MadSci Network: Science History
Query:

Re: so, who invented the IMAGINARY NUMBER?

Date: Thu Jan 6 08:29:46 2000
Posted By: Daniel Hadad, , N/A, Motorola, Inc.
Area of science: Science History
ID: 947125063.Sh
Message:

The question should be: "Who invented imaginary numberS?"

Imaginary or Complex numbers were developed to satisfy a need, and that need was to solve certain complex equations.

I won't give you any names, but I believe that the Greeks came up with the "concept" of i, and complex numbers. The Greeks were heavily into math as you might have guessed.

Here are a few links about the history of i:

http://forum.swarthmore.edu/dr.math/problems/engel9.4.97.html

http://www.ccacademy.pvt.k12.ma.us/students/Matt_n_Kevin/index~1.htm

http://www.math.toronto.edu/mathnet/questionCorner/complexorigin.html

For future reference: try using the keywords "history imaginary numbers" on any online search engine (www.yahoo.com, www.google.com, www.altavista.com) and see what you get.


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