2.

3 – REAL AND COMPLEX NUMBERS (Year 11 Specialist)

Key Symbols / Definitions
Type Symbol Explanation Examples
3
Real Numbers ℝ All numbers, no restrictions , −4, √3, −6.7
7
All positive and negative whole
Integers ℤ −4, −3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
numbers (and zero)
Natural Numbers ℕ Positive Whole Numbers 1, 2, 3, 4
Any number that can be a fraction
𝑝 7 −5 1
Rational Numbers ℚ with two integers 𝑞 where 𝑞 ≠ 0 and 3.5 = , −5 = , 0. 3̇ =
2 1 3
𝑝 and 𝑞 have no common factors
Any integer doubled will be positive,
2𝑚 + 1
Odd number then adding 1 makes it odd, 3, 7, 11, −5, −11
for some 𝑚 ∈ ℤ
e.g. 𝑚 = 4, 2 × 4 + 1 = 9
2𝑚 Any integer doubled will be positive,
Even number 2, 10, −18, 26
for some 𝑚 ∈ ℤ e.g. 𝑚 = 4, 2 × 4 = 8
Divisible means it leaves no remainder
𝑎𝑚 21 is divisible by 3 since 21 = 3 × 7
Divisible by “a” when divided by “a”. In other words,
for some 𝑚 ∈ ℤ 24 is divisible by 2 since 24 = 2 × 12
the number is a multiple of “a”
There exists 𝑎2 The number is a square number, so
Perfect square 9, 16, 25, 81
for some 𝑎 ∈ ℤ the square root is a whole number
There does not
The only factors are 1 and itself, for
exist 𝑎𝑏
Prime Number example 7 has no factors except 1 and 5, 11, 17, 29
for some 𝑎, 𝑏 ∈ ℤ
7
and 𝑎, 𝑏 > 1
There does exist There is at least one pair of factors
Composite 𝑎𝑏 which doesn’t include one, for
6, 18, 33, 93
Number for some 𝑎, 𝑏 ∈ ℤ example 10 is composite because
and 𝑎, 𝑏 > 1 2 × 5 = 10

FORMULA SHEET

KEY PARTS OF A PROOF

• Prove only if asked to prove (Prove, clearly show etc.)
• CLEARLY DEFINE ANY VARIABLES YOU ARE USING (use 𝑘 ∈ ℤ etc.)
• SHOW ALL STEPS
• CLEARLY VALIDATE ANYTHING REQUIRED (i.e. 𝑎2 ≥ 0 or 𝑎2 will always be positive)
• FINAL PROOF STATEMENT – Make sure you make statements at the end to finish proof (i.e., The
contrapositive is true, this implies that the original statement is true or Q.E.D or Justification)
• Never write ……. = ……… to start and manipulate this equation, you must prove both sides are equal.
• If proved, you can write Q.E.D. = Latin abbreviation for quod erat demonstrandum: "Which was to be
demonstrated."
• Only equals, are in a line vertically, meaning this is equal to the line above
• Write a final summary sentence of your findings
• ANY NUMBER SQUARED WILL BE POSITIVE
• Instead of proving 𝑎 > 𝑏, prove 𝑎 – 𝑏 > 0 is much easier to justify, usually by square numbers or positive
factors
NOTE: When proof starts as an equation, if you manipulate this equation to get to a stage which is true, you
must write your proof in the opposite order (You can never start with what you must prove).
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 KEY SYMBOLS
SYMBOL ⇒ ⟺ ⇎ ∀ ′ ∃
EQUIVALENCE
What It IMPLICATION Don’t imply each
Both imply each other For all Not There exists
means This implies other
If and only if
Rain’ = Not ∃ 𝑥, 𝑦 ∈ ℝ
Example 𝑥 = 2 ⇒ 2𝑥 = 4 𝑥 = 2 ⟺ 2𝑥 = 4 𝑥 = 2 ⇎ 𝑥2 = 4 ∀ x ∈ ℝ, 𝑥 2 ≥ 0 where x + y = 10
Raining

PROVING SOMETHING IS FALSE

It is a lot easier to prove something is false as you need to just show examples or use maths to prove incorrect.
• PROOF BY CONTRADICTION, Assume the statement is true, then prove that it is false.
FOR ALL QUESTIONS ∀ 𝑃 ⇒ 𝑄
• find any COUNTER EXAMPLE which is any situation where the statement is not correct. For example, if someone said
all prime numbers are odd, this is false since 2 is a prime number (this is a counter example).
THERE EXISTS QUESTIONS ∃ 𝑃 ⇒ 𝑄
• Prove the Negation is False (The negation of ∃ 𝑃 ⇒ 𝑄 is ∀ 𝑃 ⇒ 𝑄′

CONTRAPOSITIVE. CONVERSE, INVERSE AND NEGATION

If we start with a TRUE statement like:
• If it is raining, there are clouds (which can also be written rain ⇒ clouds)
• If 𝑥 = 3, then 𝑥 2 = 9 (which can also be written as 𝑥 = 3 ⇒ 𝑥 2 = 9)

Type What it is Symbol Rain example 𝒙 = 𝟑 example Is it True

YES, if the
Opposite things in 𝑃⇒𝑄 If there are no clouds, it is If 𝑥 2 ≠ 9,
CONTRAPOSITIVE original was
opposite order 𝑄′ ⇒ 𝑃′ not raining then 𝑥 ≠ 3
true
Possibly Not,
𝑃⇒𝑄 If there are clouds, it is If 𝑥 2 = 9, In these cases
CONVERSE Swapping the order
𝑄⇒𝑃 raining then 𝑥 = 3
No ⇎
Possibly Not,
Opposite things, 𝑃⇒𝑄 If it is not raining, there If 𝑥 ≠ 3,
INVERSE In these cases
same order 𝑃′ ⇒ 𝑄′ are no clouds then 𝑥 2 ≠ 9
No
Swap “for all” and For all wet days, there are
∀𝑃 ⇒ 𝑄 (∀𝑛 ∈ ℕ) 2𝑛 ≥ 𝑛 + 1 If original was
NEGATION “there exists” and clouds. There exists some (∃𝑛 ∈ ℕ) 2𝑛 < 𝑛 + 1
opposite result
∃𝑃 ⇒ 𝑄′ wet days with no clouds
true, then No

Complete the following

Contrapositive Statement Converse Statement Inverse Statement
True Statement
(State if True or False) (State if True or False) (State if True or False)

If today is Monday,
then tomorrow is
Tuesday

If a number is a
multiple of 6, then it
is even

If 𝑥 = 4,
then 𝑥 2 = 16

If 𝑎 is even, then 2𝑎 is
even.

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REAL NUMBERS
CONVERTING BETWEEN FRACTIONS AND DECIMALS
Converting from Fractions to Decimals
Either convert the fraction to one over 100, since dividing by 10 is easy, or do division.
16 16×4 64 3
For example, = 25×4 = 100 = 64 ÷ 100 = 0.64, 7 ≠ 100 so = 0. 4̇28571̇
25

Convert the following to decimals.

9 3 4 11
20 11 15 27

Converting from Decimals to Fractions

If Not Recurring
Multiply decimal by as many tens that converts it to a whole number, and put it at top of fraction, put these 10s as the
bottom number of fraction, then simplify the fraction
0.45 100 45 9
E.g. 0.45 = × = =
1 100 100 20

If Recurring
Use the technique shown
E.g. 𝑛 = 0. 5̇ 4̇
100𝑛 = 54. 5̇4̇ I have completed this step to try and remove the decimal part and leave whole numbers for my fraction
Now if I take these away from each other
54 6
100𝑛 − 1𝑛 = 54. 5̇4̇ − 0. 5̇4̇ 99𝑛 = 54 𝑛 = 99 = 11
Convert the following to fractions

0. 4̇5̇ 0. 3̇07692̇ 1. 3̇6̇ 0.26̇

̅̅̅̅ is a rational number.

Prove that 7. 53

3
A set of real numbers is given by { 𝜋, √5, 0. ̅36
̅̅̅, √10 }. Identify the rational number and clearly show that it satisfies the
definition of a rational number.

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DIRECT PROOFS
Use the information given to you as fact, and then mathematically manipulate this to prove the rest.

Prove that if 𝑎 is even and 𝑏 is even, Prove that if 𝑎 is an odd number and 𝑏 is an
then 𝑎 + 𝑏 is even. odd number, then 𝑎𝑏 is also odd.

Suppose that 𝑛 is an odd integer. Prove that 𝑛2 + 4𝑛 + 7 is divisible by 4.

DIRECT PROOFS WITH GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO

• Whenever you must prove greater than or equal to, instead of proving 𝑎 > 𝑏, prove 𝑎 – 𝑏 > 0 is much
easier to justify, usually by justifying that anything squared is positive or positive factors multiply to give a
positive answer.
NOTE: When proof starts as an equation, if you manipulate this equation to get to a stage which is true,
you must write your proof in the opposite order (You can never start with what you must prove).

Prove that for 𝑛 ∈ ℝ, 𝑛2 + 1 ≥ 2𝑛

𝑎2 +𝑏2 𝑎+𝑏 2
Prove that for 𝑎, 𝑏 ∈ ℝ ≥( )
2 2

Let x and y be positive real numbers. Show that for 𝑥 > 𝑦 then 𝑥 4 > 𝑦 4

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PROOF BY CONTRAPOSITIVE
If the Contrapositive is True (opposite things in opposite order), then the original statement is true.
Often needed since the Left part of proof is more complicated than the right part, you must make final statement that
since the contrapositive was true, the original statement was true.
a) Use proof by contraposition to prove that if 𝑚𝑛 is even and 𝑚 + 𝑛 is even, then both 𝑚 and 𝑛 are even

b) Use proof by contraposition to prove that if 𝑛2 is even, then 𝑛 is even, where 𝑛 ∈ ℤ

Hence or otherwise prove that, if 𝑥 and 𝑦 are integers and if 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 is even, then 𝑥 + 𝑦 is even.
(HENCE in Mathematics usually means use your previous answer to help you)

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c) Prove that if 𝑛2 is divisible by 3, then n is divisible by 3. Hint: Prove the contrapositive by considering two cases.

Hence, use proof by contradiction to prove that √3 is irrational.

IF AND ONLY IF (EQUIVALENCE)

If 𝑷 ⇒ 𝑸 and the converse 𝑸 ⇒ 𝑷, is also true, they are equivalent 𝑸 ⟺ 𝑷. Therefore, if and only if requires you to prove
left to right (original) and right to left (converse).

The number 𝑛 is even if and only if 𝑛2 + 2𝑛 + 1 is odd.

PROVE FALSE
It is a lot easier to prove something is false as you need to just show counter examples or use maths to prove incorrect.
FOR ALL QUESTIONS ∀ 𝑃 ⇒ 𝑄
• find any COUNTER EXAMPLE which is any situation where the statement is not correct. For example, if someone said
all prime numbers are odd, this is false since 2 is a prime number (this is a counter example).
THERE EXISTS QUESTIONS ∃ 𝑃 ⇒ 𝑄
• Prove the Negation is False (The negation of ∃ 𝑃 ⇒ 𝑄 is ∀ 𝑃 ⇒ 𝑄′)
Prove the following are false

For every natural number 𝑛, the number There exists 𝑛 ∈ ℕ such that 9𝑛2 − 1 is a prime number.
2𝑛2 − 4𝑛 + 7 is prime

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PROOF BY CONTRADICTION
Say the opposite is true, and when you try to prove it, you see that mathematically it can’t be proved.
Usually used to prove irrational as an irrational number is defined as not being rational (rational has definition to use)

Suppose that 5𝑥 = 2, prove that 𝑥 is irrational

Suppose that 𝑎 is rational and 𝑏 is irrational. Prove that 𝑎 + 𝑏 is irrational.

PROOF BY INDUCTION – Covered later in Course in Semester 2

Prove that mathematical statement 𝑷(𝒏) works for 𝒏 = 𝟏, then assume 𝑷(𝒌) is true, then prove that 𝑷(𝒌 + 𝟏) is true
Finish Proof with: We have proved that 𝑃(1) is true, if 𝑃(𝑘) is true, then 𝑃(𝑘 + 1) is true for 𝑘 ∈ ℕ . By the principle of mathematical
induction, it follows that 𝑃(𝑛) is true for 𝑛 ∈ ℕ.

Prove that 𝑃(𝑛) = 1 + 3 + 5+. . . . . (2𝑛 − 1) = 𝑛2

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COMPLEX NUMBERS – Covered later in Course in Semester 2

FORMULA SHEET

√−1 = 𝑖 √−25 = √−32 = 𝑖3 =

Basic Form

𝑧 = 𝑥 + 𝑖𝑦 𝑧̄ = 𝑥 − 𝑖𝑦 𝑅𝑒( 𝑧) = 𝑥 𝐼𝑚( 𝑧) = 𝑦
Conjugate (𝑧̄ )

Simplify

(2 + 3𝑖) + (4 − 5𝑖) 3(4 − 2𝑖) − (5 − 8𝑖)

(2 + 3𝑖)(4 − 5𝑖) (3 − 2𝑖)2

4 2−𝑖
5−𝑖 3+2𝑖

Solve
𝑧 2 + 50 = 0 (𝑧 − 1)2 + 32 = 0

𝑧 2 − 4𝑧 + 20 = 0 𝑧 2 − 6𝑧 + 100 = 0

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