Complex Numbers Essentials Math Workbook with Answers

Chris McMullen, Ph.D.

Copyright © 2024 Chris McMullen, Ph.D.
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Zishka Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-941691-47-2
Mathematics > Precalculus
Mathematics > Complex Numbers
 INTRODUCTION
This book is designed to help students learn or review essential concepts
relating to complex numbers and to provide practice applying the concepts
to solve a variety of problems. Sample topics include:

What is an imaginary number? What is a complex number?

Why does multiplying by the complex conjugate result in a real
number?
How do you add, subtract, multiply, or divide complex
numbers?
What is the complex plane? How do you plot a number in the
complex plane?
Is there anything tricky about taking the square root of a
negative number?
How does the modulus square relate to the Pythagorean
theorem?
When is it useful to work with the polar form of a complex
number?
Does the cube root of 8 really have three possible answers?
How do complex numbers relate to trigonometry?
What are hyperbolic cosine and hyperbolic sine?
Are hyperbolic cosine and sine related to the ordinary trig
functions?
Can you find the square root of i? If so, how?
What is Euler’s formula? What is De Moivre’s theorem?
Does √i have both real and imaginary parts? Why isn’t it purely
imaginary?
Is it possible to take the cosine of an angle and get a number
larger than one?
What happens if you take the logarithm of a negative value?
If the coefficients of a polynomial are real, can any of its roots
be complex?
 How do you find the roots of a polynomial?
What is the fundamental theorem of algebra? Does it involve
complex numbers?
Which properties do complex numbers have?
If you raise i to the power of i, what do you get?
In what way are complex exponents and logarithms periodic?
What paradox did Thomas Clausen encounter in 1827?
 1 IMAGINARY NUMBERS
A real number can be counted or measured in appropriate units. The
following kinds of numbers are real:

Zero represents the absence of something. It is real because you

can definitely measure when something is missing. For example, if
you proceed to measure how much water is in a beaker, if the
beaker is empty then the beaker clearly contains zero liters of water.
As another example, if an ATM machine shows a balance of $0, it
means that there is no money left in the account.
Whole numbers include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, etc.
Whole numbers are real because they can be counted. For example,
if a bag contains apples, the number of apples can be determined
simply by counting them.
Negative numbers include –1, –2, –3, –4, –5, –6, –7, etc. Negative
numbers are real because they can be counted backwards. For
example, if you set up a coordinate system where +y is upward and
the origin lies on the ground, if a ball is dropped down a well that is
20 meters deep, the final position of the ball is y = –20 meters. As
another example, if a person has no money and borrows $40, the
person has a net worth of –$40; this person needs to earn $40 just
to have no money at all. As yet another example, if a player’s token
lies on the 18th space of a board game and the player draws a card
that says to go back 3 spaces, the token goes –3 spaces forward.
Here, the negative sign indicates that the spaces will be subtracted:
the token will be placed on the 15th space because 18 + (–3) = 18 –
3 = 15.
Rational numbers can be expressed as fractions of the form a/b,
where a and b are both integers. Rational numbers include fractions
like 4/7, 8/12 (which can be reduced to 2/3 by dividing 8 and 12
each by 4), 3/2 (which is called an improper fraction because the
numerator is larger than the denominator), or 2¼ (which is a mixed
fraction; it is two and a fourth). Whole numbers are rational
because they equate to fractions with a denominator of one. For
example, the number 5 can be expressed in the form a/b with a = 5
and b = 1. Note that 5/1 = 5. Decimals like 0.25 and percents like
25% are also rational because they can be expressed as fractions.
Note that 1/4 = 0.25 = 25%. Even repeating decimals like
1.333333… where the 3 repeats forever (which can be expressed
using an overbar, that is by placing a bar over the 3) are rational
because they can be expressed as fractions where the numerator and
denominator are both integers. Note that 4/3 = 1.333333… with the
3 repeating forever. (For an example of a decimal that isn’t rational,
see the next bullet point.) Rational numbers are real because they
can be measured. For example, if a pizza is cut into 8 slices and
there are 3 slices remaining after dinner is eaten, then we can see
that 3/8 of the pizza remains. As another example, if salt is poured
into a measuring cup until it reaches 2/3 of a cup, we can measure
that there are two-thirds of a cup of salt. As yet another example, if
a stopwatch measures the time it takes for a ball to drop to be 0.425
seconds, this time is rational because the fraction 17/40 is equal to
the decimal 0.425.
Irrational numbers can’t be expressed in the form a/b where both
a and b are integers, yet they can be measured. When an irrational
number is measured in decimal form, the digits go on forever
without forming a repeating pattern. For example, the square root
of 2 is an irrational number. In decimal form, the square root of 2
begins 1.41421356… and the digits continue endlessly without ever
forming repeating pattern. (In contrast, the number
1.3636363636… where 36 repeats forever is a rational number
equal to the fraction 15/11.) It can be proven that the square root of
2 can’t be expressed in the form a/b where both a and b are
integers. Another example of an irrational number is the number pi
(represented by a lowercase Greek letter). If a circle has a diameter
of one meter, the circle has a circumference equal to pi meters. If
the circumference is measured in decimal form, the number begins
3.14159265… with the digits continuing forever without any
repeating pattern.
When the solution to an algebra problem is a real number, the problem can
be modeled in the real world and the answer can be measured. The
equations below provide examples from algebra for each kind of real
number discussed previously.

x + 4 = 4 has the real solution x = 0. This answer is zero. If an

account has $4 and you wish to add money to the account so that
the balance is $4, zero money needs to be added to the account.
x2 = 9 has the real solutions x = 3 and x = –3. These answers are
integers. If a square has an area of 9 square meters, each side is 3
meters long.
x + 9 = 2 has the real solution x = –7. This answer is negative. If
you have a string that is 9 inches long and wish to add string to it so
that the new length is 2 inches, you need to add –7 inches to the
length. In this case, the minus sign indicates that 7 inches need to
be subtracted from its length: –7 + 9 = 2.
8x = 6 has the real solution x = 6/8 = 3/4. This answer is rational. If
you buy 8 oranges for $6, then each orange costs $6/8 = $0.75
(which equals 75 cents).
x2 = 3 has the real solutions x = square root of 3 and x = –square
root of 3. These answers are irrational. If a square field has an area
of 3 square miles, then each side measures square root 3 miles. This
number begins 1.73205080… with the digits continuing forever
without forming a repeating pattern.
Now we’ll consider an example where the solution is not real. Compare the
two equations below.
x2 = 4 , x2 = –4

The first equation, x2 = 4, has real solutions: x = 2 or x = –2. If you

square 2, you get 4. If you square –2, you also get 4 since (–2)(–2)
= 4.
The second equation, x2 = –4 doesn’t have a real solution. Any real
number squared is nonnegative. Any positive number squared is
positive; any negative number squared is also positive; zero
squared is zero. There doesn’t exist a real number whose square is
negative. In an introductory algebra course, you would be taught
that x2 = –4 has no solution. However, it turns out that an entire
subject of complex numbers, which have a variety of applications
(see Chapter 17), has been developed around solutions to equations
like x2 = –4.
 CHAPTER 1 PROBLEMS
Directions: Evaluate each expression.
ANSWERS (CHAPTER 1)
2 COMPLEX NUMBERS
 CHAPTER 2 PROBLEMS
Directions: Simplify each expression as much as possible. Determine
whether each expression is complex, purely real, or purely imaginary.
ANSWERS (CHAPTER 2)
3 COMPLEX CONJUGATES
 CHAPTER 3 PROBLEMS
Directions: Find each complex conjugate.

Directions: Evaluate each expression.

ANSWERS (CHAPTER 3)
 4 COMPLEX ARITHMETIC
In this chapter, we will learn how to add, subtract, multiply, or divide
complex numbers.
To add or subtract complex numbers, the main idea is to combine like
terms. We use this same strategy in algebra to add 5x+4 and 3x+2, for
example. In this case, 5x and 3x are like terms because each term has the
same variable raised to the first power, and 4 and 2 are like terms because
each is a constant.
5x+4+3x+2 = (5x+3x)+(4+2) = 8x+6
 CHAPTER 4 PROBLEMS
Directions: Perform the indicated arithmetic operation.
ANSWERS (CHAPTER 4)
 5 THE COMPLEX PLANE
The complex plane provides a way to geometrically visualize complex
numbers:

The horizontal axis (x) represents the real numbers. A purely real
number lies on the x-axis.
The vertical axis (y) represents the imaginary numbers. A purely
imaginary number lies on the y-axis.
As usual, the point of intersection is called the origin. This is the
point (0, 0).
A number that doesn’t lie on either the x- or the y-axis is complex.
It has both real and imaginary parts.
The coordinates of the complex number z = x + iy are (x, y).
The graph above is referred to as an Argand diagram. The diamond marks
the location of the point (x, y), which represents the complex number z = x
+ iy. You should notice that graphing a point in the complex plane really is
no different than graphing a point (x, y) in the usual xy plane. The only
distinction is the interpretation that x is the real part and y is the imaginary
part of a complex number.
If you know about vectors, z is basically a vector with components of x and
y. (In AC circuits, we call z a phasor, which is basically a vector where the
vertical component is the imaginary part of a complex number.) If you don’t
know about vectors, don’t feel left out. All we need to know about them in
this book is the magnitude (which we will call the modulus in the context of
complex numbers), direction, and how they relate to the components, and
we’ll learn these things in the next couple of chapters. In this chapter, we
will focus on understanding how the real and imaginary parts of a complex
number relate to the complex plane. This should seem easy because it isn’t
any different form plotting (x, y) in the usual xy plane. See the examples
below.
CHAPTER 5 PROBLEMS
ANSWERS (CHAPTER 5)
6 THE MODULUS
CHAPTER 6 PROBLEMS
ANSWERS (CHAPTER 6)
7 POLAR FORM
 CHAPTER 7 PROBLEMS
Directions: Find the modulus and argument for each number.

Directions: Express each number in Cartesian form.

ANSWERS (CHAPTER 7)
8 REAL AND IMAGINARY
PARTS
CHAPTER 8 PROBLEMS
ANSWERS (CHAPTER 8)
 9 QUADRATIC ROOTS
Recall from algebra that a quadratic equation in the standard form az2+bz+c
is solved by the quadratic formula:

The discriminant refers to the part under the radical: b2 – 4ac. In general,
there are two solutions to the quadratic equation, one for the + sign and the
other for the minus sign (of the plus/minus sign in the numerator). These
two solutions are called roots. If the constants a, b, and c are real, then the
discriminant determines whether the roots to the quadratic equation are real,
imaginary, or complex, as follows.

If b2 – 4ac > 0 (meaning that b2 > 4ac), then both roots are real.
If b2 – 4ac = 0 (meaning that b2 = 4ac), then both roots are the same
and they are real. Since they are the same, this is called a double
root.
If b2 – 4ac < 0 (meaning that b2 < 4ac), then neither root is real. If b
= 0, both roots are purely imaginary. If b isn’t zero, both roots are
complex. In either case, the two roots are complex conjugates of
one another.
However, if any of the constants a, b, and c isn’t real, then the
above points don’t apply. In this case, you need to examine the
entire quadratic formula (not just the discriminant) to determine
whether or not the roots are real. (In this case, if there are two
complex roots, they may not be complex conjugates. It’s also
possible to have one complex root and one real root in this case.)
The quadratic formula solves every case of the quadratic equation. For
some values of the constants a, b, and c, it is easier to factor the quadratic
equation than it is to use the quadratic formula; for other cases, the
quadratic formula is easier. Following are a few examples showing when it
is reasonably easy to factor the quadratic. (Factoring is easier for some
students than for others. It is a challenge for some students because you
have to try a few different combinations to get it right. If the right
combination doesn’t come easily to you, maybe you just haven’t had
enough practice for it to click, but don’t worry. You don’t have to factor.
You can use the quadratic formula instead.)
 CHAPTER 9 PROBLEMS
Directions: Evaluate each expression.
ANSWERS (CHAPTER 9)
 10 DE MOIVRE’S
THEOREM
The relationship between the polar form and Cartesian form of complex
numbers (Chapter 7) leads to two useful equations: de Moivre’s theorem
and Euler’s formula. We will look at de Moivre's theorem now and discuss
Euler’s formula1 in Chapter 11.
 CHAPTER 10 PROBLEMS
Directions: Use trigonometry to evaluate each expression.
ANSWERS (CHAPTER 10)
11 EULER’S FORMULA
 CHAPTER 11 PROBLEMS
Directions: Evaluate each expression.

Directions: Express each complex number in exponential form.

Directions: Express each complex number in Cartesian form.

ANSWERS (CHAPTER 11)
 12 COMPLEX
TRIGONOMETRY
Here is something to think about. Recall that in Chapter 1 we began by
introducing the imaginary number i as a way to solve equations like x2 = –1.
Would you expect that merely introducing the imaginary number i in this
way would allow you to take the cosine of some angle and get an answer
bigger than 1? For example, would i allow you to solve equations like
cosine (theta) = 2? (In the world of real numbers, –1 is less than or equal to
cosine of theta which is less than or equal to 1.) Think about this for a
moment.

In trigonometry, the cosine function is defined in a right triangle relative to

an angle as the side adjacent to the angle over the hypotenuse. The reason
that the cosine function ordinarily can’t exceed 1 is that in any real triangle,
it isn’t possible for either side to be larger than the hypotenuse.
The above formulas are very handy. If you need to evaluate a trig function
of a purely imaginary angle, these formulas allow you to instead evaluate a
trig function of a purely real angle using the hyperbolic counterpart, as
shown in the examples.
 CHAPTER 12 PROBLEMS
Directions: Evaluate each expression.

Directions: Derive each expression.

ANSWERS (CHAPTER 12)
13 ROOTS OF COMPLEX
NUMBERS
 CHAPTER 13 PROBLEMS
Directions: Find all of the solutions (in Cartesian form) for each problem
below.
ANSWERS (CHAPTER 13)
14 ROOTS OF UNITY
 CHAPTER 14 PROBLEMS
Directions: Express all of the solutions to each equation in rectangular
form.
ANSWERS (CHAPTER 14)
 15 ROOTS OF
POLYNOMIALS
 CHAPTER 15 PROBLEMS
Directions: Find all of the roots of each polynomial.
ANSWERS (CHAPTER 15)
 16 PROPERTIES OF
COMPLEX NUMBERS
The properties of complex numbers listed in this chapter are in the form of
handy formulas or identities. Some of these will be proven in the examples
or exercises.
 CHAPTER 16 PROBLEMS
Directions: Evaluate each expression.

Directions: Derive each identity.

Directions: Each problem presents what seems to be a paradox. Resolve the
paradox.
ANSWERS (CHAPTER 16)
 17 APPLICATIONS
In this chapter, we will discuss a variety of applications of complex
numbers in the fields of math and physics.
As we saw in Chapter 15, complex numbers are significant in the roots of
polynomials. Consider for a moment what finding roots of polynomials is
like without using any complex numbers. One of the strange things is that
every cubic polynomial (with real coefficients) has at least one real root,
whereas many quadratics and quartics (with real coefficients) have no real
roots. For example, x2+4 and 3x4+6x2+1 don’t have any real roots because
no real number squared or raised to the fourth power can be negative to
cancel the positive constant. When we allow for complex roots, the roots of
polynomials bring a feeling of completeness in the following ways. First,
every polynomial has either real or complex roots (or both), so no
polynomial is left out. Also, a polynomial of degree n will have n roots
(either real or complex), though some of the roots may be the same (with
multiplicity of 2 or more). In this way, complex roots play an important role
in the fundamental theorem of algebra (Chapter 15).
Complex numbers are also important in trigonometry. Although we
explored some elements of complex trigonometry in Chapter 12, what may
seem fascinating is that complex numbers are helpful in the trigonometry of
purely real numbers. Complex numbers make it easier to derive some
standard trig identities. Recall the following identities from Chapters 10-12
relating to Euler’s formula and de Moivre’s theorem:
However, sometimes when an imaginary or complex number arises in a
calculation in physics or engineering, the only significance is that there is
no real solution. For example, if a rock is thrown straight upwards and you
proceed to calculate how much time it will take the rock to reach a
particular height, if the answer is imaginary (and if your calculation is
correct), it is simply telling you that the rock wasn’t thrown fast enough to
ever reach that height. As another example, if a box is sliding down an
inclined plane with friction and you proceed to calculate how fast the box
will be moving when it reaches the bottom of the incline, if the answer is
imaginary (and if your calculation is correct), it is telling you that there is so
much friction that the box won’t actually reach the bottom of the incline.
Thus, an imaginary or complex number is sometimes just the way that
mathematics tells you when something can’t actually happen in the real
world.
 CHAPTER 17 PROBLEMS
Directions: Use complex numbers to derive each trig identity.

Directions: Find the eigenvalues for each matrix.

ANSWERS (CHAPTER 17)
APPENDIX: CUBIC AND
QUARTIC FORMULAS
 APPENDIX PROBLEMS
Directions: Use the cubic or quartic formulas to find all of the solutions to
each equation.
ANSWERS (APPENDIX)
 WAS THIS BOOK
HELPFUL?
Much effort and thought were put into this book, such as:

Introducing the main ideas at the beginning of each chapter. The

goal was to be concise while also covering the pertinent
information.
Solving examples step by step to serve as a helpful guide.
Including not just answers, but even the solutions to most of the
problems.
Emphasizing in Chapter 1 and Chapter 17 that there are many
practical applications of complex numbers. It’s not merely a
fascinating subject; it’s actually put to good use.
If you appreciate the effort that went into making this book possible, there
is a simple way that you could show it:
Please take a moment to post an honest review.
For example, you can review this book at [Link] or [Link].
Even a short review can be helpful and will be much appreciated. If you are
not sure what to write, following are a few ideas, though it is best to
describe what is important to you.

Was it helpful to have notes/solutions in addition to the answers at

the back of the book?
Were the examples useful?
Were you able to understand the ideas at the beginning of the
chapter?
Did this book offer good practice for you?
Would you recommend this book to others? If so, why?
Do you believe that you found a mistake? Please email the author, Chris
McMullen, at greekphysics@[Link] to ask about it. One of two things
will happen:

You might discover that it wasn’t a mistake after all and learn why.
You might be right, in which case the author will be grateful and
future readers will benefit from the correction. Everyone is human.
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Chris McMullen has over 20 years of experience teaching university
physics in California, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana. Dr.
McMullen is also an author of math and science workbooks. Whether in the
classroom or as a writer, Dr. McMullen loves sharing knowledge and the art
of motivating and engaging students.
The author earned his Ph.D. in phenomenological high-energy physics
(particle physics) from Oklahoma State University in 2002. Originally from
California, Chris McMullen earned his Master’s degree from California
State University, Northridge, where his thesis was in the field of electron
spin resonance.
As a physics teacher, Dr. McMullen observed that many students lack
fluency in essential math skills. In an effort to help students of all ages and
levels become fluent in mathematics, he published a series of math
workbooks on fractions, long division, word problems, algebra, geometry,
trigonometry, logarithms, calculus, probability, differential equations, and
more. Dr. McMullen has also published a variety of science books,
including astronomy, chemistry, and physics workbooks.
Author, Chris McMullen, Ph.D.