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. |
It's going to be a short one today. I decided to do one of my random road trips. Today, I ended up in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The only hotel in town (other than The Greenbrier, which is very expensive but you should definitely Google it because it's got a fascinating history) is conveniently located about a block away from the town's single brewery, Big Draft. I have already gone there to sample their wares, and they're very good. This hotel - converted from a schoolhouse, because why would West Virginia need schoolhouses? - is less than a year old, so it's "smart." So smart, in fact, that when I checked in, they had to give me the user manual for the room controls. Everything, and I mean everything, in the room is controlled by a touchscreen. The fucking toilet is controlled by a touchscreen. The icons on that touchscreen are incomprehensible, and they are NOT IN THE USER MANUAL. And I'm not about to call the front desk and ask them how to use the goddamned toilet. Which has a bidet built in. While that's a great idea, again, the controls might as well be in French. Hell, if the controls were in French, I'd actually have a shot at understanding them. Adding injury to insult, the room doesn't even have a desk. Which means I have to balance the laptop on a TV dinner stand. Which in turn means no mouse, and I hate using the touchpad. No, I'm not going to use my phone to blog; that's even worse. This is why I'm keeping this entry short, and not linking anything. I hate this future. You remember the Daffy Duck cartoon where he's in a push-button house? Well, if you don't, Google that too because linking anything right now is a massive pain in the ass (unmitigated by the presence of a bidet and - I am absolutely, 100% not kidding here - the massage capabilities of the room's toilet seat). I thought it was funny when I was a kid. Not any more. I'm in a literal push-button hotel room. The one bright spot in all of this, apart from the proximal brewery (which, again, is very good), is that the hotel has a bar. And I will be availing myself of its services shortly. I just hope it's not staffed by robots. |