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# Talk:Complex numbers

What is? the mnemonic FOIL should not be used here, as it would have to be modified to FLOI or FLIO. — Daniel Forgues 17:31, 26 November 2010 (UTC)

Maybe it shouldn't even be mentioned here at all. It stands for First, Outer, Inner, Last, and it's taught in algebra classes in high schools all across America. But by now I have thoroughly forgotten what its application was in that context. Alonso del Arte 20:56, 26 November 2010 (UTC)
I don't see what the "First, Outer, Inner, Last" would be in the current context... I'll let you decide whether to keep it (with more explanation...) or not... — Daniel Forgues 01:33, 27 November 2010 (UTC)
I found the link http://www.freemathhelp.com/using-foil.html describing the FOIL method to multiply 2 binomials, it don't think we really need it on the page... — Daniel Forgues 01:42, 27 November 2010 (UTC)
If ${\displaystyle i}$ was an ordinary real number, then FOIL would be perfect for remembering how to multiply ${\displaystyle (a+bi)(c+di)}$. In this context it confuses more than it helps, so I took it out. Alonso del Arte 20:46, 27 November 2010 (UTC)

## Denoted, denotated, notated...

Would "denoted" be the best term? — Daniel Forgues 05:31, 6 January 2013 (UTC)

This seems almost a distinction without difference to me. I suggest you read that paragraph aloud a couple of times and then decide based on that. Alonso del Arte 20:43, 6 January 2013 (UTC)
I thought "denoted" was most commonly used. But, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "notated" seems the proper usage.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denoted
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denotated (The word you've entered isn't in the dictionary.)
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/notated (Notate: to put into notation.)

Daniel Forgues 23:01, 6 January 2013 (UTC)

I think that in this case the best term would be "wrote". "Notated" is quite rare in normal writing and I've never seen it in mathematical prose. Charles R Greathouse IV 19:07, 7 January 2013 (UTC)
Often the simplest word is best. Alonso del Arte 19:59, 8 January 2013 (UTC)