Generation of complex wave: How?

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Mon, 09/28/2015 - 02:55 pm

Recently, I am working on data analysis of complex wave like below:

y = a * exp (-i * x)


As we know, the above equation can be divided into real and imaginary parts but they are too complicated to write down.

Is there any useful function to generate a complex wave not in real and imaginary parts form but single equation like the above?


FYI, the final form that I want is conjugate of the above (e.g. conj(y) = a * exp (i*x)
Mostly complex expressions in Igor Just Work as long as the components of the expression are declared to be complex waves or complex variables. Constants need, however, to be entered using the cmplx(realpart, imaginarypart) function.

Make a complex wave using Make/C and a complex variable with Variable/C.

John Weeks
WaveMetrics, Inc.
support@wavemetrics.com

September 28, 2015 at 03:30 pm - Permalink

johnweeks wrote:
Mostly complex expressions in Igor Just Work as long as the components of the expression are declared to be complex waves or complex variables. Constants need, however, to be entered using the cmplx(realpart, imaginarypart) function.

Make a complex wave using Make/C and a complex variable with Variable/C.

John Weeks
WaveMetrics, Inc.
support@wavemetrics.com



Another question. Should I define variable i = sqrt(-1) for the use of imaginary number?

September 28, 2015 at 04:38 pm - Permalink

Unfortunately i and j are built-in functions. Obsolete, but for backward compatibility, they still exist. So better something like Variable/C ci = sqrt(-1) or Variable/C ci=cmplx(0,1) Don't forget the /C flag on the Variable declaration!

John Weeks
WaveMetrics, Inc.
support@wavemetrics.com

September 28, 2015 at 05:17 pm - Permalink