[Edu-sig] Getting acquainted with complex numbers.

[Arthur Siegel]

A good Python educational resource regarding
complex numbers:

http://www.lightandmatter.com/complex.pdf


The complex built_in is not really used in this brief
tutorial.

Instead the student is guided toward building their own
complex 'primitive' using a 2 element list [real,imag],
and building their own complex arithmetic functions.

More generally, I see the authors approach as a good
example of how a little Python understanding can
be leveraged to 'add value' to a curricula - over a wide
range of subject matters.

As it happens, I had decided to roll my own Complex
class as a classic Python class for my purposes.  Deriving
from 'complex' as a new style class turns out to have
some, well, complexities - and at the moment there doesn't seem to be a lot
of sample code and tutorials out there
on the subject.  Concluded I am in no position to be
a pioneer.  More sample code of this kind will, I'm sure,
eventually make its way into circulation.

Art