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Complex Numbers

The document discusses complex numbers, which are numbers that can be expressed as the sum of a real number and an imaginary number. It provides examples of real, imaginary, and complex numbers. It also covers how to add, multiply, divide and operate with complex numbers.

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Jacques
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35 views9 pages

Complex Numbers

The document discusses complex numbers, which are numbers that can be expressed as the sum of a real number and an imaginary number. It provides examples of real, imaginary, and complex numbers. It also covers how to add, multiply, divide and operate with complex numbers.

Uploaded by

Jacques
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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11/6/2016

ComplexNumbers

Complex Numbers
Advanced

AComplexNumber

AComplexNumberisacombinationofa
RealNumberandanImaginaryNumber

RealNumbers arenumberslike:
1

12.38

0.8625

3/4

1998

NearlyanynumberyoucanthinkofisaRealNumber!

ImaginaryNumbers when squared giveanegativeresult.


Normallythisdoesn'thappen,because:
whenwesquareapositivenumberwegetapositiveresult,and
whenwesquareanegativenumberwealsogetapositiveresult(becauseanegative
timesanegativegivesapositive)
Butjustimaginethereissuchanumber,becausewewillneedit.
The"unit"imaginarynumber(like1forRealNumbers)isi,whichisthesquarerootof1

Becausewhenwesquareiweget1

i2=1
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ExamplesofImaginaryNumbers:

3i

1.04i

2.8i

3i/4

(2)i

1998i

Complex Numbers
AComplexNumberisacombinationofaRealNumberandanImaginaryNumber:

Examples:

1+i

39+3i

0.82.2i

2+ i

2+i/2

CanaNumberbeaCombinationofTwoNumbers?
Canwemakeupanumberfromtwoothernumbers?Surewecan!
Wedoitwith fractions allthetime.Thefraction3/8isanumbermadeup
ofa3andan8.Weknowitmeans"3of8equalparts".
Well,aComplexNumberisjusttwonumbersaddedtogether(aRealand
anImaginaryNumber).

Either Part Can Be Zero


So,aComplexNumberhasarealpartandanimaginarypart.
Buteitherpartcanbe0,soallRealNumbersandImaginaryNumbersarealsoComplexNumbers.
Complex
Number
3+2 i
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RealPart
3

Imaginary
Part
2
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ComplexNumbers

6i

Complicated?
Complexdoesnotmeancomplicated.
Itmeansthetwotypesofnumbers,realandimaginary,
togetherformacomplex,justlikeabuildingcomplex
(buildingsjoinedtogether).

Adding
Toaddtwocomplexnumbersweaddeachpartseparately:

(a+bi)+(c+di)=(a+c)+(b+d)i
Example:(3+2 i)+(1+7 i)=(4+9 i)

Multiplying
Tomultiplycomplexnumbers:
Eachpartofthefirstcomplexnumbergetsmultipliedby
eachpartofthesecondcomplexnumber
Justuse"FOIL",whichstandsfor"Firsts,Outers,Inners,Lasts"(see BinomialMultiplication for
moredetails):
Firsts:ac
Outers:adi
Inners:bic
Lasts:bidi

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ComplexNumbers

(a+bi)(c+di)=ac+adi+bci+bdi2
Likethis:

Example:(3+2i)(1+7i)
(3+2 i)(1+7 i) =31+37 i+2 i1+2 i7 i

=3+21 i+2 i+14 i2

=3+21 i+2 i14

(becausei2=1)

=11+23 i

Andthis:

Example:(1+i)2
(1+i)2=(1+i)(1+i) =11+1i+1i+i2

=1+2 i1

(becausei2=1)

=0+2 i

ButThereisaQuickerWay!
Usethisrule:

(a+bi)(c+di)=(acbd)+(ad+bc)i
Example:(3+2 i)(1+7 i)=(3127)+(37+21)i=11+23 i

WhyDoesThatRuleWork?
Itisjustthe"FOIL"methodafteralittlework:
(a+bi)(c+di) = ac+adi+bci+bdi2

FOILmethod

= ac+adi+bcibd

(becausei2=1)

= (acbd)+(ad+bc)i

(gatheringliketerms)

Andtherewehavethe(acbd)+(ad+bc)ipattern.
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ComplexNumbers

Thisruleiscertainlyfaster,butifyouforgetit,justremembertheFOILmethod.

Letustryi2
Justforfun,let'susethemethodtocalculatei2

Example:i2

icanalsobewrittenwitharealandimaginarypartas0+i
i2=(0+i)2 =(0+i)(0+i)

=(0011)+(01+10)i

=1+0i

=1

Andthatagreesnicelywiththedefinitionthati2=1
Soitallworkswonderfully!
Learnmoreat ComplexNumberMultiplication .

Complex Plane

Wecanalsoputcomplexnumbersona ComplexPlane .
TheRealpartgoesleftright
TheImaginarypartgoesupdown

Conjugates
A conjugate iswherewechangethesigninthemiddlelikethis:

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Aconjugateisoftenwrittenwithabaroverit:

Example:
53i=5+3i

Dividing
Theconjugateisusedtohelpdivision.
Thetrickistomultiplybothtopandbottombytheconjugateofthebottom.

Example:DothisDivision:

2+3i

45i

Multiplytopandbottombytheconjugateof45i:

2+3i

45i

4+5i
4+5i

8+10i+12i+15i2
16+20i20i25i2

Nowrememberthati2=1,so:

8+10i+12i15
16+20i20i+25

AddLikeTerms(andnoticehowonthebottom20i20icancelsout!):

7+22i
41

Weshouldthenputtheanswerbackintoa+biform:

22

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ComplexNumbers

= 41 + 41 i

DONE!

Yes,thereisabitofcalculationtodo.Butitcanbedone.

Multiplying By the Conjugate


Wecansavealittlebitoftime,though.
Inthatexample,whathappenedonthebottomwasinteresting:

(45i)(4+5i)=16+20i20i25i2
Themiddletermscancelout!
Andsincei2=1weendedupwiththis:

(45i)(4+5i)=42+52
Whichisreallyquiteasimpleresult
Infactwecanwriteageneralrulelikethis:

(a+bi)(abi)=a2+b2
Sothatcansaveustimewhendodivision,likethis:

Example:Let'strythisagain

2+3i

45i

Multiplytopandbottombytheconjugateof45i:

2+3i

45i

4+5i
4+5i

8+10i+12i+15i2
16+25

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7+22i
41
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ComplexNumbers

Andthenbackintoa+biform:

7
41

22
41

DONE!

The Mandelbrot Set


ThebeautifulMandelbrotSet(picturedhere)isbasedon
ComplexNumbers.
Itisaplotofwhathappenswhenwetakethesimple
equationz2+c(bothcomplexnumbers)andfeedthe
resultbackintoztimeandtimeagain.
Thecolorshowshowfastz2+cgrows,andblackmeans
itstayswithinacertainrange.

Hereisanimagemadebyzoominginto
theMandelbrotset

Andhereisthecenteroftheprevious
onezoomedinevenfurther:

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Question1Question2Question3Question4Question5Question6
Question7Question8Question9Question10
ChallengingQuestions:12

Copyright2016MathsIsFun.com

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