Mappings of complex numbers:

Transformations from the z to the w

plane

Prerequisites
You should be familiar with the algebra of complex numbers up to elementary complex loci.

Complex functions
Complex functions that map from one complex number to another cannot be represented in a
two-dimensional graph, because both the domain and the co-domain are themselves two
dimensional (being represented by the Argand plane), so the mapping itself is four-dimensional.
To provide a visual idea of the effect of a complex function, we use a mapping diagram. The
image of the point z in the domain is usually denoted by w . Then the complex function, f, is
given by

  
f
z  w

We also write w  f  z  . The mapping diagram is

These mappings are also called transformations of the z to the w plane.

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Geometric interpretation of complex functions
In fact, by this stage, you are already familiar with several complex functions, and we now show
how these can be given a geometric interpretation using the mapping diagram.

Translation by a scalar
The mapping
w  f z   z  c

where c is a complex number, represents a translation through c.

Example (1)
Plot the effect of the mapping f  z   z  3  i 

w  f z   z  a


on the line with locus arg z  .
4

Solution

The line with locus arg z  has Cartesian equation y  x but is restricted to the domain
4

x  0 . The complex number 3  i  translates this line 3 along and 1 up. It could be

represented by a vector thus

x   x  3
  
y   y  1
or by
w   x  iy   3  i   3  x   i  y  1

The mapping diagram is

+3 +1


4

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Enlargement by scale factor k
The mapping
w cz
where k is a complex number, represents an enlargement by scale factor | c | and a rotation anti-
clockwise through arg c.
To show this we place c and z into polar form; then

Let c   c ,arg c  and z   z ,arg z 

then by the rules for multiplication of complex numbers in polar form (multiply the moduli, add
the arguments)

c z   c z ,arg c  arg z 

Example (2)

 
Plot the effect of w  1  3i z on the region of the z plane with locus

0  Re z  1
0  Im z  1

Solution



Here c  1  3i  and c  2, arg c 
3
so the mapping diagram is

(1 3, 1 + 3 )

f
(1,3)

1 (3, 1)
2
2

3

Reflection in the real axis

The operation of taking the complex conjugate, equivalent to the mapping
w z

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represents a reflection in the real axis.

Example (3)
Plot on the same Argand diagram the complex numbers z and z where
z  3  2i 

Solution

z = 3 + 2i

z = 3 + 2i

Composition of mappings
When one complex function is followed by another, this is the composition of mappings. Just as
with real functions we can visualise the effect of the composition of functions in terms of one
transformation followed by another. We illustrate this idea by means of a worked example.

Example (4)
Determine the effect of the mapping

z  i  z  2  i  

on the locus given by arg  z  1 

 .
3

Solution

The locus arg  z  1 

 is the straight-line segment beginning at 2 with angle
 . This
3 3
line is first translated by
z  z  2  i 

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 that is, 1 in the x direction, and 1 in the y direction. The resultant line is then rotated

by
 in the clockwise direction (clockwise, since it is multiplied by i. This is the
2
transformation
z  i z

Graphically, the effect is as follows

(1,1)

6
 
3
(1,0) 2

1

2 (1,1)
(1,1)

The locus of the image is

arg  z   1  i    

6

Finding transformations of loci by means of substitution

We will now solve the last problem algebraically by means of the substitution
z  x  iy

The image of z under the transformation z  i  z  2  i   will be

w  u  iv

Second solution to example (4)

The line given by arg  z  1 

 has Cartesian equation
3

y  3x  3 x 1

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 To solve this problem we first substitute z  x  iy into i  z  2  i   . This gives

w  i  z  2  i  
 i   x  iy   2  i  
 i   x  2  i  y  1 
  y  1  2  x  i

That is
u  y 1 v 2x
At this stage we are seeking a relationship between v and u of the form
v  f u 

so we need to eliminate x and y from this equation by means of algebra. We have the
equation

y  3x  3 x 1

We want to substitute from this into v  2  x so we need to rearrange it to get x the

subject.
1
x y 1 y 0
3
Then
v 2x
 1  1
2 y  1  1  y
 3  3
Now we have to eliminate y from this by substituting from u  y  1 ; that is, y  u  1 .

Hence
1
v 1 y y 0
3
1
1 u  1 u 1
3
1  1 
 u  1   u 1
3  3
This agrees with our previous solution.

The mapping z  zn
Consider z   z ,arg z   r ,  and let us plot z3. Then graphically we plot z 3 by observing that

the argument of z3 is 3 times the argument of z and the modulus of z3 is the cube of the
modulus of z

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 z3

3|z|

|z| z
3(arg z) arg z

That is

z 3   z ,3arg z   r 3 ,3 

3

 
This observation automatically suggests that for all n

z n   z ,n arg z   r n ,n 

n

 
This conjecture is in fact correct and is known as De Moivre’s Theorem. It is the subject of
2 3 4
another chapter. If r = |z| > 1 then the values of z , z , z …. ”spiral outwards”:

z3

z2
z4

If r < 1 then the values of z 2 , z 3 , z 4 …. ”spiral inwards”

If r = 1 then the values of z 2 , z 3, z 4 ,... all lie on the unit circle.

Example (5)
A complex function is given by
f : w  z2

Prove that the image under f of the line with parametric equation
t  t  ci
where c is a constant is a parabola. Sketch this locus when c  1

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Solution
Substitute z  t  ic
into f to get

u  iv  t  ic 
2

 t 2  c 2  2cti
This gives
u  t 2  c2 1
v  2ct 2
From (2)

v 2  2c  t 2
2

v2
t2 
2c 
2

and substituting this in (1)

v2
u  c2
2c 
2

which is the equation of a parabola with axis of symmetry the x-axis and vertex at c 2 .
We can also factorise this as
1
u v  2c v  2c 
2 2

2c 
2

so the parabola cuts the v axis at 2c 2 . For c  1 a sketch of the locus is

y v

f 2c2

c z

x u

2c2

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