FTA: it’s complex as in “military-industrial complex,” speaking of combination—of real and imaginary parts—rather than complication
From first introduction in middle school math all the way through undergraduate university math to reading this tonight at age 55, no teacher or professor or book I recall has ever stated that "complex" meant "multi-part." I always thought of it as "complicated." Yes we learned "real part" and "imaginary part" but that was never connected to the name "complex." An exercise left to the reader, I suppose.
From first introduction in middle school math all the way through undergraduate university math to reading this tonight at age 55, no teacher or professor or book I recall has ever stated that "complex" meant "multi-part." I always thought of it as "complicated." Yes we learned "real part" and "imaginary part" but that was never connected to the name "complex." An exercise left to the reader, I suppose.
Math education has a long way to go.