Nanyang Technological University

SPMS/Division of Mathematical Sciences

MH2812 Foundation Mathematics

Tutorial 2

Topics: Complex Numbers.

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1. Evaluate the expression and write your answer in the form a + bi, a, b R.
(a) i27 i179 + i2013 = i6(4)+3 i4(45)+1 + i4(503)+1 = i3 i1 + i = i

2
2
2
(b) 4i5 5i4 + 2i3 3i2 = (4i 5 + 2(i) 3(1)) = (2i 2) = (2i)2 + (2)2 + 2(2i)(2) =
8i
(c) (2 + i) (3 i) = 2(3) + (i)(i) + i(2 + 3) = 7 + i
5 10
(1 + 2i)(3 + 4i)
(3 8) + i(6 + 4)
1 2
1 + 2i
=
=
=
+ i=
+ i
(d)
3 4i
(3 4i)(3 + 4i)
32 + 42
25
25
5
5
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2. For each of the following, represent the complex number on the Argand diagram. Find the modulus
and the principal argument of the complex number. Hence express the complex number in its polar
representation.

(a) 1 + 3i = 2 cos 3 + i sin 3

2
(b) 1 + 3i = 2 cos 2
3 + i sin 3

(c) 1 3i = 2 cos
3 + i sin 3

2
(d) 1 3i = 2 cos 2
3 + i sin 3
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3. Find the complex conjugate of each of the following complex numbers.
(a) 2i (Answer: 2i)
(b) 2 (Answer: 2)
(c) 1 + 3i (Answer: 1 3i)
(d) 3 4i (Answer: 3 + 4i)
(e) a complex number with modulus 2 and argument =

3.

(Answer: 2 cos 3 i sin 3 = 1 3i)

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4. Sketch the regions defined by

(a) Re(z) 0

(b) Im(z) < 2

(c) |z| 2

(d)

arg(z)
6
3

(e) |z i| = |z 1|

(f) |z (1 + i)| 2

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5. Solve the following equation for the real numbers, x and y.

2
1+i
1
+
=1+i
1i
x + iy
[Solution] Note that
1
=1+i
x + iy

1+i
1i

2


=1+i

(1 + i)(1 + i)
12 + (1)2

2

= 1 + i (i) = 2 + i

Therefore,
x + iy =
We have x =

2
5

and y =

1
2i
2 1
=
= +
i.
2+i
5
5
5

1
5 .

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2

6. Express each of the following complex numbers in the form rei , with r 0, and < .

2
1+i
(a) 1 + 3
(b)
1i
[Solution]

2
(a) 1 + 3 = 2 + 2 3i.
q

Thus r = (2)2 + (2 3)2 = 4 and tan = 13 . Since the complex number lies on second quadrant,
we have = 2
3 .

i
Alternatively, we have 1 + 3 = 2e 3 , thus we have
1+

2
2i
2i
3 = 22 e 3 = 4e 3 .

i
1+i
(1 + i)(1 + i)
=
=i=e2
1i
2
i
i
i
i
2e 4
1+i
Alternatively, we have
= i = e 4 4 = e 2 .
1i
4
2e
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(b)

7. Solve the following quadratic equations.

(a) x2 + 5 = 0
[Solution] Note that x2 + 5 = 0 x2 = 5.

Thus, we have x = 5 = 5 i.
(b) 5x2 = 3x 1.
[Solution] Note that 5x2 = 3x 1 5x2 3x + 1 = 0.

b b2 4ac
Using the square-root formula x =
, we have
2a
p

(3) (3)2 4(5)(1)

3 11
3
11
x=
=
=

i.
2(5)
10
10
10
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8. Let z = a + ib, where a and b are some real numbers.

Show that
(a) z + z = 2Re(z).
(b) z = z z is a real number.
(c) If z is a root of x3 +3x2 9x+7 = 0, then the conjugate z is also a root of x3 +3x2 9x+7 = 0.
Remark More generally, we have
Suppose that p(x) = a0 + a1 x + ... + an xn is a polynomial in x with real coefficients ak s. If
a complex number z is a solution of p(x) = 0, then the conjugate z of z is also a solution of
p(x) = 0.
[Solution]
(a) z + z = (a + ib) + (a ib) = 2a = 2Re(z).
(b) Let z = a + ib. Then
z = z (a + ib) = (a ib) b = b b = 0 z is a real number.
(c) If z is a root of x3 + 3x2 9x + 7 = 0, then
z 3 + 3z 2 9z + +7 = 0 ().
(Our aim is to prove
z 3 + 3
z 2 9
z + 7 = 0.)
Taking conjugation of the equation (*), we have
x3 + 3x2 9x + 7 = 0 = 0.
Applying properties z1 + z2 = z1 + z2 and z1 z2 = z1 z2 , we have
z + 7 = 0.

z3 + 3
z 2 + (9)
For each real number, its conjugation is the real number itself. Thus we have

z 3 + 3
z 2 + (9)
z + 7 = 0.
The above simply means that z is a root of x3 + 3x2 9x + 7 = 0.
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