Notes on the Conference

Abstract

Right at the beginning of the conference, it was pointed out that some authors use the time factor exp(iωt), while fathers, as Prof. Bremmer, use exp(-iωt). In addition. Prof. Graffi preferred the j to the i for indicating the “imaginary unit”. Why then do we scientists (as we all claim to be) lack uniformty in our notations and conventions?

First of all, it is safe to state that mathematicians generally use i and that most electrical engineers use j for the imaginary unit. In the latter case no confusion arises when the engineer denotes electric current by i. The question i versus j therefore is a trivial matter, which need not concern us any longer. However, I do object to the engineers' customary “definition” of j, if they introduce it as the square root of minus one, because j cannot be defined in terms of reals and the elementary arithmetic operations. Therefore, they should avoid “where ${\text{j}} = \sqrt { - 1}$ ”, but write instead “where j is the imaginary unit”.