Re: [math-fun] ln

When a square root of -1 appears more than once in an exposition, it is necessary to have a way of indicating whether two such occurrences are the same or different square roots.  The use of i and -i satisfies that requirement.   --  Gene From: Dan Asimov <dasimov@earthlink.net> To: math-fun <math-fun@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Sunday, March 1, 2015 7:13 PM Subject: Re: [math-fun] ln What bothers me is the unqualified use of sqrt(-1) to mean i, since I think that should always be described as a convention. Sometimes it seems to me we have no right to use a symbol for i, just because there is no way to distinguish between i and -i.  Maybe we should be allowed only to refer to both of them at once. --Dan