Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder1.news.weretis.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!xlned.com!feeder1.xlned.com!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed2.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.193 X-Spam-Level: * X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.67; '*S*': 0.05; 'subject:Python': 0.06; 'variables': 0.07; 'benjamin': 0.16; 'dynamic,': 0.16; 'subject: \n ': 0.16; 'symbols': 0.16; 'variations': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'later': 0.20; '(in': 0.22; 'to:name:python-list@python.org': 0.22; 'holds': 0.26; 'gets': 0.27; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.27; 'message-id:@mail.gmail.com': 0.30; "i'm": 0.30; 'asked': 0.31; 'though.': 0.31; 'subject: (': 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'received:google.com': 0.35; 'possible': 0.36; 'to:addr:python- list': 0.38; 'aspects': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'enough': 0.39; 'myself': 0.63; 'teaching': 0.64; 'more': 0.64; 'different': 0.65; 'between': 0.67; 'theoretical': 0.74; 'aspects)': 0.84; 'confusing': 0.84; 'distinguish': 0.84; 'maths': 0.84; 'oscar': 0.84; 'studying': 0.84; '2013': 0.98 DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :content-type; bh=ZPVCWckYoqrezG56fcgDPfUZP7MWmoJ4Jk9kiJ47Oxg=; b=f9LlwsKQua5B93Vuk/Pp4IPVnPeszLuKB7WtQAeiMzujpxHs2SIrnD8Ip+E+Y1LfhY IiXsbJ9n5uPGrjH/P6eRlBakBanvxRJRt6b601YrSfWc63fbc3rlDZKNvZ3gc4tMmndH qg4xCjS7MwGmCOQlHR5OWYsgEK2AOIGvggBmD8WeGNsA1g+lS3aRFwUWCcvPSK5hhwkS K6b/+1QsIVHRf0TU8zpVU9bFdnPKcHFyniah6hqNAB8wiaCeDgYhPB2t8WAQ1B5/KfAT iB7tMgQmU0P4YzRzcKVgLmoj+WFj3q4Fx9zc3ymUoElBPw6ouM89xgJ/Vj0tn4m5IL6B 0i5w== MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Received: by 10.220.169.77 with SMTP id x13mr11938208vcy.88.1381445089200; Thu, 10 Oct 2013 15:44:49 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: References: Date: Fri, 11 Oct 2013 09:44:49 +1100 Subject: Re: Complex literals (was Re: I am never going to complain about Python again) From: David To: "python-list@python.org" Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 16 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1381445091 news.xs4all.nl 15994 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:40123 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:56613 On 11 October 2013 06:29, Oscar Benjamin wrote: > > I learned to use i for sqrt(-1) while studying theoretical physics. > When I later found myself teaching maths to engineers I asked why j > was used and was given this explanation. I'm still unconvinced by it > though. Please don't be. We need different symbols to distinguish between so many different aspects of current (average, dynamic, instantaneous, rms, peak, sinusoidal-amplitude, sinusoidal-phasor) that we use up all possible variations of bold, italic, subscript just to distinguish those different aspects of i. It gets confusing enough as it is, because typically we are describing many current variables (in one or more of the above aspects) simultaneously, not just one. And the same holds for current density, but less common. That's why we prefer j for sqrt(-1), not because we are unconvincing :)