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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.
April 19, 2021 at 12:01am April 19, 2021 at 12:01am
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Hey look, an actual article about writing.
A long, long time ago, back in the first lockdown, you probably told yourself that now – right this moment, in the middle of a pandemic – was the perfect time to conceive, plot, write, revise, rewrite, complete and publish a novel which completely transformed what we thought it was possible to express in the English language.
Nope, I said, "Hey, let's play video games and binge-watch TV shows." Also, "Hey, what would happen if I blogged every day around midnight?"
It wasn't. Obviously it wasn't. You know that now. But even if it turned out a year-long period of isolation and anxiety actually wasn't much good for your inner David Foster Wallace, there's no bad time to start writing.
Part of it is all we could think about was the pandemic, and what you think about is what you write. And I don't want to see one single goddamned story, book, movie, or TV show about the pandemic. The title "Love in the time of [insert disease here]" is completely played out, and as soon as I see something about two (or more) people falling in love while masking and social distancing, I am going to break something. I am also going to break something if it's a story about how lonely people are. I don't care. No. Do not want. Authors writing such tripe need to be sent to Gitmo.
While we're at it, I propose imprisonment for vertical video and a minimum of 10 years of hard labor for writing anything longer than flash fiction in the present tense.
To help you along, we asked 10 established and emerging writers for the rules of thumb they use to find ideas, to get words onto the page, and to turn an interesting first draft into something more substantial.
And you know, I'm just going to leave this here because I'm wiped. No, it's not the second vaccine shot; I'm over that. It's that I managed to score a bottle of rare, artisanal, small-batch gin from Utah (don't ask). (No, really, don't ask.) It's very, very good gin. The downside of it is that I can't be arsed to comment on the tips. I will say I do some of them already, I might try others, but what works for that editor won't necessarily work for me, and what works for me won't necessarily work for you.
So if you're writing a book, or thinking of writing one, I guess you'll just have to click on the link. I'mma go pass out. |
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