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So, I'm trying out yet another format for puzzles.

A: Stop thinking so badly!
B: But A, I can't! No matter what, I'll always be not rational.
A: Well, I can help.
B: How can you help? You're not real!
A: I am real! I'm talking to you, and you're real, therefore I'm real.
B: That's not how it works.
A: What, B, now you're a philosopher?
B: Well, I am from the land of great philosophers.
A: Oh, B, you're not Greek!
B: Well, many consider me Greek.
A: But you were known all throughout the lands! The Greeks just made you famous.
B: And what about you, A? What nationality are you?
A: I think I'm Italian.
B: No, you're Greek. Like me. :)
A: Really?
B: Yeah, conceived in Ancient Greece.
A: My history is sketchy.
B: Because you're not real.
A: And you, B, are not rational. What's 1+1?
B: 3, obviously! Also, these days, computers don't understand you.
A: What do you mean?
B: I mean, computers need a full blown object to represent you, full of clunky Polish Notation functions! Me, I'm just several bytes.
A: How could you do that?
B: I'm simple. You're complex.
A: I'm not complex yet. If we join, then we're complex.
B: True. Well, bye!
A: Bye! I can't wait to see you up north at my home!
B: No, come west to mine.
A: We were already in your realm, now it's my turn to host. Bye!

Who's A and who's B?

Hint:

Everything here is literal.

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    $\begingroup$ Semi-nitpicky: Real numbers and imaginary numbers are both complex. Anything of the form $a+b\mathrm{i}$ is complex, even if $a$ or $b$ is $0$ (or both!) $\endgroup$
    – Deusovi ♦
    Commented May 12, 2016 at 21:51

1 Answer 1

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It looks like

A is the symbol for imaginary number i and
B is the greek symbol pi

A

- Not real = imaginary,
- First seen in Greece in the first century AD
- Not studied in earnest until 16th century in Italy. - Computers need special structures for complex/imaginary numbers
- "Up north at my home": complex numbers can be represented on an X/Y plane, and the imaginary axis is usually the vertical axis.

B

- Irrational
- Known everywhere and made famous by the Greeks, thus we use their letter
- Together with i, they make a complex number
- On a complex number plot, the real axis is usual the horizontal

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    $\begingroup$ Damnit. a few seconds too late D: $\endgroup$
    – Pat G
    Commented May 12, 2016 at 20:58
  • $\begingroup$ haha, I was rushing through my reasoning to get it posted $\endgroup$
    – Matt
    Commented May 12, 2016 at 20:59
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    $\begingroup$ @PatG Same.. Was just reading the question and immediately thought about this T-shirt text. $\endgroup$
    – Kevin Cruijssen
    Commented May 12, 2016 at 20:59
  • $\begingroup$ You did it! YAY!! $\endgroup$
    – You
    Commented May 12, 2016 at 21:12
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    $\begingroup$ Always assigning credit to yourself, @You hahaha $\endgroup$
    – Matt
    Commented May 12, 2016 at 21:22

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