"KARMA POLICE, arest this man, he talks in math!"
;)

OK, so it's not totally correct, but I'm just a naive student learning this
stuff as part of my high-school mathematics course, what more do you people
want from me???  ;)

We were taught that I is defined as sqrt(-1) because I^2 = -1.  After all,
it all works doesn't it?  :)  Anyway, gotta run, I've got school...
(MUMBLEMUMBLE)

--
Lance.


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Jerome M. BERGER wrote in message <37D57C5C.AF827271@enst.fr>...
>Lance Birch wrote:
>>
>> Or, you could just use the dandy world of Complex Numbers :)
>>
>> By definition i = sqrt(-1)
>>
> Not quite, i is just *a* number whose square is -1. sqrt(-1) is
>undefined since the definition of sqrt is as follows: "sqrt is the
>function wich to each *positive real* number x associates the *positive*
>real number y such that y*y=x". You can't define *the* square root of a
>negative (or complex non real positive) number because there are two and
>no good way to differentiate them (you can always design a way, but it
>won't have the interesting properties with regard to addition and
>multiplication that real number ordering has).
>
>--
>*******************************

>* they'll tell you what can't * mailto:ber### [at] inamecom
>* be done and why...          * http://www.enst.fr/~jberger
>* Then do it.                 *
>*******************************

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