Python – Generate a Random Complex Number

In this tutorial, we will look at how to generate a random complex number in Python with the help of some examples.

How to generate a random complex number in Python?

To generate a random complex number in Python, you can randomly generate the real and imaginary parts of the complex number. You can use Python built-in random module to generate random numbers and the Python built-in complex() constructor to combine them into a complex number.

The following is the syntax –

import random 

# randomly generate the real part
x = random.randint(a, b)
# randomly generate the imaginary part
y = random.randint(a, b)
# resulting complex number
z = complex(x, y)

Here, we are randomly and independently generating the real and imaginary parts of the complex number using the random.randint(a, b) function, which generates integer random numbers in the range [a, b] (both inclusive).

You can also use the random.random() function to get random numbers between [0, 1) as real values and use them as your real and imaginary components.

Examples

Let’s now look at some examples of using the above technique to generate random complex numbers in Python.

Example 1 – Generate a random complex number having integer coefficients

Let’s use the random.randint() function to get integer random values for our real and imaginary components.

import random 

# randomly generate the real part
x = random.randint(0, 100)
# randomly generate the imaginary part
y = random.randint(0, 100)
# resulting complex number
z = complex(x, y)
print(z)

Output:

(42+33j)

Here, we generate two random integers between 0 and 100 using the random.randint() function and use them as the real and imaginary components of the resulting complex number.

Example 2 – Generate a random complex number having real value coefficients

We can also generate real value random numbers using the random module in Python.

For example, you can use the random.random() function to generate real number random values in the range [0, 1). You can then scale and/or offset the resulting random value to get real number random values in any range.

Let’s now generate two real value random numbers in the range [0, 100) which will be our corresponding real and imaginary components.

import random 

# randomly generate the real part
x = random.random() * 100
# randomly generate the imaginary part
y = random.random() * 100
# resulting complex number
z = complex(x, y)
print(z)

Output:

(56.58859075750996+25.90352071828296j)

We get the resulting complex number. You can see that, here, we multiplied the result of random.random() to scale it to the range of 0 to 100.

Summary

In this tutorial, we looked at how to generate a random complex number in Python. The following is a summary of the steps mentioned in this tutorial –

1. Randomly generate the real component.
2. Randomly generate the complex component.
3. Combine the real and generate complex components to get your random complex number.

You can use the random module in Python to generate random numbers (both integers and real values) and the built-in complex() constructor to create a complex number using these values.

You might also be interested in –

• Practical Guide to Working with Complex Numbers in Python
• Python – Add Two Complex Numbers
• Python – Subtract Two Complex Numbers
• Python – Multiply Two Complex Numbers
• Python – Divide Two Complex Numbers
• Python – Convert Complex Number to Polar Form
• Python – Get the Phase Angle of a Complex Number
• Python – Get the Absolute Value of a Complex Number
• Numpy – Get the Complex Conjugate
• Numpy – Get the Real Part of a Complex Number
• Numpy – Get the Imaginary Part of a Complex Number
• Numpy – Check If a Number is Real
• Numpy – Check If a Number is Complex