complex number

noun

1. a mathematical expression ( a + bi ) in which a and b are real numbers and i 2 = −1.

complex number

noun

1. any number of the form a + i b , where a and b are real numbers and i = √–1 See number

complex number

/ kŏm′plĕks′ /

1. A number that can be expressed in terms of i (the square root of −1). Mathematically, such a number can be written a + bi, where a and b are real numbers. An example is 4 + 5 i.

Word History and Origins

Origin of complex number¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

Before the 20th century all such operations with complex numbers were simply considered a mathematical trick.

From Scientific American

Lines connected the dots to represent the gates, with each gate encoded in a tensor—a 2D or 4D grid of complex numbers.

From Science Magazine

Emphasizing problem-based learning, the course covers topics students need in sophomore engineering classes, including linear equations, quadratic equations, 2-D vectors and complex numbers.

From Scientific American

As early as the sixteenth century, mathematicians were using numbers with i included—the so-called complex numbers—to solve cubic and quartic polynomials.

From Literature

In societies with complex number systems, there were clues to how those systems developed.

From Scientific American