COMPLEX NUMBERS

PURE MATHEMATICS 3
Objectives
Definition/Notations

A complex number z in Cartesian/algebraic form is expressed as

𝒛=𝒙+i𝒚
where x is the real part, Re 𝒛 = 𝒙
and y is the imaginary part, Im 𝒛 = 𝒚

The i in the complex number is defined as follows;

i= −𝟏

This enables us to solve some problems previously left out as undefined under the
set of real numbers, R.
EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 1:

= 25𝑖 2 = 5𝑖 2 = 9 − 16𝑖 2 = 2 − 18𝑖 2

= 5𝑖 =𝑖 5 = 3 − 4𝑖 = 2 − 3 2𝑖

EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 2:

1 1
𝑑 = = −1
𝑖2 −1
𝑎 𝑖 3 = 𝑖 ∙ 𝑖 2 = −𝑖
1 1 𝑖 𝑖
5 2 2 𝑒 = × = = −𝑖
𝑏 𝑖 =𝑖∙ 𝑖 =𝑖 𝑖 𝑖 𝑖 𝑖2

1 1 𝑖 𝑖
𝑐 𝑖8= 𝑖2 4
=1 𝑓 = × = =𝑖
𝑖3 −𝑖 𝑖 −𝑖 2
The conjugate of the complex number z (complex conjugate of z) is given by
𝒛∗ = 𝒙 − i 𝒚

EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 3:
Operations using Complex Numbers

If 𝒛𝟏 = 𝒂 + i 𝒃 and 𝒛𝟐 = 𝒄 + i 𝒅

(i) Addition (ii) Subtraction

𝒛𝟏 + 𝒛𝟐 = 𝒂 + 𝒄 + i (𝒃 + 𝒅) 𝒛𝟏 − 𝒛𝟐 = 𝒂 − 𝒄 + i (𝒃 − 𝒅)

EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 4:
(iii) Multiplication
𝑧1 . 𝑧2 = 𝑎𝑐 + i 𝑎𝑑 + i 𝑏𝑐 + i2 𝑏𝑑 = 𝑎𝑐 − 𝑏𝑑 + i (𝑎𝑑 + 𝑏𝑐)

EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 5:
(iv) Division
𝒛𝟏 𝒂+i 𝒃 𝒂+i 𝒃 𝒄−i 𝒅 𝒂𝒄−i 𝒂𝒅+i 𝒃𝒄−i𝟐 𝒃𝒅 𝒂𝒄+𝒃𝒅 +𝒊 (𝒃𝒄−𝒂𝒅)
= = x = =
𝒛𝟐 𝒄+i 𝒅 𝒄+i 𝒅 𝒄−i 𝒅 𝒄𝟐 +i 𝒄𝒅−i 𝒄𝒅−i𝟐 𝒅𝟐 𝒄𝟐 +𝒅𝟐

EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 6:
Argand Diagram

A complex number, 𝒛 = 𝒙 + i 𝒚 is completely specified by the ordered pair of

real numbers (𝑥, 𝑦).
Therefore, it can be represented on an Argand Diagram (Cartesian plane),
where the horizontal axis represents the real part, Re 𝑧 and the vertical axis
represent the imaginary part, Im 𝑧 .
Im

Re
0
EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 7:
Modulus

The modulus is the length of the line joining the point representing the complex
number to the origin on an Argand diagram.

The Pythagoras rule is used to obtain this.

Therefore, if 𝒛 = 𝒙 + i 𝒚

then the modulus of z,

𝒛 = 𝒙 𝟐 + 𝒚𝟐
Argument

The argument of z is the angle made by the line joining the point representing
the complex number to the origin and the positive real axis.

𝐚𝐫𝐠 𝒛 = 𝜽; where −𝝅 < 𝜽 ≤ 𝝅

This angle 𝜃 can be found using trigonometry, where if 𝒛 = 𝒙 + i 𝒚

𝒚
then 𝜽 = 𝐭𝐚𝐧−𝟏
𝒙
EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 8:
Solving Polynomial Equations

• Roots of any polynomial with real coefficients appear as conjugate pairs.

• Roots of any polynomial with complex coefficients do not appear as

conjugate pairs.

(i) Quadratic Equations

- 2 real roots
- 1 pair of conjugate complex roots
EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 9:
(ii) Cubic Equations
- 3 real roots
- 1 real and 1 pair of conjugate complex roots

EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 10:
(iii) Quartic Equations
- 4 real roots
- 2 real and 1 pair of conjugate complex roots
- 2 pairs of conjugate complex roots

EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 11:
Square roots of a Complex Number

If a complex number 𝒛 = 𝑨 + i B ,

then to find the 𝑧, we let 𝐴+i𝐵 =𝑥+i𝑦

Squaring both sides; 𝐴 + i 𝐵 = (𝑥 + i 𝑦)2 = 𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2 + i (2𝑥𝑦)

Comparing the real and imaginary parts; 𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2 = 𝐴 and 2𝑥𝑦 = 𝐵

Solving both these equations simultaneously gives 2 values for each x and y.

The two corresponding pair of values is the square roots of z.

EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 12:
Complex Numbers in polar form/ modulus-argument form

For a complex number 𝒛 = 𝒙 + i 𝒚,

if modulus z; 𝒛 = 𝒙 𝟐 + 𝒚𝟐 = 𝒓

and argument z; 𝐚𝐫𝐠 𝒛 = 𝜽

Then by the right angled triangle, 𝒙 = 𝒓 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜽; and 𝒚 = 𝒓 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽.

Therefore, z can be written in the polar/modulus-argument form as follows;

𝒛 = 𝒓 (𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜽 + i 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽)
 If 𝒛𝟏 = 𝒓𝟏 (𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜽𝟏 + i 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽𝟏 ) and 𝒛𝟐 = 𝒓𝟐 (𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜽𝟐 + i 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽𝟐 )

(i)Multiplication in polar form

𝒛𝟏 ∙ 𝒛𝟐 = 𝒓𝟏 𝒓𝟐 [𝐜𝐨𝐬 (𝜽𝟏 + 𝜽𝟐 ) + i 𝐬𝐢𝐧 (𝜽𝟏 +𝜽𝟐 )]

where 𝒛𝟏 ∙ 𝒛𝟐 = 𝒓𝟏 𝒓𝟐 and 𝐚𝐫𝐠 𝒛𝟏 ∙ 𝒛𝟐 = (𝜽𝟏 +𝜽𝟐 )

(ii) Division in polar form

𝒛𝟏 𝒓𝟏
= 𝐜𝐨𝐬 (𝜽𝟏 − 𝜽𝟐 ) + i 𝐬𝐢𝐧 (𝜽𝟏 −𝜽𝟐 )
𝒛𝟐 𝒓𝟐

𝒛𝟏 𝒓𝟏 𝒛𝟏
where = and 𝐚𝐫𝐠 = (𝜽𝟏 −𝜽𝟐 )
𝒛𝟐 𝒓𝟐 𝒛𝟐
EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 13:
Complex Numbers in Exponential form

For a complex number 𝒛 = 𝒙 + i 𝒚,

if modulus z; 𝒛 = 𝒙 𝟐 + 𝒚𝟐 = 𝒓 and argument z; 𝐚𝐫𝐠 𝒛 = 𝜽

Therefore, z can be written in the exponential form as follows;

𝒛 = 𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝜽
(i) Square root of the complex number is given by
𝒛 = 𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝜽
𝟏
𝒊( 𝜽+𝒌𝝅)
= 𝒓𝒆 𝟐 , where 𝒌 = 𝟎, 𝟏
(ii) If 𝒛𝟏 = 𝒓𝟏 𝒆 𝒊𝜽𝟏 and 𝒛𝟐 = 𝒓𝟐 𝒆 𝒊𝜽𝟐

(a) Multiplication in exponential form

𝒛𝟏 ∙ 𝒛𝟐 = 𝒓𝟏 𝒆𝒊𝜽𝟏 ∙ 𝒓𝟐 𝒆𝒊𝜽𝟐 = (𝒓𝟏 𝒓𝟐 ) 𝒆 𝒊(𝜽𝟏 +𝜽𝟐 )

where 𝒛𝟏 ∙ 𝒛𝟐 = 𝒓𝟏 𝒓𝟐 and 𝐚𝐫𝐠 𝒛𝟏 ∙ 𝒛𝟐 = (𝜽𝟏 +𝜽𝟐 )

(b) Division in exponential form

𝒛𝟏 𝒓𝟏 𝒆𝒊𝜽𝟏 𝒓𝟏 𝒊(𝜽 −𝜽 )
= 𝒊𝜽
= 𝒆 𝟏 𝟐
𝒛𝟐 𝒓𝟐 𝒆 𝟐 𝒓𝟐

𝒛𝟏 𝒓𝟏 𝒛𝟏
where = and 𝐚𝐫𝐠 = (𝜽𝟏 −𝜽𝟐 )
𝒛𝟐 𝒓𝟐 𝒛𝟐
Loci in an Argand Diagram
If z is a variable complex number represented by the vector 𝑂𝑃 , where P is the
point (𝑥, 𝑦). Hence 𝑧 is represented by the distance OP and arg(𝑧) is the angle 𝑂𝑃
makes with the positive direction of the real axis.
(i)If 𝑧 = 𝑘 , where k is a positive constant, then the distance of P from origin, O is
constant.
Thus, 𝒛 = 𝒌 is the equation of the circle with centre at origin, O and
radius k.

(ii) If arg(𝑧) = 𝛼 , where 𝛼 is constant and −𝜋 < 𝛼 ≤ 𝜋, then the direction of 𝑂𝑃 is

constant.
Thus, 𝐚𝐫𝐠 𝒛 = 𝜶 is the equation of a half-line with end-point O, inclined
at angle 𝜶 to the real axis.
 If z is a variable complex number represented by the vector 𝑂𝑃 , where P is the
point (𝑥, 𝑦) and a is a constant complex number represented by a fixed vector 𝑂𝐴
, then 𝑧 − 𝑎 is represented by 𝐴𝑃. Hence 𝑧 − 𝑎 is represented by the distance AP
and arg(𝑧 − 𝑎) is the angle 𝐴𝑃 makes with the positive direction of the real axis.
(iii)If 𝑧 − 𝑎 = 𝑘 , where k is a positive constant, then the distance of P from A is
constant.
Thus, 𝒛 − 𝒂 = 𝒌 is the equation of the circle with centre at point A and
radius k.

(iv) If arg 𝑧 − 𝑎 = 𝛼 , where 𝛼 is constant and −𝜋 < 𝛼 ≤ 𝜋, then the direction of 𝐴𝑃

is constant.
Thus, 𝐚𝐫𝐠 𝒛 − 𝒂 = 𝜶 is the equation of a half-line with end-point A,
inclined at angle 𝜶 to the real axis.
 If z is a variable complex number represented by the vector 𝑂𝑃 , where P is the
point (𝑥, 𝑦) and a and b are constant complex numbers represented by a fixed
vector 𝑂𝐴 and 𝑂𝐵, then 𝑧 − 𝑎 and 𝑧 − 𝑏 are represented by 𝐴𝑃 and 𝐵𝑃
respectively. Hence 𝑧 − 𝑎 and 𝑧 − 𝑏 is represented by the distance AP and
BP .
(v) If 𝑧 − 𝑎 = 𝑘 𝑧 − 𝑏 , where 𝒌 = 𝟏 , then the distance of P from A and B are
equal.
Thus, 𝒛 − 𝒂 = 𝒛 − 𝒃 is the equation of the perpendicular bisector of
the line joining A to B.
EXAMPLE/EXERCISE 14: