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. |
One more travel update before I get back to what passes for normal. Yesterday's random destination was out in the Atlantic. That's okay; I knew it was a possibility and planned what I would do: Find the point on the shore along the line pointing to the destination and go there. This, fortuitously, ended up depositing me on the Outer Banks, in the town of Corolla, one of my favorite places to visit. I haven't been here far too long, several years at least. After a few days of seeing new things, it's nice to see an old haunt, to feel the coastal winds, smell the seaweed, and hear the ocean waves crashing against the ever-shifting sands. Oh, and dine on some excellent seafood. There are no breweries in this vicinity, not yet; I saw one in the process of being constructed, like witnessing Creation itself. It's not like I haven't been near the ocean recently—the Pacific last February/March, and the Jersey shore a couple of times since then—but I don't get tired of it. I would get tired of it if I lived around here, I know. Too ephemeral, too storm-prone. I'm just happy to visit. It's nearly 1 am now, and I think I'm going to venture out into the darkness to see if I can look at the stars. |