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. |
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? Old. Oh, sure, I went through the usual list for a kid. Firefighter, astronaut, policeman, Olympic athlete, pirate captain, actor, musician, doctor, spy, whatever. Then I figured, well, I'll become a writer! That way, I can at least imagine what it's like to be those things. I did that, in a way, but I've never made a living off it. Not even a dime. Well, a few Gift Points sometimes, and that's nice, but it's a hobby, not a profession. I don't remember when I first decided I'd become an engineer. Other engineers, you know, they played with Lincoln Logs or Legos or some sort of building toys, and they'd create imaginative things, but I was never that imaginative. I got pretty good at model rockets, though. Which reminds me, I now have less than 2 months to build a Saturn V model before the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Will I do it? Probably not; the kit is sitting there taunting me. What if I fuck it up (again)? I can follow instructions quite well, thank you, but there are artistic aspects to the build that might be beyond me. I also have a Lego one to put together. That's more likely. Anyway, I kind of fell into engineering. At first I thought aerospace, naturally, but at the time, job prospects were limited - the government, or a private contractor working for the government. Today, of course, you have companies in the mix, doing their own thing, and that's pretty exciting, but having achieved my primary goal ("old"), it's not like SpaceX would hire me now. I'm not exactly a rocket scientist. I didn't switch to civil engineering until I was already in college; you only had to declare a specialty after the first year or so. Well, such is life. As much as they tell you you can do anything, be anything, the truth is, you're limited - and you just have to do the best you can with what you have. |