Not for the faint of art. |
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. |
I was halfway to Atlantic City yesterday when I got a phone call from my insurance company. I called them back (after pulling into a gas station of course), using my neat new phone-car link feature for the first time. "So we couldn't add your new car to the policy last week because we got the VIN wrong." Why are you telling me this now, when I'm 150 miles away from home? We got that straightened out, but if I'd known the car wasn't insured, I'd have driven a lot more carefully up to that point. On the way, I stopped by Balić Winery which, as I noted earlier, was the primary reason for my trip. It's one of the places with non-grape wines, featured on Gastro Obscura, that I wanted to try. The owner himself was running the tasting counter, and I was the only one there, so we got to talking. "How did you hear about us?" he asked. Oh, I saw an article on Gastro Obscura. "Who?" Part of Atlas Obscura? "Never heard of it." Well, whatever. They had some standard grape wines too, and everything I tried was exceptionally good. So I bought a case of mixed bottles. Don't look at me like that. Their pricing is very reasonable for such excellent product. Having fulfilled the entire purpose of my journey, I had absolutely nothing else to do. Just kidding. I found something to do in Atlantic City. And today I'll be visiting local breweries. |