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Complex Numbers

18 March, 2015 - 12:46

While the fundamental signal used in electrical engineering is the sinusoid, it can be expressed mathematically in terms of an even more fundamental signal: the complex exponential. Representing sinusoids in terms of complex exponentials is not a mathematical oddity. Fluency with complex numbers and rational functions of complex variables is a critical skill all engineers master. Understanding information and power system designs and developing new systems all hinge on using complex numbers. In short, they are critical to modern electrical engineering, a realization made over a century ago.