Imaginary numbers may seem abstract or even whimsical at first, but they are far from being mere mathematical curiosities. In fact, they are a natural extension of our number system, leading to a ...

He was inspired by a remarkable way of representing two-dimensional rotations. The trick was to use what are called “complex numbers”, which have a “real” part and an “imaginary” part.

DURHAM, N.C. – Computer engineers at Duke University have demonstrated that using complex numbers—numbers with both real and imaginary components—can play an integral part in securing ...