field, Full MatrixSpace of 2
+            by 2 dense matrices over Algebraic Real Field)
+
+        """
+        from sage.categories.cartesian_product import cartesian_product
+        return cartesian_product( [J.matrix_space()
+                                   for J in self.cartesian_factors()] )
+
+    @cached_method
+    def cartesian_projection(self, i):
+        r"""
+        SETUP::
+
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (random_eja,
+            ....:                                  JordanSpinEJA,
+            ....:                                  HadamardEJA,
+            ....:                                  RealSymmetricEJA,
+            ....:                                  ComplexHermitianEJA)
+
+        EXAMPLES:
+
+        The projection morphisms are Euclidean Jordan algebra
+        operators::
+
+            sage: J1 = HadamardEJA(2)
+            sage: J2 = RealSymmetricEJA(2)
+            sage: J = cartesian_product([J1,J2])
+            sage: J.cartesian_projection(0)
+            Linear operator between finite-dimensional Euclidean Jordan
+            algebras represented by the matrix:
+            [1 0 0 0 0]
+            [0 1 0 0 0]
+            Domain: Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 2 over Algebraic
+            Real Field (+) Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 3 over
+            Algebraic Real Field
+            Codomain: Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 2 over Algebraic
+            Real Field
+            sage: J.cartesian_projection(1)
+            Linear operator between finite-dimensional Euclidean Jordan
+            algebras represented by the matrix:
+            [0 0 1 0 0]
+            [0 0 0 1 0]
+            [0 0 0 0 1]
+            Domain: Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 2 over Algebraic
+            Real Field (+) Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 3 over
+            Algebraic Real Field
+            Codomain: Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 3 over Algebraic
+            Real Field
+
+        The projections work the way you'd expect on the vector
+        representation of an element::
+
+            sage: J1 = JordanSpinEJA(2)
+            sage: J2 = ComplexHermitianEJA(2)
+            sage: J = cartesian_product([J1,J2])
+            sage: pi_left = J.cartesian_projection(0)
+            sage: pi_right = J.cartesian_projection(1)
+            sage: pi_left(J.one()).to_vector()
+            (1, 0)
+            sage: pi_right(J.one()).to_vector()
+            (1, 0, 0, 1)
+            sage: J.one().to_vector()
+            (1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1)
 
         TESTS:
 
-        Ensure that this is the usual inner product for the algebras
-        over `R^n`::
+        The answer never changes::
 
             sage: set_random_seed()
-            sage: J = JordanSpinEJA.random_instance()
-            sage: x,y = J.random_elements(2)
-            sage: X = x.natural_representation()
-            sage: Y = y.natural_representation()
-            sage: x.inner_product(y) == J.natural_inner_product(X,Y)
+            sage: J1 = random_eja()
+            sage: J2 = random_eja()
+            sage: J = cartesian_product([J1,J2])
+            sage: P0 = J.cartesian_projection(0)
+            sage: P1 = J.cartesian_projection(0)
+            sage: P0 == P1
+            True
+
+        """
+        offset = sum( self.cartesian_factor(k).dimension()
+                      for k in range(i) )
+        Ji = self.cartesian_factor(i)
+        Pi = self._module_morphism(lambda j: Ji.monomial(j - offset),
+                                   codomain=Ji)
+
+        return FiniteDimensionalEJAOperator(self,Ji,Pi.matrix())
+
+    @cached_method
+    def cartesian_embedding(self, i):
+        r"""
+        SETUP::
+
+            sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (random_eja,
+            ....:                                  JordanSpinEJA,
+            ....:                                  HadamardEJA,
+            ....:                                  RealSymmetricEJA)
+
+        EXAMPLES:
+
+        The embedding morphisms are Euclidean Jordan algebra
+        operators::
+
+            sage: J1 = HadamardEJA(2)
+            sage: J2 = RealSymmetricEJA(2)
+            sage: J = cartesian_product([J1,J2])
+            sage: J.cartesian_embedding(0)
+            Linear operator between finite-dimensional Euclidean Jordan
+            algebras represented by the matrix:
+            [1 0]
+            [0 1]
+            [0 0]
+            [0 0]
+            [0 0]
+            Domain: Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 2 over
+            Algebraic Real Field
+            Codomain: Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 2 over
+            Algebraic Real Field (+) Euclidean Jordan algebra of
+            dimension 3 over Algebraic Real Field
+            sage: J.cartesian_embedding(1)
+            Linear operator between finite-dimensional Euclidean Jordan
+            algebras represented by the matrix:
+            [0 0 0]
+            [0 0 0]
+            [1 0 0]
+            [0 1 0]
+            [0 0 1]
+            Domain: Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 3 over
+            Algebraic Real Field
+            Codomain: Euclidean Jordan algebra of dimension 2 over
+            Algebraic Real Field (+) Euclidean Jordan algebra of
+            dimension 3 over Algebraic Real Field
+
+        The embeddings work the way you'd expect on the vector
+        representation of an element::
+
+            sage: J1 = JordanSpinEJA(3)
+            sage: J2 = RealSymmetricEJA(2)
+            sage: J = cartesian_product([J1,J2])
+            sage: iota_left = J.cartesian_embedding(0)
+            sage: iota_right = J.cartesian_embedding(1)
+            sage: iota_left(J1.zero()) == J.zero()
+            True
+            sage: iota_right(J2.zero()) == J.zero()
+            True
+            sage: J1.one().to_vector()
+            (1, 0, 0)
+            sage: iota_left(J1.one()).to_vector()
+            (1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0)
+            sage: J2.one().to_vector()
+            (1, 0, 1)
+            sage: iota_right(J2.one()).to_vector()
+            (0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1)
+            sage: J.one().to_vector()
+            (1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 1)
+
+        TESTS:
+
+        The answer never changes::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J1 = random_eja()
+            sage: J2 = random_eja()
+            sage: J = cartesian_product([J1,J2])
+            sage: E0 = J.cartesian_embedding(0)
+            sage: E1 = J.cartesian_embedding(0)
+            sage: E0 == E1
+            True
+
+        Composing a projection with the corresponding inclusion should
+        produce the identity map, and mismatching them should produce
+        the zero map::
+
+            sage: set_random_seed()
+            sage: J1 = random_eja()
+            sage: J2 = random_eja()
+            sage: J = cartesian_product([J1,J2])
+            sage: iota_left = J.cartesian_embedding(0)
+            sage: iota_right = J.cartesian_embedding(1)
+            sage: pi_left = J.cartesian_projection(0)
+            sage: pi_right = J.cartesian_projection(1)
+            sage: pi_left*iota_left == J1.one().operator()
+            True
+            sage: pi_right*iota_right == J2.one().operator()
+            True
+            sage: (pi_left*iota_right).is_zero()
+            True
+            sage: (pi_right*iota_left).is_zero()
             True
 
         """
-        return x.to_vector().inner_product(y.to_vector())
+        offset = sum( self.cartesian_factor(k).dimension()
+                      for k in range(i) )
+        Ji = self.cartesian_factor(i)
+        Ei = Ji._module_morphism(lambda j: self.monomial(j + offset),
+                                 codomain=self)
+        return FiniteDimensionalEJAOperator(Ji,self,Ei.matrix())
+
+
+
+FiniteDimensionalEJA.CartesianProduct = CartesianProductEJA
+
+class RationalBasisCartesianProductEJA(CartesianProductEJA,
+                                       RationalBasisEJA):
+    r"""
+    A separate class for products of algebras for which we know a
+    rational basis.
+
+    SETUP::
+
+        sage: from mjo.eja.eja_algebra import (JordanSpinEJA,
+        ....:                                  RealSymmetricEJA)
+
+    EXAMPLES:
+
+    This gives us fast characteristic polynomial computations in
+    product algebras, too::
+
+
+        sage: J1 = JordanSpinEJA(2)
+        sage: J2 = RealSymmetricEJA(3)
+        sage: J = cartesian_product([J1,J2])
+        sage: J.characteristic_polynomial_of().degree()
+        5
+        sage: J.rank()
+        5
+
+    """
+    def __init__(self, algebras, **kwargs):
+        CartesianProductEJA.__init__(self, algebras, **kwargs)
+
+        self._rational_algebra = None
+        if self.vector_space().base_field() is not QQ:
+            self._rational_algebra = cartesian_product([
+                r._rational_algebra for r in algebras
+            ])
+
+
+RationalBasisEJA.CartesianProduct = RationalBasisCartesianProductEJA
+
+def random_eja(*args, **kwargs):
+    J1 = ConcreteEJA.random_instance(*args, **kwargs)
+
+    # This might make Cartesian products appear roughly as often as
+    # any other ConcreteEJA.
+    if ZZ.random_element(len(ConcreteEJA.__subclasses__()) + 1) == 0:
+        # Use random_eja() again so we can get more than two factors.
+        J2 = random_eja(*args, **kwargs)
+        J = cartesian_product([J1,J2])
+        return J
+    else:
+        return J1