Hi all

Anyone know how to convert between cartesian and polar and vice versa in derive? Also addition, subtraction and other functions of complex numbers?

Any info is greatly appreciated. thanks

 

Sure. The wikipedia article is a good place to start.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_number

Surprised you were unaware of this resource.

 

thanks but I understand complex numbers, I need to know how to do them on derive 6.1 specifically. i.e. how to input them using derive 6.1

 

thanks but I understand complex numbers, I need to know how to do them on derive 6.1 specifically. i.e. how to input them using derive 6.1

What program is this? I could tell you how to go between forms using a graphing calculator, but I'm not sure what "derive 6.1" is--is this using the TI-inspire or perhaps an excel program?

 

Derive was a computer algebra system, developed as a successor to muMATH by the Soft Warehouse in Honolulu, Hawaii, now owned by Texas Instruments. Derive was implemented in muLISP, also by Soft Warehouse. The first release was in 1988. It was discontinued on June 29, 2007 in favor of TI-Nspire. The last and final version is Derive 6.1 for MS-Windows.
Since Derive required comparably little memory, it was suitable for use on older and smaller machines. It was available only for Windows and DOS platforms and was used also in TI pocket calculators.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derive_(computer_algebra_system)

It was used in TI-89 and TI-92 calculators.

 

I'm using the PC based program. Its pretty standard and taught in most British College's and Universities.

If anyone uses it frequently and is able to help me then let me know. thanks

 

I know you know about complex numbers. What you seem to be missing is the knowledge to go from one form (Cartesian) to the other (polar) and vice versa. That material is in there if you read carefully.

I'll check my TI-92 to see if there is a 1-key solution. There might be.

 

i specifically need to know how to do it on the PC based derive 6.1

Its all well and good knowing how to do mathematical techniques by hand but when using them in real life engineering situations you just need to bang them into your technology, you wouldnt sit there scribbling away working out every differential equation, matrix or complex number calculation by hand, its important to be able to use the technology to solve the problems.

i quite like derive so am trying to learn how to do everything i need on there. the uni encourages using derive

 

I think the last response was more than a little bit stiff. Specifically, if you knew what you were doing you would know what to look for.

There is a pair of functions called:

RECTANGULAR_TO_POLAR(x,y)
and
POLAR_TO_RECTANGULAR(r,θ)

that perform the indicated operations.

All I did was download the program (derive 6.1) and search the help file until I found what you were looking for. Are you trying to tell us you could not have done the same thing?

You can also use the functions:

abs(z)  to compute the magnitude of z

and 

phase(z) to compute the principal angle of z