COMPLEX Function (LibreOffice Calc)

• Combines real and imaginary parts into a complex number
• Supports "i" or "j" notation
• Returns a text string, not a numeric type
• Works seamlessly with other IM* complex functions

COMPLEX(real; imaginary; [suffix])

Arguments

• real:
  The real component of the complex number.

• imaginary:
  The imaginary component.

• suffix (optional):
  "i" (default) or "j" — engineering notation.

Default imaginary unit (i)

=COMPLEX(3; 4)
→ "3+4i"

Using engineering notation (j)

=COMPLEX(5; -2; "j")
→ "5-2j"

Zero imaginary part

=COMPLEX(7; 0)
→ "7+0i"

Zero real part

=COMPLEX(0; 9)
→ "0+9i"

Build a complex impedance

=COMPLEX(10; 5)
→ "10+5i"

Combine with IMSUM

=IMSUM(COMPLEX(3;4); COMPLEX(1;-2))
→ "4+2i"

Use with IMABS to compute magnitude

=IMABS(COMPLEX(A1; B1))

Use with IMSQRT for square roots of negative numbers

=IMSQRT(COMPLEX(-4; 0))

Generate a phasor from magnitude and angle

=COMPLEX(R*COSH(θ); R*SINH(θ))

Build a dynamic complex expression

=COMPLEX(A1; A2 * PI())

COMPLEX returns a text string, not a numeric complex type

All IM* functions accept this string format.

Behavior details

• Imaginary part sign is handled automatically
• "i" or "j" must be lowercase
• Non-numeric inputs → Err:502
• Suffix must be "i" or "j" only
• COMPLEX does not validate magnitude or angle

COMPLEX of an error → error propagates

• Use COMPLEX to construct valid inputs for IM* functions
• Use "j" for electrical engineering workflows
• Keep real and imaginary parts in separate cells for clarity
• Use IMABS, IMARG, IMSUM, IMDIV, etc., for further operations
• Avoid mixing COMPLEX strings with numeric arithmetic

• IMREAL / IMAG — extract components
• IMABS — magnitude
• IMARG — phase angle
• IMCONJUGATE — conjugate
• IMSUM / IMPRODUCT / IMDIV — arithmetic
• IMSQRT — square root of complex numbers

By mastering COMPLEX, you can build powerful engineering, signal‑processing, and mathematical models in LibreOffice Calc.