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. |
Spring begins today! My local weather celebrates the occasion by being colder than it's been for a month. Speaking of annoyances, another prompt from "JAFBG" [XGC] today... Share one 'hard limit' that would make you walk away from a relationship or friendship. Has that limit changed over time? Let me answer the question before obeying the directive: Yes. Yes, it has. And you might think that, as I get older and more desperate (in theory) for the kind of human connection that is denied to me due to my looks and personality, that I'd relax my standards a bit, but nothing could be further from the truth: I find I put up with less and less bullshit from people. There are plenty of things I'll put up with in a friend, though, that I wouldn't want to deal with in a more intimate relationship. Veganism, or some other eating disorder, for example. If it's a friend, it doesn't affect me; eat what you want (if you try to claim moral high ground for it, though, we'll have a problem). But I'm not going to eat penance food, nor am I going to stop cooking meat-based dishes. Also, I'm pretty proud of my cooking, and would want to share it. The point being that it wouldn't make me any less a friend to someone, but that's all we'd be: friends. So we need a dealbreaker that works for all kinds of relationships, and picking one is pretty obvious: Being rude to service workers. Now, obviously, all of us have bad days, sometimes. I'm not talking about the occasional snap. I mean a repeated pattern of treating cleaners, servers, receptionists, baristas, cashiers, bartenders, etc. (especially bartenders) like The Help. Whether conscious or not, this kind of behavior is reflective of a hierarchical attitude: "some people are beneath me in social status and can be safely scorned; others are above me and must be appeased." So that's what I watch out for in potential friends: how they treat those of perceived lower social status. And no, this doesn't lead to a virtue paradox: I don't think that rude people are beneath me; I just don't hang out with them if I can avoid it. |