How to find RMS value of complex number?

How do we calculate the RMS value for N complex numbers? For real numbers, we square the numbers and take the average then finally take the square root which gives us the RMS value. Can those numbers we squared be complex numbers?

In Matlab it uses "rms(vector) " to compute the rms value. I have input a complex vector, which also gives me answer. what does that mean? how Matlab calculates the rms of complex numbers?

[Walter Roberson]

edit rms

to look at the code.

[Rajendra Rajak]

thank you Walter Roberson for the response.

Actually rms is used mainly for real numbers which helps in diminishing thr error in the result. but how does it signifies in complex number? I know Matlab just square and take mean of the numbers then finally take the square root, but rms is again a complex number which has its magnitude and phase. What does rms of complex number mean?

PS . Sorry for long message.

[dpb]

>> help rms
 rms    Root mean squared value.
    For vectors, rms(X) is the root mean squared value in X. ...
 
    When X is complex, the rms is computed using the magnitude
    rms(ABS(X)). 
 

[Rajendra Rajak]

hello dpb,

if X is complex then shouldn't its rms also be complex?

[Bruno Luong]

No