Search where?

This Portfolio (cathartes02)

All of Writing.Com

◄ December ► 2018
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31
Archive				RSS

Create New Item

Read & Review

Community

Browse By Type

Browse By Genre

Writing Resources

Thu, Sep 18, 2025

8:05pm EDT

Members: 735

Guests: 4,002

Total Online: 4,737

Complex Numbers

by Robert Waltz

Rated: 18+ · Book · Personal · #1196512

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.

http://www.ddewey.net/mandelbrot/

Signature for Honorable Mentions in 2018 Quill Awards

A signature for exclusive use of winners at the 2019 Quill Awards

Signature for those who have won a Quill Award at the 2020 Quill Awards

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Stik to My Own Beat

May 1, 2025 at 7:09pm
In response to "Shhhhhhh"

Anytime I hear/read about the Quiet Zone, I am always reminded of this video.

tj wanderlust-words-in-motion

Mar 12, 2025 at 8:16pm
In response to "Penultimatum"

As my Grandmother used to say, "Everything changes except that which stays the same." I never did understand why she said it, but it sounds good.

1 Like

tj wanderlust-words-in-motion

Mar 12, 2025 at 8:13pm
In response to "Numbers End"

Looking forward to the new book and hoping you don't encounter a meteor.

1 Like

Lazy Writer est 4/24/2008

Mar 12, 2025 at 4:19pm
In response to "Numbers End"

Sorry this one is closing..I will look for the new one tomorrow! Looking forward to it.

2 Like

Aiva Raine

Mar 12, 2025 at 3:45pm
In response to "Numbers End"

Thanks for a great 3000 entries.

Looking forward to the new blog, whatever it might be.

2 Like

Wordsmitty ✍️

Mar 12, 2025 at 1:36pm
In response to "Numbers End"

OK. What have you done with the real Robert Waltz?

Also, for the scientist engineer in me, have you actually tried to make entry 3001 and been rejected. Until there's proof, it's not real.

Thank you for your indulgence and sharing of wisdom.

R.I.P. "Complex Numbers"

3 Like

Anni Pon

Mar 12, 2025 at 11:20am
In response to "Numbers End"

Sorry that this one is coming to an end, but I'm excited to see what you have in store for the new one!

2 Like

Wordsmitty ✍️

Mar 11, 2025 at 1:42pm
In response to "Penultimatum"

It's been an enlightening run. We wish you well in your next adventure.

It will be interesting to see if after the next entry that WDC actually does stop you from adding another.

We're all waiting on pens and pencils for the unveiling of the new blog and to discover what it will be called.

1 Like

BIG BAD WOLF is Surprised

Mar 11, 2025 at 10:46am
In response to "Penultimatum"

I'm reminded of this scene from The Princess Bride.

(Vizzini has just cut the rope The Dread Pirate Roberts is climbing up)
Vizzini: HE DIDN'T FALL? INCONCEIVABLE.
Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

3 Like

Soldier_Mike

Mar 10, 2025 at 11:46pm
In response to "Revisited: "In Spite Of""

Tangentially related to 6. Adidas and Puma: During my first tour in Germany, I was assigned to the Army agency that formerly occupied Herzo Base, an airfield probably located within medium mortar range from the sport shoe factories.

As far as German revenge is concerned, I would venture a guess that it's planned down to the smallest detail and executed with appropriate gusto.

December 2, 2018 at 12:31am

#946684

Artificial Creativity

You will be replaced by a machine.

Yes, you. Well, unless you retire or croak before the machine gets a chance. Many replacements have already happened (assembly line workers, cashiers), and many more are on the way (see: autonomous vehicles).

But maybe you never considered that a computer could write better than you can. Not yet, but they're working on it.

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/the-six-main-arcs-in-storytelling-as-identifi...

Until that happens, there are some pretty good takeaways in the above link for us soon-to-be obsolete human writers:

A story's emotional arc can be used to assist in plotting the narrative. The article identifies several of these arcs, and hints at the idea of nesting them within a longer story. We can use this consciously, whereas I think a lot of writers do it unconsciously.

Be aware of which words people find to be "happy" or "unhappy," which may not correspond to your own opinion. For example, "laughter" is in the list of happy words, but because of unresolved issues from childhood, it's doesn't register that way for me.

Have a look at the "Rags to Riches" archetype graph. It's maybe 2/3 down the page. Well, I was expecting a kind of ascending line; I mean, that's the implication, right? You're poor, which sucks; good shit happens, and then you're rich, which is awesome. But no, instead we have something resembling a partial sine curve, right? Curves down, bottoms out near the beginning, rises more or less smoothly to a peak... but the peak is not at the end; there's a downturn right before the end. It's implying that a rags-to-riches story can't just stop at the high point; there has to be, perhaps, some acknowledgement that everything's not as awesome as we'd hope. I mean, that drop-off at the end is pretty sharp.

Going back to near the beginning of the article, yeah, I'm gonna part with ol' Kurt on his opinion of the similarity between the Cinderella narrative and the Bible. I mean, I think he's right about the Cinderella plot shape, that works, but to apply that to the Bible you pretty much have three chapters of Genesis, then you fall into a great big hole, and then you don't climb back out until you get to the New Testament. It ignores the shapes of all the stories in between, such as the whole "escape from Egypt" and "Joshua kills half the Canaanites and enslaves the rest" bits. Besides, the Fall was the best thing that ever happened to us. Or, you know, it would be if I took the story seriously.

I want to see this work replicated independently. I'm not sure there wasn't some kind of selection or other bias.

Anyway, thought I'd link something that's actually about writing, for once. Not that it'll do me any good. I'm still too lazy to work on my own stories. At least I can get these entries done.

Comment • View 3 comments

© Copyright 2025 Robert Waltz (UN: cathartes02 at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
Robert Waltz has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/books/item_id/1196512-Complex-Numbers/day/12-2-2018