IMSUB in WPS Spreadsheet: Subtract Complex Values in the Correct Order
Subtract the second complex value from the first in WPS Spreadsheet, with independent component checks and clear argument order.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
Quick answer: =IMSUB("5+7i","2+3i") has expected complex value 3+4i. IMSUB subtracts the second argument from the first, component by component.
Syntax and component rule
=IMSUB(inumber1,inumber2)
Both arguments are required complex values represented as text in x+yi or x+yj notation. For inputs a+bi and c+di, the mathematically coherent rule demonstrated by the lesson is (a−c)+(b−d)i.
Keep argument order visible. Reversing the inputs changes the sign of both components. Subtracting a negative imaginary coefficient also changes the sign inside that component’s arithmetic: 2−(−2)=4, not zero.
Worked example: compare two complex measurements
On a fresh worksheet, enter text 5+7i in A2 and 2+3i in B2. Enter =IMSUB(A2,B2) in C2.
The independent calculation is:
- Real difference: 5−2=3.
- Imaginary coefficient difference: 7−3=4.
- Expected complex value: 3+4i.
The literal formula =IMSUB("5+7i","2+3i") supplies the same values without cell references. Quotation marks make the complex representations text literals; i is not an unquoted spreadsheet variable.
For a reverse-order control, =IMSUB("2+3i","5+7i") represents −3−4i. For an identical-input control, =IMSUB("5+7i","5+7i") represents 0. These are mathematical values; the exact output spelling of zero or the number of serialized decimal digits remains untested.
Advanced use: a two-component difference
The difference 3+4i has magnitude 5 because sqrt(3²+4²)=5. This can describe a displacement when both components use compatible units. It is different from subtracting the input magnitudes: sqrt(74)−sqrt(13) is approximately 4.9967740, not 5. Subtract the components first if the question concerns a displacement vector.
Keeping the signed complex difference also preserves direction. Its magnitude alone cannot distinguish 3+4i from −3−4i. Retain the original order and a clear label such as “current minus reference” when building a comparison table.
The same subtraction rule applies to the consistently j-suffixed example =IMSUB("2-4j","1+5j"), whose value is 1−9j. The two suffixes denote alternative complex representations in the lesson, but this does not establish what WPS does when i and j are mixed in one call. Use one suffix consistently within a calculation.
Input and error boundaries
The lesson describes complex text and a two-argument operation, but supplies no complete invalid-input error table. This guide therefore assigns no specific error code to malformed strings, blank cells, omitted arguments, logical values, whitespace variants or mixed suffixes.
Use small explicit coefficients while checking the operation. It does not involve a logarithm or root branch, but parsing and finite-precision limits are still application concerns. Exact serialized text, overflow behavior and automatic conversion of ordinary numeric cells are not established here. A displayed complex string should be passed only to subsequent operations whose input contract accepts that representation.
Evidence and version scope
The official WPS Academy IMSUB lesson, published 2019-05-07, explicitly applies to WPS Office for Windows Personal. It was reviewed on October 18, 2026. The narrative also names WPS 2019, which identifies the historical lesson context rather than a first release or exact build. The numeric build, introduction release and last supported version remain unknown. The source does not identify this function as deprecated or retired. Support in Linux, other editions and other platforms is not established by this lesson.
The worked examples are original mathematical expectations based on the official contract and formula illustration. They were not executed in WPS. Historical vendor demonstrations are documentation, not our application tests; no screenshot or runtime precision guarantee is supplied. English names and comma separators follow the lesson. Localized entry, workbook interchange and exact output formatting require verification in the intended client.