Is it correct to say 複雑な波長?


My friend heard this in an anime. I can understand 複雑な波長パターン or something
along these lines, but just 複雑な波長? Like, you wouldn't say "complex mass" or
"complex speed", right? (unless maybe complex numbers are involved but that's
another thing) Does "complex wavelength" make more sense in Japanese? I get
that they wanted to say that the wavelength is difficult to analyze, but is it
a correct way to say that?




In this sentence, 複雑な modifies 波長 **パターン** , not just 波長. And you can
certainly say "complex pattern", right? Perhaps they're actually analyzing
hundreds of wavelength numbers, as you suggested.

As a scientific term, I agree with you; 複雑な波形 (波形 = waveform) is used a lot,
for example, to describe the shape of electrocardiograms, but 複雑な波長 makes
little sense to me.

But as @YoichiOishi said, 波長 is frequently used metaphorically to express how
two people think, feel or act in similar ways ("synchronously"). Ordinary
people are probably more familiar with 波長 than 波形.

(If the anime your friend is watching is エヴァンゲリオン, I remember
"synchronization" is a keyword of that anime, so somehow 波長 may feel better.
That's just a guess, though.)




In this sentence, 複雑な modifies 波長 **パターン** , not just 波長. And you can
certainly say "complex pattern", right? Perhaps they're actually analyzing
hundreds of wavelength numbers, as you suggested.

As a scientific term, I agree with you; 複雑な波形 (波形 = waveform) is used a lot,
for example, to describe the shape of electrocardiograms, but 複雑な波長 makes
little sense to me.

But as @YoichiOishi said, 波長 is frequently used metaphorically to express how
two people think, feel or act in similar ways ("synchronously"). Ordinary
people are probably more familiar with 波長 than 波形.

(If the anime your friend is watching is エヴァンゲリオン, I remember
"synchronization" is a keyword of that anime, so somehow 波長 may feel better.
That's just a guess, though.)

