Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!taumet!steve
From: steve@taumet.com (Stephen Clamage)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++
Subject: Re: c++ and complex numbers
Keywords: c-language, complex numbers, complex functions
Message-ID: <735@taumet.com>
Date: 20 May 91 16:35:43 GMT
References: <480@al.wfw.wtb.tue.nl>
Organization: Taumetric Corporation, San Diego
Lines: 24

reuder@lso.win.tue.nl (Peter Reuderink) writes:

>I was informed that originally in c-language it was not possible
>to use complex numbers in the way it's done in FORTRAN as well. 
>However, can someone tell me if it can be done in c++?

One of the strengths of C++ is that user-defined data types have all the
same properties and privileges as predefined data types.  Many
implementations of C++ come with a header and runtime library supporting
complex numbers.  Many C++ texts use complex numbers for simple examples
of programming in C++.

You can get the notational convenience and efficiency of built-in
complex numbers, even though they are not built into C++.  For
example, you can make declarations like
	Complex a;
	Complex i(0, 1);	// i == sqrt(-1)
	double d;
	int j;
and write expressions like
	a = ((d + j) * i) / Complex(3.5, 1.234);
-- 

Steve Clamage, TauMetric Corp, steve@taumet.com