Complex numbers

text/3892-complex-numbers.md

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+- Feature Name: complex-numbers
+- Start Date: 2025-12-02
+- RFC PR: [rust-lang/rfcs#3892](https://github.com/rust-lang/rfcs/pull/3892)
+- Rust Issue: [rust-lang/rust#0000](https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/0000)
+
+## Summary
+[summary]: #summary
+
+FFI-compatible and calling-convention-compatible complex types are to be introduced into `core` to ensure synchronity with C primitives.
+
+## Motivation
+[motivation]: #motivation
+
+The definition of complex numbers in the C99 standard defines the _memory layout_ of a complex number but not its _calling convention_. 
+This makes crates like `num-complex` untenable for calling C FFI functions containing complex numbers without at least a level of indirection (`*const Complex`) or the like.
+Only in `std` is it possible to make an additional repr to match the calling convention that C uses across FFI boundaries. 
+In essence, this RFC makes code like this:
+```C
+extern double _Complex computes_function(double _Complex x);
+```
+callable in Rust without indirection:
+```rust
+extern "C" {
+  fn computes_function(x: Complex<f64>) -> Complex<f64>;
+}
+fn main() {
+  let returned_value = computes_function(Complex<f64>::new(3, 4))
+}
+```
+using the standard library's FFI-compatible complex numbers.
+
+## Guide-level explanation
+[guide-level-explanation]: #guide-level-explanation
+
+`Complex<T>` numbers can be instantiated as of any type using `Complex::new(re, im)` where `re` and `im` are of the same type (this includes all numbers).
+```rust
+let x = Complex::new(3.0, 4.0);
+```
+They can even be passed as an array:
+```rust
+let y = Complex::from([3.0, 4.0]);
+```
+or as a tuple:
+```rust
+let z = Complex::from((3.0, 4.0));
+```
+They can even be passed in polar form (but only as a float):
+```rust
+let polar = Complex::from_polar(3.0, f32::PI/2.0);
+```
+They are added and multiplied as complexes are:
+```rust
+let first = Complex::new(1.0, 2.0);
+let second = Complex::new(3.0, 4.0);
+let added = first + second; // 4 + 6i
+let multiplied = first * second; // -4 + 10i
+```
+
+They can be divided using normal floating-point division:
+```rust
+let float_first = Complex::new(1.0, 2.0);
+let float_second = Complex::new(3.0, 4.0);
+let divided = float_second / float_first; // 2.4 - 0.2i
+```
+
+You can even calculate the complex sine, cosine and more:
+```rust
+let val = Complex::new(3.0, 4.0);
+let sine_cmplx = csin(val); // 3.8537380379 - 27.016813258i
+```
+If you want to call certain C libraries with complex numbers, you use this type:
+```C
+// in the C library
+extern double _Complex computes_function(double _Complex x);
+```
+```rust
+// in YOUR Rust code
+extern "C" {
+  fn computes_function(x: Complex<f64>) -> Complex<f64>;
+}
+fn main() {
+  let returned_value = computes_function(Complex::<f64>::new(3.0, 4.0))
+}
+```
+
+## Reference-level explanation
+[reference-level-explanation]: #reference-level-explanation
+
+Complex numbers will be implemented by using traits in the `core` crate:
+```
+trait Float: Copy + Clone {}
+impl Float for f32 {}
+impl Float for f64 {}
+```
+Calls to some `libgcc` functions will also be needed and will be emitted by the backend via compiler-builtins, specifically `__mulsc3`, `__muldc3`, `__divsc3` and `__divdc3` for the proper and complete implementation of these types.
+They will have an internal representation similar to this:
+```rust
+// in core::complex
+#[lang = "complex"] // For matching the calling convention (special repr needed?)
+#[derive(Copy, Clone, PartialEq, Debug)]
+pub struct Complex<T>(re: T, im: T);
+```
+have construction methods and `From` impls:
+```rust
+impl Complex<T> {
+  fn new(re: T, im: T) -> Self;
+}
+
+impl<T> From<(T, T)> for Complex<T> {
+  fn from(value: (T, T)) -> Self;
+}
+impl<T> From<[T; 2]> for Complex<T> {
+  fn from(value: [T; 2]) -> Self;
+}
+```
+
+have methods to return their real and imaginary part (`.re()` and `.im()`):
+```rust
+impl<T> Complex<T> {
+  fn re(self) -> T;
+  fn im(self) -> T;
+}
+```
+polar conversions:
+```rust
+impl<T: Float + Mul + Add> Complex<T> {
+  fn modulus(self) -> T;
+}
+
+impl Complex<f32> {
+  fn angle(self) -> f32;
+  fn from_polar(modulus: f32, angle: f32) -> Self;
+}
+
+impl Complex<f64> {
+  fn angle(self) -> f64{
+  }
+  fn from_polar(modulus: f64, angle: f64) -> Self;
+}
+```
+and have arithmetic implementations similar to this:
+```rust
+impl<T: Add> Add for Complex<T> { // and for corresponding real types
+  type Output = Self;
+
+  fn add(self, other: Self) -> Self::Output;
+}
+
+impl<T: Sub> Sub for Complex<T> { // and for corresponding real types 
+  type Output = Self;
+
+  fn sub(self, other: Self) -> Self::Output;
+}
+impl Mul for Complex<f32> { // calls to __mulsc3 will be required here for implementation details and corresponding real types will also be implemented
+  type Output = Self;
+
+  fn mul(self, other: Self) -> Self::Output;
+}
+impl Mul for Complex<f64> { // calls to __muldc3 will be required here for implementation details and corresponding real types will also be implemented
+  type Output = Self;
+
+  fn mul(self, other: Self) -> Self::Output;
+}
+impl Div for Complex<f32> { // calls to __divsc3 will be required here for implementation details and corresponding real types will also be implemented
+  type Output = Self;
+
+  fn div(self, other: Self) -> Self::Output;
+}
+impl Div for Complex<f64> { // calls to __divdc3 will be required here for implementation details and corresponding real types will also be implemented
+  type Output = Self;
+
+  fn div(self, other: Self) -> Self::Output;
+}
+```
+The floating point numbers shall have sine and cosine and tangent functions, their inverses, their hyperbolic variants, and their inverses defined as per the C standard and with Infinity and Nan values defined as per the C standard.
+## Drawbacks
+[drawbacks]: #drawbacks
+
+The implementation surface of the complex types means more items for the libs and lang teams to maintain.
+Also, the multiple emitted calls to `libgcc.so` (`__mulsc3` and the like) may cause a bit of overhead and may not be what the Rust lang team and compiler team want.
+
+## Rationale and alternatives
+[rationale-and-alternatives]: #rationale-and-alternatives
+
+The rationale for this type is mostly FFI: C libraries that may be linked from Rust code currently cannot provide functions with direct struct implementations of Complex - they must be hidden under at least a layer of indirection. This is because of the undefined calling convention of complex numbers in C. For example: on powerpc64-linux-gnu, [returning double _Complex doesn't do the same thing as returning a struct with a field of type double[2].](https://gcc.godbolt.org/z/hh7zYcnK6) However, it is not always possible to write a C complex-valued function that wraps the first function in a pointer. Thus, FFI becomes a problem if such complex-valued functions are passed by value and not by reference. This 
+Additionally, another issue this solves is to have a unified API for complex numbers. Right now, many crates are using their own implementation (`num-complex` could serve as a unifying factor, but other crates do not implement the same complex numbers like `nalgebra`), which makes it difficult to implement unifying interfaces without complicating the code with too many conversion functions. This serves a problem for crates that use different implementations of complex numbers for different tasks (`sprs` relying on `num-complex` and `nalgebra` implementing its own variation)
+
+You could theoretically do something like this:
+```c
+double _Complex function(double _Complex value);
+double _Complex *wrapper_function(double _Complex* value) {
+  return &function(*value);
+}
+```
+for all functions you wish for. But this still needs to happen in C.
+
+### Alternatives:
+- Don't do this: There are, obviously, millions of alternatives on crates.io, the foremost being `num-complex`. However, I believe that if we wish to support proper FFI with C, then a standard type that matches calling conventions with C complex numbers is an important feature of the language. Hence, I do not recommend this idea.
+- Use a polar layout: Polar complex numbers, are undoubtedly a more optimal solution for multiplying complexes. However, I believe that if we wish to have proper FFI with C, then complex number layout should be chosen in accordance with the layout that is used in the C standard, and that is the orthogonal layout. This is also the layout used by most of other languages and crates on crates.io.
+- Non-generic primitive types: These are, obviously, the most obvious and practical solution. However, if we implemented lots of such types, then we would not be able to expand for `f16` and `f128` support without repeating the code already implemented. It would be extremely repetitive and tedious to add new types, especially since Gaussian integers and other floating points could have added support.
+
+## Prior art
+[prior-art]: #prior-art
+
+FORTRAN, C, C++, Go, Perl and Python all have complex types implemented in the standard library or as a primitive. This clearly appears to be an important feature many languages have.
+For example, in Python:
+```py
+complex_num = 1 + 2j
+complex_second = 3 + 4j
+print(complex_num * complex_second)
+```
+or in C:
+```c
+float _Complex cmplx = 1 + 2*I;
+float _Complex two_cmplx = 3 + 4*I;
+printf("%.1f%+.1fi\n", creal(cmplx * two_cmplx), cimag(cmplx * two_cmplx));
+```
+Even in Rust, it has been discussed two times in IRLO:
+- [First discussion](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/c-compatible-complex-types-using-traits/13757)
+- [Second discussion](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/standard-complex-number-in-std-library/23748)
+
+Many crates, like `num-complex` also provide this feature, though it is not FFI-safe.
+## Unresolved questions
+[unresolved-questions]: #unresolved-questions
+
+Should this type be in `core::ffi`? This type's purpose is mostly FFI, but it might be useful in library contexts as well, so I am not sure if we should place it in `core::ffi`.
+
+## Future possibilities
+[future-possibilities]: #future-possibilities
+
+- Maybe later on, we can think of adding a special custom suffix for complex numbers (`1+2j` for example), and using that as a simpler way of writing complex numbers if this RFC is accepted? This is very similar to how most languages implement complex numbers? Or perhaps we could consider a constant:
+```rust
+impl<T: Float> Complex<T: Float> {
+  const I: T = Complex::new(T::zero(), T::one());
+}
+```
+where `zero` and `one` is implemented on the `Float` trait similar to `num_traits`?
+Or maybe we could have a method on normal numbers:
+```rust
+// for example
+impl f32 {
+  fn i(self) -> Complex<f32> {
+    Complex::new(0, self)
+  }
+}
+```
+that could help simplify the life of people who otherwise would have to keep writing `Complex::new()`?
+- Should we support Imaginary eventually? This RFC doesn't cover it, but I think we can do this later in another RFC.
+- Eventually we may support Gaussian integers (an extension of the real integers) which have a Euclidean division procedure with remainder. GCC has these, and we could theoretically eventually support these integers alongside GCC FFI.
+- We can also support f16 and f128 once methods for them are stabilised. 
+- We should also think about a `Display` implementation. Should we support something like `1 + 2i` or something else? Should we not make a `Display` impl at all, and just use re() and im() for the implementation?
+- We should also consider adding aliases (like c32 and c64) for floating points once they are established, to allow for a shorthand syntax.