Do you understand the difference between complex and imaginary numbers?

[bananas]

[dmallind]

1. Sure. why? I'm assuming it would defeat the purpose if I posted the definitions....NT

[bananas]

11. Curiosity

I just noticed that kos has a series on math, at lesson XLIV they're only up to fractions: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/12/20/817070/-Fundamental-Understanding-of-Mathematics-XLIV
A while back on DU, there was a thread where a number of people didn't understand the difference between complex and imaginary numbers.
So I'm curious where people are.
Right now, the poll is 19 yes (90%), 2 no (10%), 0 not sure.

[dmallind]

13. Fair enough - self selected sample and wildly skewed though

For a start it's in a science subthread where people might be expected to be more numerate, at least at that level. I'm not exactly a higher math guru myself, but I'm decent enough, and some of the applied mathematics here are beyond me, I confess without shame.

For another thing a question about whether you know something or not, even anonymously, is going to incentivize positive responses more than negative ones. Quite apart from people lying (that may indeed be a minor issue too) it's much more likely that people who DO know the difference will be encouraged to respond.

Lastly, I'm not sure I can think of any practical application for this knowledge for non-mathematicians. Asking people if they understand how to calculate correlation factors or perform trend decomposition might determine who can speak more credibly about economic data for example, but I'm not sure knowing the difference between complex and imaginary numbers is that much of a differentiator here.

that said curiosity is hardly ever a bad thing in and of itself, and at least we know most science forum readers who are willing to respond do know the difference.

[katkat]

2. yes, so what is this post for? n/t

[Le Taz Hot]

3. No.

Do you understand the difference between simple and compound time? Oh wait. I'm not in the music forum, am I? :evilgrin:

[Cirque du So-What]

4. This thread is discriminatory!

The very term 'imaginary numbers' is insulting; it hurts i's feelings. That's right. I said it. Does this i look imaginary to you? How would you feel if someone called you 'imaginary' right to your face? As bad as i has it, however, imagine how poor -i feels...

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. There's an awesome T shirt out there that looks like this...

[Cirque du So-What]

7. Don't be hatin'!

Yeah, that would make a great T-shirt.

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. I can tell the difference between complex and imaginary relationships.

:shrug:

[jobycom]

8. I would if I bothered to Google and refreshed my memory.

[Recursion]

9. Er... do you understand the difference between north and the compass?

If so, then you understand the complex/imaginary difference.

[Fumesucker]

10. The first is the Federal budget, the second is my bank account?

I keed, I keed.

I know what imaginary numbers are and I think I remember what complex numbers are so I guess the answer is maybe..

[Recursion]

12. Now add quaternions NT

[dmallind]

14. Then I change my answer ;) NT

[WheelWalker]

15. It's irrational numbers that first sunk me. That day I transferred from the mathematics dept to the

philosophy department.

[Indenturedebtor]

16. How about a new poll: "Do you have any reason to care about complex/imaginary numbers?"

:eyes:

It's important to educate our children about these sorts of things so that they have the potential to pursue math-heavy professions, but anyone who doesn't work in a math-heavy environment has no reason whatsoever to understand the difference between complex and imaginary numbers.

Just as you likely have no reason to know a fraction of what it takes to build a house from scratch, run a farm, massage a heart, set up a network, fix a car, etc.

We are all specialized at this point in societal development.

[caraher]

17. But...

you can't avoid complex numbers if you are going to study high school algebra. You're right that on a daily basis few need to know about complex and imaginary numbers, but given that the quadratic formula is an engine for cranking out real, complex and imaginary-valued solutions to some pretty simple equations most people with even a modest exposure to math in high school should at least have been exposed to them.

[Indenturedebtor]

20. I agree that we should all at one time have understood them... but there's my point

Why would most of us have any reason to remember?

I could look them up on wikipedia and understand them 2 minutes from now but why?

[Odin2005]

18. Complex numbers are sum/ product of real and imaginary numbers.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

19. One of the few things I remember from Algebra II in high school

:-)