Complex Numbers
Author: Karthik Thiagarajan
Introduction
A complex number is of the form a ib, where a and b are real numbers
+
and i 2
= - 1. Some examples are:
• 2+3 i
• - i
5 10
• -i
• i 5
• 4
The set of complex numbers is denoted by . Every real number is aC
complex number. But every complex number need not necessarily be a real
number. In terms of set theoretic notation, R C but C R.
⊂ ⊄
A complex number has two parts to it: real and imaginary part. For the
complex number i, the real part is and the imaginary part is
2+3 2 3.
So, any complex number z can be written as z Re z Im z i. = ( )+ ( )⋅
We can understand complex numbers geometrically by plotting the real
part on the x-axis and the imaginary part on the y-axis.
Im( z )
2
3+2 i
1 2 3 4
Re( z )
This plane is called the complex plane, also called the Argand plane or
Gauss plane.
Algebra
The following are some of the operations that we can do on complex
numbers:
• addition (subtraction)
• multiplication (division)
• absolute value or modulus
• conjugate
We will look at each one of these operations.
Addition
Consider two complex numbers z a ib and z a ib . Then:
1 = 1 + 1 2 = 2 + 2
z z a a ib b
1 + 2 = ( 1 + 2) + ( 1 + 2)
To add two complex numbers, we add the real part separately and the
imaginary part separately. For example:
i --i - i -
- i
(1 + 3 ) + ( 5 2 ) = (1 5) + (3 2)
= 4+
Subtraction follows trivially. To compute z -z , we can just compute
z -z .
1 2
1 +( 2)
Multiplication
Consider two complex numbersz a ib and z a ib . Then: 1 = 1 + 1 2 = 2 + 2
z z a ib a ib = ( + 1 )( + 2)
a a a ib ib a i b b
1 2 1 2
a a i a b i a b -b b
= 1 2 + 1( 2) +( 1) 2 + 1 2
= + ( 2) + ( 1)
a a -b b i a b a b
1 2 1 2 1 2
= ( 1 2 1 2) + ( 1 2 + 2 1)
As an example, if z 1- i and z
= 3 i, then:
2 2 = 5+
zz -- i
= (3 × 5 - ( 2) × 1) + (3 × 1 + ( 2) × 5)
-i
1 2
= 17 7
Before moving to division, let us look at the idea of the absolute value
of a complex number.
Absolute value
The absolute value of a complex number z a ib is given by: = +
z a b | | =
2
+
2
Geometrically, we can think about it as the distance of z from the
origin. For example, if z i, then z
= 3+2 . The complex | | = 3
2
+2
2
= 13
number (blue dot) is at a distance of 13 units from the origin.
Im( z )
2
3+2 i
1 2 3 4
Re( z )
Another term for the absolute value is modulus. The absolute value of a
complex number is always going to be a real number.
Conjugate
The conjugate of a complex number z a ib is denoted by ⏨z and given as:
= +
⏨z a-ib
=
For example, if z = 3+2 i then ⏨z - i. Geometrically, ⏨z is the
= 3 2
reflection of z around the x-axis:
Im z ( )
2
z = 3+2 i
1 2 3 4
Re( z )
-1
-2
⏨z - i
= 3 2
The following is an interesting relation:
z⏨z z= | |
2
To see why this is true, consider any complex number z a ib. Then:
= +
zz⏨ a ib a-ib
a -a ib ib a-i b
= ( + )( )
2 2 2
a -i ab i ab b
= ( )+( )
2 2
a b
= ( )+ ( )+
2 2
= +
Here is an interesting observation related to conjugates that will be
used quite extensively in subsequent lectures: z ⏨z if and only if z is =
a real number. To see why this is true, let z a ib. If z is a real = +
number, then b = 0 , and it is obvious that z ⏨z a. On the other hand, = =
if z ⏨z , then we have:
=
a ib a-ib
i b
+ =
b
(2 ) = 0
⟹ = 0
It follows that z =a and hence a real number.
Division
Let us try to divide two complex numbers z a ib = + and z a ib
= + with
z
1 1 1 2 2 2
2 ≠ 0:
z a ib +
z a ib
1 1 1
=
a ib a -ib
2 2 + 2
a ib a -ib
1 1 2 2
= ⋅
a ib a -ib
2 + 2 2 2
( 1 + 1 )( 2 2)
=
a b 2 2
a a b b i a b -a b
+
2 2
1 2 + 1 2 2 1 1 2
=
a b 2
2
a b+
2
2
+ ⋅
2
2
+
2
2
Polar Coordinates
Consider a complex number z a ib
= +
Im( z )
a ib
+
b 2
a
2 +
b
z
𝜃
a Re( )
Using basic trigonometry, we have the following relations:
r = a b
2
+
2
a
r = cos 𝜃
b
r = sin 𝜃
Alternatively, we have:
a r
b r
= cos 𝜃
= sin 𝜃
So, the complex number z can be written as:
z a ib
r ir
= +
r i
= cos 𝜃 + ( sin 𝜃)
= (cos 𝜃 + sin 𝜃)
The following result is stated without proof. If e is the familiar
Euler's number, then:
ei 𝜃
= cos 𝜃 + i sin 𝜃
Using this result, we can write z as:
z rei
=
𝜃
r is the absolute value of z and is called the argument of . This way
𝜃 z
of representing a complex number using its modulus (absolute value) and
argument is called the polar coordinate representation. Using this
representation, the conjugate of z a ib can be written as follows:
= +
⏨z a-ib
r -i
=
r -i - i -
= (cos 𝜃 sin 𝜃)
re
= [cos( 𝜃) + sin( 𝜃)]
𝜃
=
We have used the fact that - and
cos( - - . The
𝜃) = cos 𝜃 sin( 𝜃) = sin 𝜃
geometric interpretation of the conjugate under the polar coordinates is
as follows:
Im( z )
rei𝜃
z
𝜃
- 𝜃
Re( )
re-i 𝜃
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