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Complex Numbers Notes

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13 views

Complex Numbers Notes

Uploaded by

procooll
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Complex Numbers

All complex numbers consist of a real and imaginary part.


The imaginary part is a multiple of i (where i = ).

We often use the letter ‘z’ to represent a complex number eg. z = 3 +5i

The conjugate of z is written as z* or

If z1 = a + bi then the conjugate of z (z* ) = a – bi

Similarly if z2 = x – yi then the conjugate z2* = x + yi

z z* will always be real (as i2 = -1)

For two expressions containing complex numbers to be equal, both the real parts must
be equal and the imaginary parts must also be equal.

If z1 = a + bi , z2 = x + yi and 2z1 = z2 + 3 then

2( a + bi) = x + yi + 3
hence 2a + 2bi = x + 3 + yi

so 2a = x + 3 (real parts are equal)


and 2b = y (imaginary parts are equal)

When adding/subtracting complex numbers deal with the real parts and the imaginary
parts separately

eg. z1 + z2 = a + bi + x + yi
= a + x + (b + y)i

When multiplying just treat as an algebraic expression in brackets

eg. z1 z2 = (a + bi)(x + yi)


= ax + ayi + bxi + byi2
= ax - by + (ay + bx)i (as i2 = -1)

Division by a complex number is a very similar process to ‘rationalising’ surds – we


call it ‘realising’
Argand Diagrams

We can represent complex numbers on an Argand diagram. This similar to a normal


set of x and y axes except that the x axis represents the real part of the number and the
y axis represents the imaginary part of the number.
imaginary

4+4i
4

-3 +2i
2

-4 -2 0 2 4 real

-2
-4 – 3i 2-3i

-4

The argand diagrams allow complex numbers to be expressed in terms of an angle


(the argument) and the length of the line joining the point z to the origin (the modulus
of z). Hence the complex number can be expressed in a polar form. The argument is
measured from the real axis and ranges from –п to п.

so for z=4+4i
When in this form some expressions for complex numbers can be drawn as loci.

This means that the distance between the fixed point and the loci z is a constant
value r, thus z is a circle of radius r about.

This means that the argument of the line between the loci z and the point has an
argument of . Thus the loci z is the line from at an argument of .

This means that the line joining the point to the loci z is equal in length to the line
joining to the loci z. therefore the loci is the perpendicular bisector of the line
joining the two points.

The same as above but rather than the locus being equidistant from both points it is k
times further away from than .

From an argand diagram complex numbers can be express using a modulus and an
argument, the component real and imaginary parts of these numbers can then be
expressed in a similar way to a resolved vector.

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