Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for complex number. Search instead for complex recovery.

complex number

American  

noun

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


complex number British  

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

complex number Scientific  
/ kŏmplĕks′ /
  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.


Etymology

Origin of complex number

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

We had observed that, in such a scenario, which physicists call a quantum network, the Pál-Vértesi-McKague-Mosca-Gisin method could not reproduce the experimental outcomes predicted by complex number quantum theory.

From Scientific American Apr. 24, 2023

To represent a complex number we need to address the two components of the number.

From Textbooks Dec. 1, 2021

Let’s consider the number The real part of the complex number is and the imaginary part is We plot the ordered pair to represent the complex number as shown in Figure 1.

From Textbooks Dec. 1, 2021

A complex number is in standard form when written as a + bi, where a, b are real numbers.

From Textbooks May 6, 2020

Take any complex number and measure its angle.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training