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Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Why sqrt(-1)=j and not sqrt(-1)=i
Message-ID: <1991Apr30.150633.13706@maverick.ksu.ksu.edu>
From: rabbit42@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Bruce McLaren)
Date: Tue, 30 Apr 91 15:06:33 GMT
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jhoward@helps.cactus.org (James Howard) writes:


>In math the sqrt(-1) is representated by the letter i.  In electronics
>why is the letter j used to represent the square root of -1?

>Thanks for any replies, posted or Emailed.

>---

>James Howard          Howard Electronic Laboratories Products & Services
>AA5R           cs.utexas.edu!helps!jhoward  or  jhoward@helps.cactus.org

The explanation I've always heard is that i is already being used
to represent current.  That is the _I_ntensity of current.
I've always assumed that i for current intensity was made up after
the fact.  Why is i used for current?


--
Bruce McLaren                               | There is no problem too big 
rabbit42@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (for most stuff)  |            to run away from
mclaren@eesun1.eece.ksu.edu (for work)      |
rabbit42@ksuvm.ksu.edu (if all else fails) \|/