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In mathematics, an imaginary number is a number whose square is a negative real number and written in the form bi where i is the imaginary number √(-1) and b is real.

A complex number is a number with both real and imaginary numbers, such as (3+2i), where 3 is real and 2i is imaginary.

Imaginary numbers were 'invented' by Gerolamo Cardano in the 1500's while solving cubic and quartic equations although it is said he did not understand their properties, and they were not properly defined until 1572 by Rafael Bombelli, although he did not name them imaginary numbers.

The name came from Descartes in his book "La Geometrie" where it was meant to be derogatory and sarcastic, as the number √(-1) was thought not to exist by many mathematicians. It was not until the work of Euler in analysis that the imaginary number i was properly understood and widely acknowledged as being a proper number

Another Answer

Mathematicians call the horizontal and vertical axes of a graph, the 'real' and 'imaginary' axes. Numbers lying along the real (horizontal) axis are called 'real numbers', and numbers lying along the imaginary (vertical) axis are called 'imaginary numbers'.

(see first discussion page entry)

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Q: What are imaginary numbers?
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