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## 2.3.2.3 Syntax of a Complex

A complex has a Cartesian structure, with a real part and an imaginary part each of which is a real. The parts of a complex are not necessarily floats but both parts must be of the same type: either both are rationals, or both are of the same float subtype. When constructing a complex, if the specified parts are not the same type, the parts are converted to be the same type internally (i.e., the rational part is converted to a float). An object of type `(complex rational)` is converted internally and represented thereafter as a rational if its imaginary part is an integer whose value is 0.

For further information, see Section 2.4.8.11 (Sharpsign C) and Section 22.1.3.1.4 (Printing Complexes).

The following X3J13 cleanup issue, not part of the specification, applies to this section:

- REAL-NUMBER-TYPE:X3J13-MAR-89

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