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arXiv · 1904.05927

A brief tour through the history of complex numbers

John Alexander Arredondo García·Camilo Ramírez Maluendas
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Abstract

In this paper, we chronologically recount several situations that have contributed to the development and formalization of the objects known as imaginary or complex numbers. We will begin by introducing the earliest documented knowing for calculating the square root of a negative quantity, attributed to the Greek mathematician Heron of Alexandria. From there, we will progress through history to explore the formal concept of complex numbers given by William Rowan Hamilton.

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John Alexander Arredondo García, Camilo Ramírez Maluendas. 2019-04-11. A brief tour through the history of complex numbers. https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.05927

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