Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!dedibox.gegeweb.org!gegeweb.eu!nntpfeed.proxad.net!proxad.net!feeder1-2.proxad.net!news.tele.dk!news.tele.dk!small.news.tele.dk!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail
Return-Path: <wrw@mac.com>
X-Original-To: python-list@python.org
Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org
X-Spam-Status: OK 0.071
X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.89; '*S*': 0.03; 'root': 0.05; 'subject:Python': 0.06; 'earliest': 0.09; 'field)': 0.09; 'python': 0.11; '-1.': 0.16; 'numbers;': 0.16; 'received:mac.com': 0.16; 'roy': 0.16; 'subject: \n ': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'received:10.0.1': 0.19; '>>>': 0.22; '(in': 0.22; 'to:name :python-list@python.org': 0.22; 'please?': 0.24; 'cc:2**0': 0.24; "i've": 0.25; 'chris': 0.29; 'am,': 0.29; 'this.': 0.32; 'fri,': 0.33; 'subject: (': 0.35; 'agree': 0.35; 'charset:us-ascii': 0.36; 'received:10.0': 0.36; 'received:10': 0.37; 'depends': 0.38; 'received:17': 0.38; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'called': 0.40; 'more': 0.64; 'smith': 0.68; 'square': 0.74; 'upper': 0.74; 'discovered': 0.83; '"j"': 0.84; 'header:In-reply-to:1': 0.84; '2013,': 0.91; 'edwards': 0.91; 'taught': 0.96; '2013': 0.98
X-Proofpoint-Virus-Version: vendor=fsecure engine=2.50.10432:5.10.8794,1.0.431,0.0.0000 definitions=2013-10-10_04:2013-10-10,2013-10-10,1970-01-01 signatures=0
X-Proofpoint-Spam-Details: rule=notspam policy=default score=0 spamscore=0 suspectscore=0 phishscore=0 adultscore=0 bulkscore=0 classifier=spam adjust=0 reason=mlx scancount=1 engine=7.0.1-1308280000 definitions=main-1310100060
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
MIME-version: 1.0 (Mac OS X Mail 6.6 \(1510\))
Subject: Re: Complex literals (was Re: I am never going to complain about Python again)
From: William Ray Wing <wrw@mac.com>
In-reply-to: <l36ckk$f2n$1@reader1.panix.com>
Date: Thu, 10 Oct 2013 11:36:17 -0400
Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable
References: <mailman.937.1381411535.18130.python-list@python.org> <l36ckk$f2n$1@reader1.panix.com>
To: "python-list@python.org" <python-list@python.org>
X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1510)
Cc: William Ray Wing <wrw@mac.com>
X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15
Precedence: list
List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language <python-list.python.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <https://mail.python.org/mailman/options/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/>
List-Post: <mailto:python-list@python.org>
List-Help: <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <https://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list>, <mailto:python-list-request@python.org?subject=subscribe>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.python
Message-ID: <mailman.952.1381423006.18130.python-list@python.org>
Lines: 24
NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6
X-Trace: 1381423006 news.xs4all.nl 15950 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:54752
X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl
Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:56589

On Oct 10, 2013, at 10:12 AM, Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> =
wrote:

> On 2013-10-10, Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Fri, Oct 11, 2013 at 12:09 AM, Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> wrote:
>>> BTW, one of the earliest things that turned me on to Python was when =
I
>>> discovered that it uses j as the imaginary unit, not i.  All
>>> right-thinking people will agree with me on this.
>>=20
>> I've never been well-up on complex numbers; can you elaborate on =
this,
>> please? All I know is that I was taught that the square root of -1 is
>> called i,
>=20
> Nope.  "i" is electical current (though it's more customary to use
> upper case).  "j" is the square root of -1.
>=20

It all depends on where (in what field) you learned about complex =
numbers.  Mathematicians and Physicists use i, engineers use j.

-Bill=20