Problem calling math.cos()

[Roy Smith]

In article <mailman.4892.1145736928.27775.python-list at python.org>,
 "Tim Peters" <tim.peters at gmail.com> wrote:

> [Robert Kern]
> > ...
> >     ph3 = math.atan( ac3.imag / ac3.real )
> > ...
> 
> Don't do that:  atan2 is the correct way to compute the angle, because
> the signs of both inputs are needed to determine the correct quadrant.
>  So do:
> 
>      ph3 = math.atan2(ac3.imag, ac3.real)
> 
> instead.

I certainly agree about using atan2() instead of atan(), but I'm surprised 
there's not an easier way to get the phase of a complex, just like abs() 
gives you the modulus.  I can see why you wouldn't want to pollute the 
global namespace with another built-in just for this purpose, but surely a 
complex.phase property wouldn't hurt?