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Complex Numbers
Complex Numbers
A complex number is expressed in the standard form a + bi, where a and b are real numbers and i is defined by i^2 = -1 (that is, i is the square root of -1). For example, 3 + 2i is a complex number.
The bi term is often referred to as an imaginary number (though this may be misleading, as it is no more "imaginary" than the symbolic abstractions we know as the "real" numbers). Thus, every complex number has a real part, a, and an imaginary part, bi.
Complex numbers are often represented on a graph known as the "complex plane," where the horizontal axis represents the infinity of real numbers, and the vertical axis represents the infinity of imaginary numbers. Thus, each complex number has a unique representation on the complex plane: some closer to real; others, more imaginary. If a = b, the number is equal parts real and imaginary.
Very simple transformations applied to numbers in the complex plane can lead to fractal structures of enormous intricacy and astonishing beauty.
November 22, 2018 at 12:06am November 22, 2018 at 12:06am
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In honor of Thanksgiving, five things I'm grateful for:
1) Beer.
2) Wine.
3) Scotch.
4) Gin.
5) Tequila.
Cheating? Okay, yeah, that's cheating. Let's condense those into one category and try again.
1) Alcohol.
2) Hookers.
3) Drugs.
4) Porn.
5) Gambling.
...nah, that won't play very well with the test audiences. How about one more try, this time serious.
1) Alcohol. (Yeah, this one's staying on the list.)
2) The internet. (I mean, where else can I meet people from pretty much everywhere? Besides Las Vegas or New York.)
3) Modern medicine. (Because of it, I'm still alive to make lists.)
4) Cats. (Dogs are fine, but too much work. Cats appeal to my lazy nature.)
5) Money. (Anyone who says the best things in life are free has never had a really good single-malt scotch.)
And in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, I have composed a poem, the first one I've attempted in a long while. It's inspired by my second attempt at a list, above. It's called...
Alcohol, Hookers, and Blow
There are many things to be thankful about
In a life of contentment and joy.
But on this fair Thursday, I think I will go
With alcohol, hookers, and blow.
Weed is just fine, and legalized now,
But meth is a dangerous drug.
So I'll stick with the stuff I already know,
Like alcohol, hookers, and blow.
Our vices in life can be curious ones,
And sometimes the secrets we keep,
So I'll leave this out here and put on a show
With alcohol, hookers, and blow.
Beer is terrific and wine is okay,
While gin is my poison of choice
For when I get ready to spend all my dough
On alcohol, hookers, and blow.
From Reno to Jersey the gamblers play
In casinos and Indian bars,
But really, the answer is hitting the flow
With alcohol, hookers, and blow.
Life is uncertain, could end anytime
And death is a permanent state.
So I thank the gods and the folks down below
For alcohol, hookers, and blow.
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