Complex Numbers – Part 1

By Dr. Samer Awad

Assistant professor of biomedical engineering
The Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
[email protected]
June 9, 2024 :Last update
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Numbers
• Historical succession of discovering classes of
numbers:
- Natural numbers: counting.
- Integers: we added zero and the –ve numbers.
- Rational numbers: fraction of two integers m/n.
- Real numbers: rational and non-rational ().
- Complex numbers: .
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Numbers
• One of the greatest advances in mathematics, was
the introduction of decimal numbers and the
decimal point by Indians.

• Al-Khwarizmi (c. 780 – c. 850), documented this

work and introduced the Arabic numerals.

• Before that the Roman numerals were used: I = 1,

V = 5, X = 10, L = 50, C = 100, D = 500, M = 1,000.
So many symbols were used to represent numbers
instead of only 10 symbols.
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Square Roots of Negative

Numbers?
• The most commonly occurring application problems
that require people to take square roots of numbers
are problems which result in a quadratic equation.

• e.g. Determine the dimensions of a square with an

area of 9 cm2, 25 cm2.

• Thus, having to take the square root of a negative

number in this context means that such a rectangle
does not exist.
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Motivation: The Cubic Equation

• The solution of a general cubic equation that
contains the square roots of negative numbers led
to the introduction of complex numbers.

• This was mainly done by the Italian mathematician

Gerolamo Cardano in around 1545 after several
attempts by other mathematicians before him in the
16th century.

• The term “complex number” was introduced by Carl

Friedrich Gauss who also paved the way for a
general use of complex numbers.
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Imaginary Numbers
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Complex Numbers
• By definition, a complex number z is an ordered pair
(x, y) of real numbers x and y, written as:

• x is called the real part and y the imaginary part of z,

written as:

• (0, 1) is called the imaginary unit and is denoted by :

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Complex Numbers Notations

• Ordered pair notation:
• Some references use the notation:
–
–
• In some disciplines, in particular electrical
engineering, is used instead of , since is frequently
used for electric current:
–
–
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Addition & Multiplication of

Complex Numbers
Notation: 𝑧=𝑥+𝑖𝑦

• Addition of two complex numbers :

• Multiplication is defined by:

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Examples: Addition &

Multiplication
• Add and multiply z1 and z2:

• Multiply the following two complex numbers:

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Subtraction & Division of

Complex Numbers
• Subtraction of two complex numbers :

• Division is defined by:

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Examples: Subtraction &

Division
• Subtract and divide z1 and z2:
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Example: Division
• Divide the following two complex numbers:
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Complex Plane
• Remember: a complex number z can be written as:

• x is called the real part and y the imaginary part of

z, written as:

• Hence, it is possible to
present z on an xy-plane
called the complex plane.
• This is called the Cartesian
coordinate system
(as opposed to the polar coordinate system that will be explained later)
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Example: Complex Plane

• Plot on the complex plane
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Complex Plane: Addition &

Subtraction
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Complex Plane: Addition

Example
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Complex Conjugate Numbers

• The complex conjugate of a complex number is
defined by:

• Mathematically, replace with .

• Graphically, flip z around the x-axis (real axis):

• Some references use the notation for complex

conjugate.
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Complex Conjugate Numbers

• Prove the following:
–
–
–
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Conjugation Properties
•
•
•
•
• Working with conjugates is easy, since we have:
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Examples: Conjugation
Properties
• Find
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Coordinate Systems
• The Cartesian coordinate system is commonly used
to determine the location of a point in two or three
dimensional space.
• The cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems –
that will be addressed later – are also used to
determine the location of a point in two or three
dimensional space.
• The polar coordinate system is used to determine the
location of a point in two dimensional space.
• The polar coordinate system is a special case of the
cylindrical and the spherical coordinate systems.
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Polar Form
• So far, we’ve adopted the Cartesian coordinate
system to represent a complex number.
• Complex numbers can also be represented in
polar form, that is, in terms of magnitude and
angle.
where:
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Polar Form: Absolute Value

• Hence, a complex number can be written as:
z  r cos   i r sin 
• By using Euler’s formula:
z  r cos   i r sin   r e i

• The absolute value (aka:

modulus, magnitude or
amplitude) of a complex
number in polar form are:
r  z  x2  y2
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Polar Form: Absolute Value

• |z| is the distance between point z and the origin.
The letter “r” stands for radius.
• In class: explain relationship to |-5| = 5
• |z| = constant  circle
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Polar Form: Argument

• The argument (or angle) of a complex number in
polar form is:
A rg 𝑧=𝜃=tan −1
()
𝑦
𝑥
• Here, all angles are measured in radians and
positive in the counter clockwise sense.
• For z=0, Arg z is undefined
(why?).
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!!!Warning
 b
1 1  b  b
1 1   b 
tan    tan   tan    tan  
 a  a a a

-a a
-b
WHERE DID THE COMPLEX NUMBER LOCATED IN WHICH
QUARTER ?
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Polar Form: Argument

• For z ≠ 0, arg z corresponds to the same value
every .
• Principal value Arg z: .
•
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Polar Form: Conjugation

• For complex conjugates:

•
•
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Example: Polar Form

• Find the polar form of :
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Triangle Inequality

• when z1 and z2 lie on the same straight line

through the origin.
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Example: Triangle Inequality

• Let
•
•
• 4.12 < 5.02
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Polar Form: Multiplication

• Multiplying two complex numbers gives a complex
number whose modulus is the product of the two
moduli and whose argument is the sum of the two
arguments.
If z1  r1  cos1  j sin 1  and z2  r2  cos  2  j sin  2 


then z1z2  r1r2 cos1  2  j sin1  2  
Proof: see textbook.
Prove it in class using polar form.
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Polar Form: Division

• Dividing two complex numbers gives a complex
number whose modulus is the quotient of the two
moduli and whose argument is the difference of the
two arguments.
If z1  r1  cos1  j sin 1  and z2  r2 cos  2  j sin  2 

z1 r1
then 
 cos1  2  j sin1  2 
z2 r2 
Proof: see textbook.
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Example: Polar Multiplication &

Division
• Multiply and divide z1 and z2 in polar form:
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Integer Powers of Complex

Numbers
• De Moivre’s Formula: If a complex number is
raised to the power n the result is a complex
number whose modulus is the original modulus
raised to the power n and whose argument is the
original argument multiplied by n.

If z  r  cos  j sin  

n
then zn   r  cos  j sin   = r n  cos n  j sin n 
 
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Example: Integer Powers of

Complex Numbers
• Find .
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Integer Roots of Complex

Numbers
• Need to calculate 

• Let and

• Then, .
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Integer Roots of Complex

Numbers
•

• Does ? The answer is NO!

• Since is determined only up to integer multiples of

(i.e. ), then .

• For we get k distinct values of w. Further integers

of n would give values already obtained. ≡ 0.
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Integer Roots of Complex

Numbers


• Hence, there are k distinct roots of a complex

number z.
• These k roots lie on a circle of radius and are
separated by from their neighbouring root.
EXAMPLE
CONT.…
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Examples: Integer Roots of

Complex Numbers
• Find the roots of: :
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Examples: Integer Roots of

Complex Numbers
• Find the roots of:
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Other Topics
• 13.3 Derivative. Analytic Function
• 13.4 Cauchy–Riemann Equations. Laplace’s
Equation