Comments on: Intuitive Arithmetic With Complex Numbers http://betterexplained.com/articles/intuitive-arithmetic-with-complex-numbers/ Learning shouldn't hurt. Let's share the insights that made difficult ideas click. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:09:06 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Kalid http://betterexplained.com/articles/intuitive-arithmetic-with-complex-numbers/#comment-249188 Kalid Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:40:28 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/articles/intuitive-arithmetic-with-complex-numbers/#comment-249188 @Dennis: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! :) @Dennis: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! :)

]]> By: Dennis Tapper http://betterexplained.com/articles/intuitive-arithmetic-with-complex-numbers/#comment-249186 Dennis Tapper Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:50:53 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/articles/intuitive-arithmetic-with-complex-numbers/#comment-249186 Haha! This is just great! I've used Cnum's when coding fractals, but never really understood the concept. I'm a better man now. You explain really, really well. And i love your humour. Haha! This is just great! I’ve used Cnum’s when coding fractals, but never really understood the concept. I’m a better man now. You explain really, really well. And i love your humour.

]]> By: Kalid http://betterexplained.com/articles/intuitive-arithmetic-with-complex-numbers/#comment-240478 Kalid Fri, 15 May 2009 23:29:38 +0000 http://betterexplained.com/articles/intuitive-arithmetic-with-complex-numbers/#comment-240478 @John: Great question! The "i" in the original number is more of a direction designation, and says you're going b units in the i direction. If I said I walked 3 blocks East and 4 blocks North, I might write it as: 3E + 4N With our normal numbers, we assume everything is a real number (East/West) so can just write 3 + 4N And if I wanted to find the total distance traveled, using the pythagorean theorem I'd do sqrt(3^2 + 4^2) = 5. Note that N (or i) is just a way to designate that the quantity is in a different, 90-degree direction. The pythagorean theorem assumes this (in fact, requires it; it only works in right triangles) so we don't need i in the calculation. I hope this helps! @John: Great question! The “i” in the original number is more of a direction designation, and says you’re going b units in the i direction.

If I said I walked 3 blocks East and 4 blocks North, I might write it as:

3E + 4N

With our normal numbers, we assume everything is a real number (East/West) so can just write

3 + 4N

And if I wanted to find the total distance traveled, using the pythagorean theorem I’d do sqrt(3^2 + 4^2) = 5.

Note that N (or i) is just a way to designate that the quantity is in a different, 90-degree direction. The pythagorean theorem assumes this (in fact, requires it; it only works in right triangles) so we don’t need i in the calculation. I hope this helps!

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