MATH

PROJECT-1

Lavanya Bhaskar
11 C
Strawberry Fields High School
2024 - 2025
 Project Question
The geometric interpretation of i and its powers can be useful in practical
applications such as engineering and physics. The objective of this project is
to explore the geometric interpretation of the imaginary unit I and its integral
Powers in the context of the complex plane.

1. Explain what a complex number is and how it is represented on the

complex plane.
2. Show the point representing i on the complex plane. What are its
coordinates?
3. Describe what happens geometrically when a complex number is
multiplied by i.
4. Explain why multiplying a complex number by i.
Corresponds to a 90° counter clockwise rotation on the complex plane.
5. Calculate and plot the points corresponding to 𝑖1 ,𝑖 2 ,𝑖 3 ,and 𝑖 4 on the
complex plane.
6. Discuss how understanding
7. (a) Choose another complex number 𝑧 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑖 and demonstrate
geometrically what happens when z is multiplied by i.
8. Generalise the result: what is the effect of multiplying any complex
number by ii in terms of rotation and scaling on the complex plane?
 Acknowledgment
I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to my math teacher Mr.
Suresh Saini .His unwavering support granted me in the valuable
opportunity to delve into captivating realm of complex
numbers. Through his guidance, I embarked on a journey of
research that unveiled a plethora of new sights.
 Introduction
Complex numbers are numbers that extend
the idea of real numbers to include quantities
that involve the square root of negative
numbers. A complex number is typically
expressed in the form:
𝑧 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑖
where :
• a is the real part of the complex number .
• B is the imaginary part of the complex
number.
• I is the imaginary unit , defined by the
property 𝑖 = −1
2
 Representing I on complex plane

The complex number I can be represented as

a point on the complex plane.
Recall that a complex number is expressed as
𝑧 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑖 where:
A is the real part.
B is the imaginary part
For i, we have:
𝑧 = 3 + 4𝑖
so, the real part a=3 and imaginary part b=4

by Lavanya software notes

 Geometrically when a complex
number is multiplied by i.
When a complex number is multiplied by i, it undergoes a geometric transformation in the
complex plane. Here's how it works:
1. Representation of a complex number: A complex number 𝑧 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑖 can be represented
as a point (a,b) in the complex plane ,where a is the real part and b is the imaginary part.
2. Effect of multiplying by i: When you multiply a complex number by ii, you effectively
rotate the point representing the complex number by 90° counter clockwise around the
origin. This is because multiplying by I has The following geometric property:
I can be interpreted as a rotation operator in the complex plane, and multiplying by i
corresponds to rotating a point by 90° counter clockwise.
For example, if you have a complex number 𝑧 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑖
Multiplying it by I gives:
= 𝑖(𝑎 + 𝑏𝑖 )
= 𝑖 ∗ 𝑎 + 𝑖2 ∗ 𝑏
= −𝑏 + 𝑎𝑖
This results in a new complex number – 𝑏 + 𝑎𝑖 which corresponds to the point (−b,a) in the
complex plane.
3. Geometrically: If the original complex number 𝑧 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑖 is at the point (a,b) in the complex
plane, after multiplication by i, the new point will be(−b,a). This is a 90° counter clockwise
rotation of the original point around the origin.

To summarize, multiplying a complex number by I rotates it 90° counter clockwise in the

complex plane.
Multiplying a complex number by I
corresponds to a 90° counter clockwise rotation

Multiplying a complex number by I corresponds to a 90° counter

clockwise rotation on the complex plane because it can be interpreted as
a linear transformation. A complex number z = x + yi corresponds to the
point (x,y)on the plane. Multiplying z by I results in i(x + yi) = −y + xi which is
the complex number−y + xi. This is equivalent to the point (– 𝑥𝑦).
To visualize this as a matrix operation, we can represent the multiplication
by I using the matrix:

When this matrix is multiplied by the vector (x y), the result is the vector (-yx), which corresponds
to a 90° counter clockwise rotation of the point (x,y).
 Integral Power of iota (i)

By Lavanya on software notes

Plotting the integral powers

By Lavanya software is ms word

 Applications
The geometric interpretation of i and its powers involves visualizing them on the complex
plane (Argand plane). The x-axis represents real numbers, and the y-axis represents
imaginary numbers.
𝑖 corresponds to a 90° counter clockwise rotation from the positive real axis.
𝑖 2 represents a 180° rotation, landing on -1 (the negative real axis).
𝑖 3 results in a 270° rotation, equivalent to -i.
𝑖 4 completes a full 360° rotation, returning to 1.

This cyclical pattern of rotations is crucial in various fields:

Electrical Engineering: Understanding phase relationships in AC circuits.
Physics: Representing wave functions in quantum mechanics and analyzing electromagnetic
fields.
Control Systems: Analyzing system stability through the location of complex roots.
By visualizing these rotations, engineers and scientists gain deeper insights into the
behavior of complex systems.
 Multiplication of z with i
example:
z= 3+2i. This represents a point on the complex plane with coordinates (3,2).

By multiplying,
z.i =(3+2i).i
=3i+2i^2
=3i-2
=-2+3i

By Lavanya on software notes

 Generalizing results
Multiplying a complex number by ‘i’ on the complex plane results in a 90° counter clockwise
rotation. No scaling occurs when multiplying by ‘i’ alone.

KeyPoints:
‘i’ as a Rotator: The imaginary unit ‘i’ acts as a pure Rotator in the complex plane.

Visualizing Rotation: If you represent a complex number as a vector from the origin ,
multiplying it by ‘i’ rotates that vector 90° counter clockwise around the origin.

Example:
Let’s say you have the complex number 3+4i. Multiplying it by ‘i’:
=(3+4i)*i
=3i+4i²
=3i-4
=-4+3i
You’ll notice that the resulting complex number (-4+ 3i) is indeed a 90° counter clockwise
rotation of the original point(3,4)on the complex plane.
 Bibliography
• Chatgpt

• Gemini.Ai

• https://www.cuemath.com/numbers/graphi
ng-complex-numbers/

• https://www.reddit.com/r/learnmath/comm
ents/s4rt0/why_does_multiplying_by_i_corr
espond_to_90_degree/

• https://byjus.com/maths/complex-numbers/