# Plotting complex numbers [duplicate]

Possible Duplicate:
Plotting an Argand Diagram

How do I plot complex numbers in Mathematica? The following is a part of my data, the eigen values of a 50 by 50 asymmetric matrix:

 2.183, 2.1726 + 0.081626 I, 2.1726 - 0.081626 I,
2.14149 + 0.161732 I, 2.14149 - 0.161732 I, 2.09002 + 0.238883 I,
2.09002 - 0.238883 I, 2.01881 + 0.311781 I, 2.01881 - 0.311781 I,
1.92881 + 0.379272 I, 1.92881 - 0.379272 I, 1.8213 + 0.440343 I,
1.8213 - 0.440343 I, 1.69787 + 0.494111 I, 1.69787 - 0.494111 I,
1.56041 + 0.539817 I, 1.56041 - 0.539817 I, 1.41104 + 0.57683 I,
1.41104 - 0.57683 I, 1.25211 + 0.60465 I, 1.25211 - 0.60465 I


I can extract the real and Imaginary parts using the commands with

Im[Eigenvalues[mtrx1]]


and

Re[Eigenvalues[mtrx1]]


but then could not see how to pair up the real and imaginary parts in order to make a plot. Please help

• You could plot Abs and/or Re and/or Im on the same plot. – b.gates.you.know.what Dec 13 '12 at 12:18
• Alernatively you can pair up the real and imaginary parts with the following: data=Tranpose[{Re[Eigenvalues[mtrx1]],Im[Eigenvalues[mtrx1]]}]. – image_doctor Dec 13 '12 at 13:17
• Welcome to Mathematica.Stackexchange ! Consider registering your account. Take a look at a related question mathematica.stackexchange.com/questions/15637/… – Artes Dec 13 '12 at 13:35
• – Sjoerd C. de Vries Dec 13 '12 at 15:08
• Asymmetric in what sense? Obviously not skew-symmetric (or, anti-symmetric if your in physics) as the eigenvalues are not purely imaginary, but I'm wondering if the symmetry would be conducive to some other means of plotting. – rcollyer Dec 13 '12 at 15:37

data = Table[RandomReal[{-1, 1}] + I RandomReal[{-1, 1}], {30}];

p = ListPlot[{Re[#], Im[#]} & /@ data,
AxesOrigin -> {0, 0},
PlotRange -> {{-1.2, 1.2}, {-1.2, 1.2}},
AspectRatio -> 1,
Frame -> True,
FrameLabel -> {{Im, None}, {Re, "complex plane"}},
PlotStyle -> Directive[Red, PointSize[.02]]];

Show[p, Graphics@Circle[{0, 0}, 1]]


• In the current version, one can just do ListPlot[ReIm[data]]. – J. M.'s ennui Nov 29 '19 at 21:14

If you have complex numbers and you want to plot them as points in the complex plane, it seems strange, doesn't it, to have to first pull them apart into real and imaginary parts? If you use David Park's Presentations add-on, you need not---you may treat complex numbers as such (just like everywhere else in Mathematica but in the oddly exceptional case of plotting!):

data = {2.183, 2.1726 + 0.081626 I, 2.1726 - 0.081626 I,
2.14149 + 0.161732 I, 2.14149 - 0.161732 I, 2.09002 + 0.238883 I,
2.09002 - 0.238883 I, 2.01881 + 0.311781 I, 2.01881 - 0.311781 I,
1.92881 + 0.379272 I, 1.92881 - 0.379272 I, 1.8213 + 0.440343 I,
1.8213 - 0.440343 I, 1.69787 + 0.494111 I, 1.69787 - 0.494111 I,
1.56041 + 0.539817 I, 1.56041 - 0.539817 I, 1.41104 + 0.57683 I,
1.41104 - 0.57683 I, 1.25211 + 0.60465 I, 1.25211 - 0.60465 I};

<< Presentations

Draw2D[{PointSize -> Large, Red, ComplexPoint /@ data}, Axes -> True]
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(Sorry, SE Uploader for the image isn't working due to some kind of Java error.)