# A brief tour through the history of complex numbers

## TL;DR

This paper provides a historical overview of the development and formalization of complex numbers, tracing key contributions from ancient to modern mathematicians.

## Contribution

It offers a chronological recount of significant historical milestones that shaped the understanding and formalization of complex numbers.

## Key findings

- Identifies early origins of complex numbers in ancient Greece.
- Highlights the formal definition introduced by William Rowan Hamilton.
- Shows the evolution of complex number concepts over time.

## Abstract

In this paper, we chronologically recount several situations that have contributed to the development and formalization of the objects known as imaginary or complex numbers. We will begin by introducing the earliest documented knowing for calculating the square root of a negative quantity, attributed to the Greek mathematician Heron of Alexandria. From there, we will progress through history to explore the formal concept of complex numbers given by William Rowan Hamilton.