Re: Question for using complex variables
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg13795] Re: Question for using complex variables
- From: Tobias Oed <tobias at physics.odu.edu>
- Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 04:18:19 -0400
- Organization: Old Dominion University
- References: <6r10kv$fjg@smc.vnet.net> <6rravl$1bk@smc.vnet.net>
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Paul Abbott wrote:
>
> Chongdae Park wrote:
>
> > Here, x, y, w, and z are all real values. Then I expected
> >
> > Complex[x,y]*Complex[w,z]=(xw-yz)+I(xz+yw)
>
> First, note that
>
> In[1]:= ?Complex
> "Complex is the head used for complex numbers."
>
> so, to work with complex variables in explicit form, you should not use
> Complex but instead enter them directly as x+I y, etc.
>
> Second, ComplexExpand is the operator you want for simplifying complex
> expressions (assuming that the variables x,y,w,z are real):
>
> In[2]:= ComplexExpand[(x + I y) (w + I z)]
> Out[2]= w x - y z + I (w y + x z)
Is this really what you get ? On my machine I have the result:
In[1]:= ComplexExpand[(x + I y) (w + I z)]
Out[1]=w x + I w y + I x z - y z
To get your answer, I need to do:
In[1]:= test=(x + I y) (w + I z)
Out[1]= (x + I y) (w + I z)
In[2]:=
(Factor[Select[#,!FreeQ[#,Complex,2]&]]+Select[#,FreeQ[#,Complex,2]&])&[Expand[test]]
Out[2]= w x - y z + I (w y + x z)
I think the purpose of the ComplexExpand function is not to expand a
product of cmplex number, but instead to help simplify expressions
involving functions dealing with complex numbers:
In[3]:= ??ComplexExpand
ComplexExpand[expr] expands expr assuming that all variables are real.
ComplexExpand[expr, {x1, x2, ... }] expands expr assuming that
variables
matching any of the xi are complex.
Attributes[ComplexExpand] = {Protected, ReadProtected}
Options[ComplexExpand] =
TargetFunctions -> {Re, Im, Abs, Arg, Conjugate, Sign}
For expample, if z is complex but x is real
In[4]:= Re[x z]
Out[4]= Re[x z]
In[5]:= ComplexExpand[%,{z}]
Out[5]= x Re[z]
Tobias
>
> Cheers,
> Paul
>
> ____________________________________________________________________
> Paul Abbott Phone: +61-8-9380-2734
> Department of Physics Fax: +61-8-9380-1014
> The University of Western Australia Nedlands WA 6907
> mailto:paul at physics.uwa.edu.au AUSTRALIA
> http://www.physics.uwa.edu.au/~paul
>
> God IS a weakly left-handed dice player
> ____________________________________________________________________