CEDAT

DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

EMT 1101-ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS I

YEAR I (ONE) SEMESTER ONE

Lesson 1: COMPLEX NUMBERS

1
DEFINITION

A complex number is described as: Z = (real part ) + i (imaginary part ) where i = ( 1) .

-
A
complex number can take various forms:

z = x + iy cartesianform
z = r (cos q + i sin q ) polarform
z = reiq exp onential form

Graphical Representation of Complex Numbers

Two perpendicular co-ordinate axes, the horizontal x-axis, called the real-axis, and the vertical
axis, called the imaginary axis. On both axes the same units of length are chosen. This is called
the Cartesian co-ordinate system. Plotting z = x + iy as the point P with coordinates ( x, y ) . The
xy-plane in which the complex numbers are represented in this way is called the complex plane
or Argand diagram.

OZ-modulus of complex numbers

q -argument of the complex number (Always measured from the positive direction)

2
Arithmetic Operations

Addition

The sum of z1 = x1 + iy1 and z2 = x2 + iy2 is written as:

z1 + z2 = ( x1 + x2 ) + ( y1 + y2 )i

Subtraction

Given z1 = x1 + iy1 and z2 = x2 + iy2 , then:

z1 - z2 = ( x1 - x2 ) + i ( y1 - y2 )

Multiplication

The product z1 z2 is obtained as:

z1 z2 = ( x1 + iy1 )( x2 + iy2 )
= ( x1 x2 - y1 y2 ) + i ( x1 y2 + x2 y1 )

This is obtained by the rules of arithmetic and using i 2 = -1

Complex Conjugate Numbers

Let z = x + yi be any complex number. Then z = x - yi is called the complex conjugate of z and
is denoted z . Thus; z = x + yi , z = x - yi .

Conjugates are useful since z z = x 2 + y 2 is real, a property used in division. Moreover, addition
and subtraction yields:

z + z = 2x

z - z = 2iy

Hence, the real part and the imaginary parts of z can be expressed by the following important
formulas:

Re z = x =
1
2
(
z+z )
Im z = y =
1
2i
z-z ( )

3
Also,

( z1 + z2 ) = z1 + z2
( z1 - z2 ) = z1 - z2
( z1 z2 ) = z1 z2
æ z1 ö z1
ç ÷=
è z2 ø z2

Division

Given z1 = x1 + iy1 and z2 = x2 + iy2 then:

z1 x1 + iy1 æ ( x2 - iy2 ) ö x1 x2 + y1 y2 æ x2 y1 - x1 y2 ö
z= = ç ÷= +ç ÷i
z2 x2 + iy2 çè ( x2 - iy2 ) ÷ø x2 2 + y2 2 è x2 2 + y2 2 ø

Re Im

(Recall: i 2 = -1)

Polar form of Complex Numbers

Given a complex number z = x + iy , in polar coordinates it is written as: z = r (cos q + i sin q )

x = r cos q , y = r sin q : r is called the absolute value or modulus of z and is denoted z . Hence,

z = r = x2 + y 2 = z z .

4
q is called the argument of z and is denoted by arg z .

- æ yö
q = arg z = tan 1 ç ÷ ; q is the directed angle from the positive x-axis to OP. The value of q that
èxø
lies in the interval -p < q £ p is called the principal value of the argument of z ( ¹ 0 ) and is
denoted by arg z . Thus, q = arg z satisfies by definition -p < arg z £ p .

Example

1. Find the modulus and the argument of z = 1 + i

z = x 2 + y 2 = 12 + 12 = 2
æ1ö
- p
q = arg z = tan 1 ç ÷ = 450 = ± 2np (n = 0,1,...)
è1ø 4

p -
7p 9p
The principal value of the argument is arg z = . Other values are , , etc .
4 4 4

Note: In finding the argument of z, attention must be given to the quadrant in which z lies, since
tan q has period p , hence the argument of z and - z have the same tangent e.g. for
q1 = arg(1 + i ) and q 2 = arg( -1 - i ) , tan q1 = tan q 2 = 1

5
Multiplication and Division in Polar Form

Let z1 = r1 (cos q1 + i sin q1 ) and z2 = r2 (cos q 2 + i sin q 2 ) . Then the product of z1 z2 becomes:
z1 z2 = r1r2 (cos q1 cos q 2 - sin q1 sin q 2 ) + i (sin q1 cos q 2 + cos q1 sin q 2 )

Using addition rules for sines and cosines:

z1 z2 = r1r2 éëcos (q1 + q 2 ) + i sin (q1 + q 2 ) ùû

Taking absolute values and arguments on both sides gives:

z1 z2 = z1 z2 and arg( z1 z2 ) = arg z1 + arg z2

Also,

z1 r1
= écos (q1 - q 2 ) + i sin (q1 - q 2 ) ùû
z2 r2 ë

z1 z æz ö
and = 1 ( z2 ¹ 0 ) , arg ç 1 ÷ = arg z1 - arg z2
z2 z2 è z2 ø

Example

1. Let z1 = - 2 + 2i and z2 = 3i

z1 z2 = ( - 2 + 2i )(3i ) = - 6 - 6i

z1 - 2 + 2i
=
( 3i ) = 2 + 2 i
-

z2 3i ( 3i ) 3 3
-

Hence,

z1 z2 = 3 8 = z1 z2

z1 2 3 z1
= =
z2 3 z2

- æ 2 ö 3p - æ 3 ö p
arg z1 = tan 1 ç - ÷ = , arg z2 = tan 1 ç ÷ =
è 2ø 4 è0ø 2

6
 -
3p
arg z1 z2 = = arg z1 + arg z2 - 2p
4

æz ö p
arg ç 1 ÷ = = arg z1 - arg z2
è z2 ø 4

De Moivre’s Theorem

z1 r1
Given z1 z2 = r1r2 éëcos (q1 + q 2 ) + i sin (q1 + q 2 ) ùû and = écos (q1 - q 2 ) + i sin (q1 - q 2 ) ùû . If
z2 r2 ë
z1 = z2 = z , then:

z 2 = r 2 (cos 2q + i sin 2q )
-
z -2 = r 2
éëcos( - 2q ) + i sin( - 2q ) ùû

and, more generally, for any integer n

z n = r n ( cos nq + i sin nq )

For, z = r = 1 , the above formula yields the so-called formula of De Moivre

( cos q + i sin q )
n
= cos nq + i sin nq .

This formula is useful for expressing cos nq and sin nq in terms of cos q and sin q e.g. for n = 2

cos 2q + i sin 2q = ( cos q + i sin q )

2

= cos 2 q + i 2 cos q sin q + i 2 sin 2 q

= cos 2 q - sin 2 q + i 2 cos q sin q

cos 2q = cos 2 q - sin 2 q

sin 2q = 2 cos q sin q

De Moivre’s theorem can be applied to any complex number by first putting the number in polar
form.

Examples

Evaluate the following using De Moivre’s theorem:

(1 + 3i )
5
1.

7
 é æp ö æ p öù
From 1 + 3i = 2 êcos ç ÷ + i sin ç ÷ ú
ë è3ø è 3 øû

5
é æp ö æ p öù
( )
5
Then 1 + 3i = 2 êcos ç ÷ + i sin ç ÷ ú
5

ë è3ø è 3 øû

é æ 5p ö æ 5p ö ù
= 32 êcos ç ÷ + i sin ç ÷ú
ë è 3 ø è 3 øû

= 16 - 3i

(1 + 3i )
3
4
2.

3
é æp ö æ p öù
( )
3 3 4
4
1 + 3i = 2 êcos ç ÷ + i sin ç ÷ ú
4

ë è3ø è 3 øû

( )
3
4
So that one of the values of 1 + 3i is

3 é æp ö æ p öù
= 2 4 êcos ç ÷ + i sin ç ÷ ú
ë è4ø è 4 øû
3 é 2 æ 2 öù
=2 4ê + i çç ÷÷ ú
ëê 2 è 2 ø ûú
2
[1 + i ]
3
= 2 4.
2
1
= 2 4 (1 + i )