Which vectors define the complex number plane?

poveli1e

poveli1e

Answered question

2022-01-21

Which vectors define the complex number plane?

Answer & Explanation

pripravyf

pripravyf

Beginner2022-01-22Added 12 answers

1=(1,0) and i=(0,1)
The complex number plane is usually considered as a two dimensional vector space over the reals. The two coordinates represent the real and imaginary parts of the complex numbers.
As such, the standard orthonormal basis consists of the number 1 and i, 1 being the real unit and i the imaginary unit.
We can consider these as vectors (1,0) and (0,1) in R2.
In fact, if you start from a knowledge of the real numbers R and want to describe the complex numbers C, then you can define them in terms of pairs of real numbers with arithmetic operations:
(a,b)+(c,b)=(a+c,b+d) (this is just addition of vectors)
(a,b)(c,b)=(acbd,ad+bc)
The mapping a(a,0) embeds the real numbers in the complex numbers, allowing us to consider real numbers as just complex numbers with a zero imaginary part.
Note that (a,0)(c,d)=(ac,ad)
which is effectively scalar multiplication.

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