---
title: "Off the Number Line: Imaginaries at Play"
description: Imaginary numbers come out to play in this funny math cartoon.
image: https://2024.mindresearch.org/hubfs/Education/Archive/Off_the_Number_Line.jpg
---

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# Off the Number Line: Imaginaries at Play

By [Matthew Peterson and James Huang](https://2024.mindresearch.org/blog/author/matthew-peterson-and-james-huang)

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**![imaginary numbers funny math cartoon](https://2024.mindresearch.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Photos/OTNL_ImaginariesAtPlay_8-27-15.jpg?width=650&name=OTNL_ImaginariesAtPlay_8-27-15.jpg "imaginary numbers funny math cartoon")**

**Interviewer: **

Cute! I like how 8i is the mom. Very fitting. What are those imaginary number kids 3i and 5i playing with down there on the real number line?

**Cartoonist:**   
They’re using the real numbers 1 and 4 as swords. I’m imagining that the mom probably also said: “Put those down! Those are real.”

**Interviewer:**  
Is that vertical dashed line the imaginary number line?

**Cartoonist:**   
Yes. Since i, the square root of -1, doesn’t exist on the real number line, you can represent it by having it float above 0. When you consider multiples of i (1i, 2i, 3i, etc…) it forms that vertical imaginary number line.

**Interviewer:**  
I like how these imaginary numbers are more “life-like” than the real numbers!

**Cartoonist:**   
Well that’s part of the message here. Even though we call them “imaginary,” they are actual numbers. Imaginary numbers aren’t any more “pretend” or “fictitious” than real numbers.

**Interviewer:**  
 Can’t wait to see what you imagine for the next [Off the Number Line](http://blog.mindresearch.org/blog/topic/off-the-number-line) cartoon!

![Matthew Peterson and James Huang](https://2024.mindresearch.org/hubfs/Blog/Authors/MIND-profile-600x600.png)

### About the Author

Matthew Peterson, Ph.D., is Co-founder and Chief Research & Development Officer at the MIND Research Institute. James Huang is Senior Visual Designer at MIND Research Institute.

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