Mathematics
Title: Do "imaginary numbers" have anything to do with real life?
Information: The numbers on a number-line, including positive numbers, zero, and negative numbers, are called "real numbers". An extension of real numbers to correspond to all points on a plane, instead of just on a line, is called "complex numbers." The terms "real" and "complex" (and "imaginary") are just names and do not have their usual meanings. A complex number just has two dimensions where a real number has one, and these two dimensions are called the "real part" and the "imaginary part" of the complex number. Complex numbers can be thought of geometrically or algebraically, where geometrically they are represented by a 2-dimensional coordinate (a,b) and algebraically the same number is a+bi where i is the square root of (-1). Being able to work with complex numbers algebraically, including imaginary parts like bi, is very valuable in fields like electrical engineering and physics. You can find more information on this topic at The Math Forum @ Drexel, Questions and Answers from the Dr. Math Archives. Type the phrase, "imaginary numbers," in the MathForum's search box and check out the other results. Here are a few of them. "The Imaginary Number," 1/5/95 by "Dr. Ken." http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/57061.html "Applications of Imaginary Numbers," 10/14/97. "Dr. Tom" provides an example involving imaginary numbers and a snowplow. http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/53606.html "Imaginary Numbers in Real Life," 11/20/01. "Dr. Jerry" offers further real world applications of imaginary numbers. http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/53811.html Ask Dr. Math: FAQ, "What is an Imaginary Number," provides an overview of your topic. http://mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/faq.imag.num.html NSDL indexes the MathForum@Drexel, plus other Math sites, in its Collections. Go tohttp://www.nsdl.org and type the phrase, "imaginary number" in the search box. Please be sure to put quotation marks around the phrase. You'll see results from MathWorld, such as the one below. You may wish to search this site for more. MathWorld: "Imaginary Number" - Definition of the term.http://mathworld.wolfram.com/ImaginaryNumber.html I also retrieved the following article by using Google http://www.google.com) and the following search terms: "imaginary number" application "real world". "What relevance do imaginary numbers have to the real world?" University of Toronto Mathematics Network Answers and Explanations. http://www.math.toronto.edu/mathnet/plain/answers/relevance.html I hope this information helps you. If you would like more resources on this topic, be sure to talk to the librarian at your school or public library. Sincerely, The AskNSDL Staff with special thanks to Karen Milberger, B.S. Computer Science and Mathematics, M.S. Mathematics, AskNSDL Volunteer Expert
Category: Mathematics