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Friday, Nov. 1, 2024

2:20am EDT

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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:

tj: Tenebrous Jekyll

about 9 hours ago
In response to "Phases"

Perhaps, if the full moon drives one to madness, the half moon will only make one half-crazy.

1 Like

Battywyn🎶

Oct 29, 2024 at 12:18pm
In response to "The Numbers Don't Lie"

I hear ya. I like to think I'm discerning enough to detect fakes, but that might just be my ego talking. When it comes to local businesses, I also go to social media and request recommendations. With both reviews from strangers and recommendations from friends, I give more credence when more (anecdotal, heh) details are provided. It's more an art than science, but liars either have such flawless details that their story sounds fabricated, or they get embarrassed when they trip themselves up. Truthtellers make errors, because memories are fallible, but they get more confused than embarrassed. Ultimately, the only way to really know is to try the product/service yourself. Which is why you'll hear about my Cancun vacation next month, but you don't have to believe me.

1 Like

Robert Waltz

Oct 29, 2024 at 11:07am
In response to "The Numbers Don't Lie"

Battywyn🎶

- I, too, look at the 1-star reviews, though again, reviews aren't my sole criteria. But sometimes it's blatant fake reviewing from the competition: "Don't stay here! It has rats, bedbugs, and roaches! Stay at this other place instead!" where "this other place" is clearly owned by the reviewer.

On the other paw, five-star reviews are often salted by the establishment in question.

Used to be, you could look at the four- and two- star reviews to get more honest, nuanced opinions, but the establishments, and their competition, have figured out that trick.

Which is one reason why reviews aren't my sole criteria.

(None of this applies to WDC reviews, or to the artificially inflated Uber rating system)

Battywyn🎶

Oct 29, 2024 at 11:00am
In response to "The Numbers Don't Lie"

And I was going to conclude by saying, when evaluating Caribbean vacation destinations, even if 5,000 people gave it a 4.8 rating, if the one star reviews were from seven people who encountered rats in their rooms, I'm very likely to not choose this destination.

2 Like

Battywyn🎶

Oct 29, 2024 at 10:58am
In response to "The Numbers Don't Lie"

Well, that was annoying. I was still in the process of editing, so please excuse the multitude of errors. I also intended to italicize the quotes from your post. Stupid f****** Parkinson's.

1 Like

Battywyn🎶

Oct 29, 2024 at 10:56am
In response to "The Numbers Don't Lie"

You know what sometimes lies? Anecdotes.

Also, dogs, I've heard.

Oh, hell no.

🤣 I love a good inside joke, but my marketing guru would tell you to cross link here

The fallacy is named after Robert McNamara, the U.S. Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War, where his over-reliance on measurable data led to several misguided strategies

Bet he's proud of his claim to fame.

What's the point in data, then?

The point in data is a decimal separator, unless here in non-english speaking countries, in which case it's more likely a thousands separator.

So, whenever I'm evaluating online reviews for pretty much anything, and for the record I check them for almost everything - I always consider three things: 1. The average rating (eg, number of stars); 2. The The number of contributors to the rating; and three. What the one star ratings say.

1 Like

Annette

Oct 28, 2024 at 2:47pm
In response to "Waste Not"

In Southern California, every single family residence has a green bin. Every trash day, three different trucks make the rounds.

1 for composting
1 for recycling
1 for garbage

Trader Joe's sells almost exclusively packaged foods, even perishables. They have contracts with college food pantries. In many colleges, there are now pantries that are open to the students 4 or 5 days a week plus 1 day when people from the community can drive up and receive a bag with a mix of fresh fruits and vegetables along with non-perishable foods and donated sundries.

Churches are huge food redistribution centers also.

The "too hard to set up" systems have created good jobs here. Instead of seeing food donations as a liability, they have created a supervised and refrigerated second market.

The cost for employees is small because, of course, many of the positions are volunteers. But the supervisors and some of the staff are full time employees with benefits.

The article has thrown up obstacles that are easy to overcome.

3 Like

AnotherDreamer

Oct 28, 2024 at 11:33am
In response to "Waste Not"

https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6156cebc4c605e281289a232/6156cebc4c605eb8bc89... e%20for%20beginners%2024%2009%2018.pdf

1 Like

Robert Waltz

Oct 28, 2024 at 11:33am
In response to "Waste Not"

AnotherDreamer

- Hey, it's a replicator from Star Trek!

Now let's invent the holodeck.

2 Like

AnotherDreamer

Oct 28, 2024 at 11:27am
In response to "Waste Not"

We the people of the world could use those products before they are compost as free sources for 3D printed foods that could be used for emergency food, or if tasty enough, re sold.https://builtin.com/articles/3d-printed-food

2 Like

February 26, 2020 at 12:18am

#976352

What Is Art?

What... is "art?"

https://www.cracked.com/pictofacts-1570-dumb-things-people-misunderstand-about-f...

Dumb Things People Misunderstand About Famous Works Of Art

We all know insufferable people who claim to understand Art with a capital A, and who deliver condescending lectures to the rest of us. But the thing is, sometimes the thing people commonly believe about famous art stuff is objectively wrong.

Nothing profound, deep or intellectually challenging today. Just a fun Cracked link. Also, not much to quote, but I'll share my own thoughts about these. Unfortunately, to understand what I'm saying, you might need to actually click on the link (open it in a new window so you can switch back and forth if you want). If you can't be arsed (or you don't want to open a link that contains a few fine-art boobies), just give this one a miss. I won't mind. Hell, I won't even know.

Also, while Cracked links have thus far been eternal, with the departure of David Wong, who knows how long the site will last? Check these out while you can.

For anyone unfamiliar with Cracked, they have user-generated content from time to time, usually in the form of a Photoshop or caption contest related to a certain theme. This is one of the latter.

30. Yeah, see, the thing about Art is that you can't really control how people use it, copyright issues notwithstanding (memes tend to fall under parody/fair use, but for fuck's sake this isn't legal advice). Witness the chick who did the surreal painting of a pear with a mouth.

29. I say that painting is hanging upside-down. How could one ever tell?

28. Damn. There goes another cherished misconception.

27. I wonder if Theo knew how to pronounce his surname. We certainly can't agree on it.

26. So that's how it is in their family. This makes the Rocky Horror parody even more amusing.

25. Pretty sure that doesn't improve anything.

24. Da Vinci: pioneer of gender studies.

23. Right, because Camembert cheese reminds me of time. As an aside, I own a functioning Melting Clock. Well, it's functioning when I bother to stick batteries in the thing.

22. Probably his neighbor's much larger penis.

21. Thus inspiring fetish furniture for the rest of time.

20. "But the art form was driven by religion rather than juvenile horniness." Hey, it's Rome; why not both?

19. And this is why no one appreciates art.

18. Nope. Definitely aliens. I could go into a discussion of how the modern obsession with aliens is a tech-era upgrade of the older obsession with angels, but a) it would take too long and b) I'm pretty sure I've done it elsewhere.

17. Well, you can see how well that worked out.

16. Actually knew that.

15. Maybe he saw in his mind the pronunciation of his surname, and it made him insane?

14. Why No One Appreciates Art: The Sequel.

13. Picasso was a massive horndog.

12. "Serene moment of life?" That painting always filled me with existential dread, much moreso than Munch's "The Scream," but I would never have figured out that meaning.

11. Either way, I don't get it.

10. Why No One Appreciates Art: Everyone's a Critic.

9. Well, at least they died doing what they loved. Each other.

8. Oh, sure, that's obvious. NOT.

7. Hey, whatever happened to the little girl statue someone put in front of the bull? Oh, someone moved it

, thus changing its meaning because art depends on context.

6. No wonder Charles X is in a wheelchair.

5. You could say it was all a *puts on sunglasses* varnishing act.

4. Personally, I always imagined that statue on a porcelain throne, because I'm actually 12.

3. At least the original one doesn't include Jesus.

2. But WHY?

1. If you scream too long into the abyss, the abyss screams also into you.

I'll just wrap this up by saying I didn't exactly fact-check any of these. They could be utter bullshit. But at least they're amusing.

3 Like • Comment • View 4 comments

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