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Problem Sheet

This document provides 15 problems related to complex numbers. The problems cover topics such as solving quadratic equations using complex numbers, putting complex numbers in standard form, finding moduli and arguments of complex numbers, using De Moivre's theorem, and sketching sets on the Argand diagram.

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Louie Lam
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55 views

Problem Sheet

This document provides 15 problems related to complex numbers. The problems cover topics such as solving quadratic equations using complex numbers, putting complex numbers in standard form, finding moduli and arguments of complex numbers, using De Moivre's theorem, and sketching sets on the Argand diagram.

Uploaded by

Louie Lam
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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INTRODUCTION TO COMPLEX NUMBERS – SHEET 1

Solutions will be made available online on Monday of Week 2. Students should not necessarily expect a college
tutorial on these problems, and in this case students are asked to review and mark their own work.

1. Which of the following quadratic equations require the use of complex numbers to solve them?

3x2 + 2x − 1 = 0; 2x2 − 6x + 9 = 0; − 4x2 + 7x − 9 = 0.

2. Show directly that if zw = 0, where z, w are two complex numbers, then z = 0 or w = 0 (or both). Now
re-prove this making use of properties of the modulus function.

3. Put each of the following numbers into the form a + bi.

(3 + 2i) + (2 − 7i), (1 + 2i)(3 − i), (1 + 2i)/(3 − i), (1 + i)4 .

4. Find the modulus and argument of each of the following numbers.


√
1 + 3i, (2 + i)(3 − i), (1 + i)5 , (1 + 2i)3 /(2 − i)3 .

5. Find the two square roots of −5 − 12i. Hence solve the quadratic equation z 2 − (4 + i)z + (5 + 5i) = 0.

6. On separate Argand diagrams sketch the following sets.

(i) |z| < 1; (ii) Re z = 3; (iii) |z − 1| = |z + i| ;


(iv) arg(z − i) = π/4; (v) −π/4 < arg z < π/4; (vi) Re(z + 1) = |z − 1| ;
(vii) |z − 3 − 4i| = 5; (viii) Re((1 + i)z) = 1; (ix) Im(z 3 ) > 0.

7. Let z = cisθ = eiθ and let n be an integer.


(i) Show that 2 cos θ = z + z −1 and that 2i sin θ = z − z −1 .
(ii) Using De Moivre’s theorem, show further that 2 cos nθ = z n + z −n and that 2i sin nθ = z n − z −n .
R π/2
(iii) Deduce that 16 cos5 θ = cos 5θ + 5 cos 3θ + 10 cos θ and evaluate 0 cos5 θ dθ.

8. Let ζ = cis(2π/5) = e2πi/5 . Show that 1 + ζ + ζ 2 + ζ 3 + ζ 4 = 0. Show further that

(z − ζ − ζ 4 )(z − ζ 2 − ζ 3 ) = z 2 + z − 1
√
and deduce that cos(2π/5) = ( 5 − 1)/4.

9. Write down the seven roots of z 7 + 1 = 0. By considering the coefficient of z 6 in the factorization of z 7 + 1,
show that π    
3π 5π 1
cos + cos + cos = .
7 7 7 2
10.(i) Let ζ = cis(π/7) = eiπ/7 . Simplify the expression (ζ − ζ 6 )(ζ 3 − ζ 4 )(ζ 5 − ζ 2 ). Hence show that

cos(π/7) cos(3π/7) cos(5π/7) = −1/8.

(ii) Given that cos 7θ = 64 cos7 θ − 112 cos5 θ + 56 cos3 θ − 7 cos θ, rederive the result of (i).

PTO
Optional Extension Questions

11. (i) Let a, b, c be positive real numbers. By expanding (a + b + c)(a2 + b2 + c2 − ab − bc − ca) and considering
the second factor as a quadratic in a, show that

a3 + b3 + c3 > 3abc if a, b, c > 0.

(ii) Let ω 3 = 1, ω 6= 1. Show for any real numbers a, b, c that

a3 + b3 + c3 − 3abc = (a + b + c)(a + ωb + ω 2 c)(a + ω 2 b + ωc).

Hence find all real numbers a, b, c which satisfy a3 + b3 + c3 = 3abc.

12. (i) Let p, q be complex numbers. Show that Viète’s substitution z = w − p/(3w) turns the equation
z 3 + pz = q into the quadratic in w3 .
(ii) Use Viète’s substitution to solve the cubic z 3 − 12z + 8 = 0.

13. (i) Let P (z) be a polynomial with (possibly repeated) roots α1 , α2 , . . . , αk . Show that

P 0 (z) 1 1 1
= + + ··· + .
P (z) z − α1 z − α2 z − αk

(ii) Deduce that if Im αi > 0 for each i, then Im β > 0 for any root β of P 0 (z).
(iii) Deduce further that if all the roots α of a polynomial P (z) satisfy |α| < R then all the roots β of P 0 (z)
satisfy |β| < R.

14. (i) Show, for any complex number z and positive integer n, that
n−1
Y   
2n 2 2 kπ
z − 1 = (z − 1) z − 2z cos +1 .
n
k=1

(ii) Deduce that for any real θ that


n−1
Y  
n−1 kπ
sin nθ = 2 sin θ cos θ − cos .
n
k=1

(iii) Determine
2n  
Y kπ
cos .
2n + 1
k=1

15. Let k > 0.


(i) Sketch the curve Ck with equation |z + 1/z| = k.
(ii) What are the extreme values of |z| on Ck ?
(iii) Show that the curve C2 consists of precisely two circles.

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