Uploaded January 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Arithmetic with complex numbers can be very easy, as long as your numbers are in the correct notation for operation that you are doing. Addition and subtraction are best done when the complex numbers are in rectangular notation. Multiplication and division are best done when the complex numbers are in polar notation.

This video walks through how to do all four of the basic arithmetic operations with complex numbers.

There is a companion, open source textbook for this video that includes more details about complex numbers and how they relate to electrical circuits. You can see this book here
electronx.ca/education/ac-circuits/chapter-2-complex-numbers