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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.
September 26, 2021 at 12:01am September 26, 2021 at 12:01am
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And we're back to another Cracked article about history.
Or, I suppose, prehistory, as written records are basically nonexistent.
If you’re from a part of the world that doesn’t bother to teach American Indian history in schools (and that includes every part of the US that’s more than a ten-minute drive from a casino) chances are you’ve never heard of the Mississippian Culture, a once-great American Indian civilization that spanned across almost a third of the continental United States.
I had, in fact, heard of the Mississippian Culture (and can even spell it), but as I said a few days ago, there's always more to learn.
And while it’ll take historians decades to puzzle together some of the only remaining pieces, what we can do in the meantime at least is to question the when, what, why and who behind the disappearance of the Mississippian Culture. (Spoiler alert: It’s white people.)
Even the name is modern; I don't think that's what they called themselves. Interestingly, "Mississippi" comes from a phrase meaning "Great River," so the Mississippi River is the Great River River. Lots of that kind of thing around, and not just in the US.
I'm not going to do my usual thing here; the article is fairly long, but absolutely worth the read, especially with the comedy spin Cracked is really good at and I can only wish I could emulate. Besides, it's getting late and I just don't have time tonight.
Probably, I'll have more to say (on another subject) tomorrow. |
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