[Python-checkins] r60392 - in python/branches/trunk-math: Doc/library/stdtypes.rst Lib/test/test_complex.py Objects/complexobject.c

Christian Heimes lists at cheimes.de
Wed Jan 30 23:36:02 CET 2008


Nick Coghlan wrote:
> Given that 'arg' has an unfortunate namespace clash with the programming
> sense of the word 'argument', perhaps we could call that function
> 'phase' instead? I've never encountered either cis or arg as terms in
> the context of complex numbers despite using them for years - the
> terminology has always been either real+imaginary or magnitude+phase for
> the work I've in AC power handling and digital signal processing.

Mark argued with me that he needs arg(). I had a strange gut feeling
about the name but I couldn't put my fingers on it ... now I know. I
like your suggestion of phase().

I've learned "cis form" as synonym for complex numbers in polar
coordinates and exponential representation in university. We used it all
the time for calculation of complex resistors in AC power networks and
more. I got used to the name because it's a nice mnemonic trick to
memorize the formula for polar -> rect form. Or maybe it's just a German
thing. ;)

Apropos German I'm having a hard time finding accurate translations of
mathematical and scientific terms. Even my beloved site
http://dict.leo.org/ doesn't have translations for some terms. Has any
of the German readers a good site with translations?

Christian


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