Answers: Introduction to complex numbers

Author

Tom Coleman

Summary
Answers to questions relating to the guide on introduction to complex numbers.

These are the answers to Questions: Introduction to complex numbers.

Please attempt the questions before reading these answers!

Q1

Using complex numbers, find solutions to the following equations.

1.1. Here, \(x = i\) and \(x = -i\) are the two solutions.

1.2. Here, \(x = 3i\) and \(x = -3i\) are the two solutions.

1.3. Here, \(x = 12i\) and \(x = -12i\) are the two solutions.

1.4. Here, \(x = 1\) and \(x = -1\) are the two solutions. (Real numbers are complex numbers too!)

Q2

For each of the complex numbers below, give their real and imaginary parts. (In this question, \(a,b\) are real numbers.)

2.1. The real part of \(z_1\) is \(\textsf{Re}(z_1) = 2\) and the imaginary part of \(z_1\) is \(\textsf{Im}(z_1) = 3\).

2.2. The real part of \(z_2\) is \(\textsf{Re}(z_2) = -23\) and the imaginary part of \(z_2\) is \(\textsf{Im}(z_2) = 32\).

2.3. The real part of \(z_3\) is \(\textsf{Re}(z_3) = 3\) and the imaginary part of \(z_3\) is \(\textsf{Im}(z_3) = -3\).

2.4. The real part of \(z_4\) is \(\textsf{Re}(z_4) = 0\) and the imaginary part of \(z_4\) is \(\textsf{Im}(z_4) = 3\).

2.5. The real part of \(z_5\) is \(\textsf{Re}(z_5) = -3\) and the imaginary part of \(z_5\) is \(\textsf{Im}(z_5) = -2\).

2.6. The real part of \(z_6\) is \(\textsf{Re}(z_6) = a\) and the imaginary part of \(z_6\) is \(\textsf{Im}(z_6) = 2b\).

2.7. The real part of \(z_7\) is \(\textsf{Re}(z_7) = 2\) and the imaginary part of \(z_7\) is \(\textsf{Im}(z_7) = 0\).

2.8. The real part of \(z_8\) is \(\textsf{Re}(z_8) = 3/2\) and the imaginary part of \(z_8\) is \(\textsf{Im}(z_8) = 2/3\).

2.9. The real part of \(z_9\) is \(\textsf{Re}(z_9) = 22\) and the imaginary part of \(z_9\) is \(\textsf{Im}(z_9) = -33\).

2.10. The real part of \(z_{10}\) is \(\textsf{Re}(z_{10}) = 333\) and the imaginary part of \(z_{10}\) is \(\textsf{Im}(z_{10}) = 22\).

2.11. The real part of \(z_{11}\) is \(\textsf{Re}(z_{11}) = -2\) and the imaginary part of \(z_{11}\) is \(\textsf{Im}(z_{11}) = 2\).

2.12. The real part of \(z_{12}\) is \(\textsf{Re}(z_{12}) = -2\) and the imaginary part of \(z_{11}\) is \(\textsf{Im}(z_{11}) = -3\).

Q3

The complex conjugate of \(z_1 = 2 + 3i\) is \(\bar{z}_1 = 2-3i\).

The complex conjugate of \(z_2 = -23 + 32i\) is \(\bar{z}_2 = -23-32i\).

The complex conjugate of \(z_3 = 3 - 3i\) is \(\bar{z}_3 = 3+3i\).

The complex conjugate of \(z_4 = 3i\) is \(\bar{z}_4 = -3i\).

The complex conjugate of \(z_5 = - 3 - 2i\) is \(\bar{z}_5 = -3+2i\).

The complex conjugate of \(z_6 = a + 2bi\) is \(\bar{z}_6 = a-2bi\).

The complex conjugate of \(z_7 = 2\) is \(\bar{z}_7 = 2\).

The complex conjugate of \(z_8 = 3/2 + 2i/3\) is \(\bar{z}_8 = 3/2 - 2i/3\).

The complex conjugate of \(z_9 = 22 - 33i\) is \(\bar{z}_9 = 22 + 33i\).

The complex conjugate of \(z_{10} = 333 + 22i\) is \(\bar{z}_{10} = 333 + 22i\).

The complex conjugate of \(z_{11} = 2i - 2\) is \(\bar{z}_{11} = -2i - 2\).

The complex conjugate of \(z_{12} = -3i - 2\) is \(\bar{z}_{12} = 3i - 2\).

Q4

See Figure 1 for the Argand diagram. You can notice that the complex conjugates of the complex numbers can be obtained by reflecting the point in the real axis.

Two labelled axes; the horizontal axis labelled Re for real and the vertical axis labelled Im for imaginary. There are points representing the complex numbers z1, z4, z5, z7 and their conjugates.
Figure 1: An Argand diagram with the seven complex numbers \(z_1,\bar{z}_1,z_4,\bar{z}_4,\) in Example 5.


Version history and licensing

v1.0: initial version created 10/24 by tdhc.

This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

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