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. |
This week's retrospective takes me back to 2009, when I was still scrambling around for a blog theme that worked for me. While I wouldn't settle on "mostly links and commentary" for a while (and then, only after a long hiatus), I did sometimes feature links to things I found amusing or interesting (or both). The particular entry I landed on today is one of those, and it's from August 7 of that year: "Links are Back!" The first link, from Cracked (yes, it's been one of my go-to sites for well over 15 years), was apparently about Clinton rescuing American hostages in North Korea? While Cracked is obviously still around (as of two days ago, anyway), that link is broken. And somehow, we've collectively memory-holed that event. For context, at the time, Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State, but Bill didn't have a government position, having stepped down as President in January of 2001. While I often rely on a comedy site for my information, I know it's even less reliable than Wikipedia, which has this entry on the event. If you're curious. Speaking of Wikipedia, the second link in that 2009 entry of mine was to an entry about the really remarkably small "town" of Tenney, Minnesota. While the amusing line I quoted back then has since been edited out, the entry remains, and is a gloriously long and thorough one for a roughly 140-year-old rural community with a population of 5. These days, if I put more than one link in a blog entry, I find a way to relate one to the other. Back then, it was just whatever I happened to find at the time. So now, 15 years later, I'm not even going to try. I mean, the obvious common ground is "the US," but that's entirely too broad a category. If you can think of one, great. Me, I'm going back to video gaming. |