§1 Complex Numbers
1.1 Basic properties
Last update: January 15, 2024
Definition
In R, no x ∈ R satisfies
x2 + 1 = 0.
√
Designate i := −1 to be a solution to the equation x2 + 1 = 0.
Thus
i2 = −1.
(the other solution is −i)
Definition
A complex number z is defined to be of the form z = a + i · b,
where a, b ∈ R. The set of complex number is denoted by C.
Notation: z = x + iy; Real part: Re z := x; Imaginary part:
Im z := y.
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Operations on C
For any z = x + iy, w = u + iv ∈ C,
Addition : z + w := (x + u) + i(y + v);
Multiplication : z · w := (xu − yv) + i(xv + yu);
Substraction : z − w := (x − u) + i(y − v);
w (ux+vy)+i(vx−uy)
Division : z := x2 +y 2
, whenever z ̸= 0.
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Complex conjugation
If z = x + iy ∈ C, then
z := x − iy.
Properties:
1 z + w = z + w;
2 zw = z w.
Proposition
Complex roots of real polynomials exist in conjugate pairs.
Proof.
Use above Properties.
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Polar representation
Argand diagram: R2 representation of C
z = x + iy ←→ (x, y)
Polar representation: z = r(cos θ + i sin θ), where
p y
|z| := r = x2 + y 2 , tan θ = (x ̸= 0).
x
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Notation: cis θ := cos θ + i sin θ.
If z = r cis θ, w = ρ cis φ, then
z · w = rρ cis(θ + φ).
Theorem (de Moivre’s Law)
If z = r cis θ ̸= 0, then
z n = rn cis(nθ), ∀n ∈ Z.
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Root of unity
Question: find all solutions of z n = 1.
Method: de Moivre’s Law.
1 = z n = rn cis(nθ)
⇔r = 1, cis(nθ) = 1.
cos(nθ) + i sin(nθ) = 1
⇔ cos(nθ) = 1, sin(nθ) = 0.
Problem reduced to basic trigonometry.
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Identities and inequalities
1 | Re(z)| ≤ |z|; | Im(z)| ≤ |z|
2 |z| = |z|.
(a) zz = |z|2
(b) |zw| = |z||w|
(c) Triangular inequality: |z + w| ≤ |z| + |w|.
(c′ ) Variant form of the triangular inequality: |z + w| ≥ |z| − |w| .
(d) Parallelogram law: |z + w|2 + |z − w|2 = 2|z|2 + 2|w|2 .
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