Applications of Euler's Identity

Euler's identity is used in many engineering applications where it is convenient to express complex
numbers in polar form:
e i = cos + i sin

Euler's identity can be demonstrated using Taylor series expansions:

e i =

(i )n

n =0

n!

e i = 1 + i +

e i = 1 + i

(i )2 + (i )3 + (i )4 + (i )5 + (i )6 + (i )7 + (i )8 + (i )9 + L
2!

2
2!

3!

3
3!

4!

4
4!

+i

5
5!

5!

6
6!

6!

7
7!

7!

8
8!

+i

8!

9
9!

9!

+L

2 4 6 8

3 5 7 9
+

+
+ L + i
+

+
+ L
ei = 1
2! 4! 6! 8!
3! 5! 7! 9!

e i = cos + i sin

The Euler identity is often used to relate trigonometric functions with hyperbolic functions:

cosh(ix ) =

e ix + e ix
2

cosh(ix ) =

1
(cos x + i sin x + cos( x) + i sin( x) )
2

cosh(ix ) =

1
(cos x + i sin x + cos x i sin x )
2

cosh(ix ) =

1
(2 cos x ) = cos x
2

Similarly, it can be shown that:

sinh (ix ) = i sin x

and:

sin x =

PHY 106
Triton College
John Baliga

eix e ix
2i

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Related to Euler's identity is DeMoivre's theorem:

(cos + i sin )n = cos n + i sin n

The proof of DeMoivre's theorem is done using mathematical induction and trigonometric identities.
For the case of n = 2:

(cos + i sin )2 = cos 2 + 2i sin cos + i 2 sin 2

(cos + i sin )2 = (cos 2 sin 2 ) + i(2 sin cos )
(cos + i sin )2 = cos 2 + i sin 2
We use induction to show that the n + 1 case follows from the n case:

(cos + i sin )n +1 = (cos + i sin )n (cos + i sin )

(cos + i sin )n +1 = (cos n + i sin n )(cos + i sin )

(cos + i sin )n +1 = cos n cos + i sin n cos + i sin cos n sin n sin
(cos + i sin )n +1 = cos n cos sin n sin + i(sin n cos + sin cos n )

(cos + i sin )n +1 = cos[(n + 1) ] + i sin[(n + 1) ]

The n < 0 case can be proven for completeness. Taking n = N, where N > 0:

1
cos N i sin N

cos N + i sin N cos N i sin N

(cos + i sin )n =
(cos + i sin )n =
(cos + i sin )n

cos N i sin N
cos 2 N + sin 2 N

= cos N i sin N = cos( N ) + i sin ( N ) = cos n + i sin n

DeMoivre's theorem is consistent with the additive property of exponents in Euler's theorem:

( )

cos n + i sin n = e in = e i

PHY 106
Triton College
John Baliga

= (cos + i sin )n

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The advantage to using Euler's theorem is that integrals, differential equations and other relations that
involve sinusoids can be handled using the relatively simple-to-use exponential function.
For example:

ax

cos bxdx =

1
2

[ e

ax + ibx

dx + e ax ibx dx

e ax cos bxdx =

1 e ax + ibx e ax ibx
+

+C
a ib
2 a + ib

e ax cos bxdx =

e ax
2 a 2 + b2

e ax cos bxdx =

e ax e ibx + e ibx
a
2
a 2 + b 2

ax

cos bxdx =

e ax cos bxdx =

) [(a ib)e

+ ibx

(a

e ax
2

+b

+ (a + ib )e ibx + C
ibx

ibx
ib e e

e ibx + e ibx
a
2

e ibx e ibx
+ b

2i

+ C

+ C

e ax
(a cos bx + b sin bx ) + C
a 2 + b2

Without Euler's identity, this integration requires the use of integration by parts twice, followed by algebric
manipulation.
Also, the solution of this standard differential equation is made simple using Euler's identity:
m&x& + bx& + kx = 0

Taking solutions of the form x = Cest:

ms 2 + bs + k = 0
s=

b
b2
k

2
m
2m
4m

In the case where the determinant is negative, we know immediately that there will be a sinusoid in the
solution:

x = Ae t cos( ' t + )
where =

b
and ' =
2m

PHY 106
Triton College
John Baliga

k
b2

m 4m 2

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