Write a program to add two complex numbers using C

In C programming, complex numbers are mathematical entities that consist of real and imaginary parts. A complex number is represented in the form a + bi, where 'a' is the real part and 'b' is the imaginary part multiplied by 'i' (the square root of -1).

Syntax

struct complexNumber {
    int real;
    int imaginary;
};

Algorithm

To add two complex numbers, we add their real parts separately and imaginary parts separately −

• Real part: result_real = num1_real + num2_real
• Imaginary part: result_imaginary = num1_imaginary + num2_imaginary

Example

The following program demonstrates addition of two complex numbers using structures −

#include <stdio.h>

struct complexNumber {
    int real, imaginary;
};

int main() {
    struct complexNumber num1, num2, sum;
    
    printf("Enter first complex number (real imaginary): ");
    scanf("%d %d", &num1.real, &num1.imaginary);
    
    printf("Enter second complex number (real imaginary): ");
    scanf("%d %d", &num2.real, &num2.imaginary);
    
    /* Add real and imaginary parts separately */
    sum.real = num1.real + num2.real;
    sum.imaginary = num1.imaginary + num2.imaginary;
    
    printf("First complex number: %d + %di<br>", num1.real, num1.imaginary);
    printf("Second complex number: %d + %di<br>", num2.real, num2.imaginary);
    printf("Sum: %d + %di<br>", sum.real, sum.imaginary);
    
    return 0;
}

Enter first complex number (real imaginary): 4 2
Enter second complex number (real imaginary): 5 3
First complex number: 4 + 2i
Second complex number: 5 + 3i
Sum: 9 + 5i

Key Points

• Complex numbers are represented using structures with real and imaginary components.
• Addition is performed by adding corresponding parts: real with real, imaginary with imaginary.
• The result follows the mathematical rule: (a + bi) + (c + di) = (a + c) + (b + d)i

Conclusion

Adding complex numbers in C is straightforward using structures to represent the real and imaginary parts. This approach allows us to perform mathematical operations on complex numbers efficiently while maintaining code readability.