VDict mobile



mathematics A number of the form x+iy where i is the square
root of -1, and x and y are real numbers, known as the
"real" and "imaginary" part. Complex numbers can be plotted
as points on a two-dimensional plane, known as an Arganddiagram, where x and y are the Cartesian coordinates.
An alternative, polar notation, expresses a complex number
as (r e^it) where e is the base of natural logarithms, and r
and t are real numbers, known as the magnitude and phase. The
two forms are related:
r e^it = r cos(t) + i r sin(t)
= x + i y
where
x = r cos(t)
y = r sin(t)
All solutions of any polynomial equation can be expressed as
complex numbers. This is the so-called Fundamental Theoremof Algebra, first proved by Cauchy.
Complex numbers are useful in many fields of physics, such as
electromagnetism because they are a useful way of representing
a magnitude and phase as a single quantity.
(1995-04-10)