The Complex

Plane;
DeMoivre's
Theorem
Remember a complex number has a real part and an
imaginary part. These are used to plot complex
numbers on a complex plane.
z  x  yi
2 2 The magnitude or modulus
z  x y
of z denoted by z is the
Imaginary distance from the origin to
Axis the point (x, y).
z  x  yi
z The angle formed from the
y real axis and a line from the
 Real origin to (x, y) is called the
x Axis argument of z, with
requirement that 0   < 2.
modified for quadrant
 y
1 and so that it is
  tan  
x between 0 and 2
 We can take complex numbers given as z  x  yi
and convert them to polar form. Recall the conversions:

x  r cos  y  r sin  z  r cos    r sin  i

Imaginary factor r out  r cos   i sin  
Axis
The magnitude or modulus of
z is the same as r.
z =r Plot the complex number: z   3  i
1   y
Real
 3 x Axis Find the polar form of this
number.

r  3   1
2 2
 4 2

 5 5   1 
  tan  1
 but in Quad II
z  2 cos  i sin   3
 6 6  
5
6
 The Principal Argument is between - and 

Imaginary
Axis
 1 
1
  tan   but in Quad II
z =r  3
1   y
Real 5
 3 x Axis 
6
5 5
arg z   principal arg 
6 6
 5 5 
z  2 cos  i sin 
 6 6 
It is easy to convert from polar to rectangular form
because you just work the trig functions and distribute
the r through.
 5 5   3 1 
z  2 cos  i sin   2   i    3  i
 6 6   2 2 
3 1

2 2 If asked to plot the point and it
is in polar form, you would
plot the angle and radius.

2 5 Notice that is the same as

1
 3 6 plotting
 3 i
 Let's try multiplying two complex numbers in polar
form together.

z1  r1 cos 1  i sin 1  z 2  r2 cos  2  i sin  2 

z1 z2   r1  cos 1  i sin 1   r2  cos  2  i sin  2 

Look at where
 r1r2 we 
cosstarted
see if you can make a statement
andwhere
1  i sin 1 
cos we
 2
ended

as to what
i sin 
happens 2 
up and
to
the r 's and the  's when Must FOIL
you these two complex
multiply

r1r2 cos 1 cos  2  i sin  2 cos 1  i sin 1 cos  2  i 2 sin 1 sin  2
 numbers. 
Replace i 2 with -1 and group real terms and then imaginary terms
Multiply the Moduli and Add the Arguments
 r1r2 cos 1 cos  2  sin 1 sin  2   sin 1 cos  2  cos 1 sin  2 i
use sum formula for cos use sum formula for sin

 r1r2 cos1   2   i sin 1   2 

 Let z1  r1 cos 1  i sin 1  and z 2  r2 cos  2  i sin  2 
be two complex numbers. Then
z1 z 2  r1r2 cos1   2   i sin 1   2 
(This says to multiply two complex numbers in polar
form, multiply the moduli and add the arguments)

If z 2  0, then
z1 r1
 cos1  2   i sin1  2 
z2 r2
(This says to divide two complex numbers in polar form,
divide the moduli and subtract the arguments)
 Let z1  r1 cos 1  i sin 1  and z 2  r2 cos  2  i sin  2 
be two complex numbers. Then
z1 z 2  r1r2 cos1   2   i sin 1   2 

z1 z 2  r1r2 cis 1   2 

If z 2  0, then
z1 r1
 cos1  2   i sin1  2 
z2 r2
z1 r1
 cis 1   2 
z 2 r2
   
  
If z  4 cos 40  i sin 40 and w  6 cos 120  i sin 120 , 

find : (a) zw (b) z w
  
   
zw   4 cos 40  i sin 40  6 cos120  i sin120 
  

   
 4  6  cos 40  120  i sin 40  120
 
  

multiply the moduli add the arguments
(the i sine term will have same argument)

 24 cos160  i sin160 
If you want the answer
in rectangular
 24 0.93969  0.34202i  coordinates simply
compute the trig
 22.55  8.21i functions and multiply
the 24 through.
 z

 
4 cos 40  i sin 40 


w 6 cos120  i sin 120 
4
   

 cos 40  120  i sin 40  120
6

 
divide the moduli subtract the arguments
2
  
 cos  80  i sin  80
3
 
In polar form we want an angle between 0° and 180°
PRINCIPAL ARGUMENT
2
In rectangular  0.1736  0.9848i   0.12  0.66i
coordinates: 3
 You can repeat this process raising
complex numbers to powers. Abraham
DeMoivre did this and proved the
following theorem:

Abraham de Moivre DeMoivre’s Theorem

(1667 - 1754)
If z  rcos  i sin is a complex number,
then z  r cos n  i sin n 
n n

where n  1 is a positive integer.

This says to raise a complex number to a power, raise the

modulus to that power and multiply the argument by that
power.
This theorem is used to raise complex numbers
to powers. It would be a lot of work to find  3 i 
4

  
  3 i  3 i  3 i  3 i   you would need to FOIL
and multiply all of these
together and simplify
Instead let's convert to polar form powers of i --- UGH!
and use DeMoivre's Theorem.
 1 
  tan 1   but in Quad II   5
r  3 2 2
1  4  2  3 6
4

 
 
4
 3  i   2  cos
5
6
 i sin
5  
   2 4 cos 4  5   i sin  4  5 
6 

6  6 

    
 1  3  
  10    10    16      i 
 16  cos    i sin    2 2  
  3   3     
  8  8 3i
Solve the following over the set of complex numbers:
3 We know that if we cube root both sides we
z 1 could get 1 but we know that there are 3
roots. So we want the complex cube roots of
1.
Using DeMoivre's Theorem with the power being a
rational exponent (and therefore meaning a root), we can
develop a method for finding complex roots. This leads
to the following formula:

n    2 k    2 k  
z k  r  cos     i sin   
 n n  n n 
where k  0, 1, 2,  , n  1
Let's try this on our problem. We want the cube roots of 1.

We want cube root so our n = 3. Can you convert 1 to

polar form? (hint: 1 = 1 + 0i)
1  0 
r  1  0   1   tan    0
2 2
1
3   0 2 k   0 2 k 
z k  1 cos    i sin    , for k  0, 1, 2
 3 3  3 3 
Once we build the formula, we use it first We want cube
with k = 0 and get one root, then with k = 1 root so use 3
to get the second root and finally with k = 2 numbers here
for last root.

n    2 k    2 k  
z k  r  cos     i sin   
 n n  n n 
   0 2k
3   0 2k 
z k  1 cos    i sin   , for k  0, 1, 2
 3 3  3 3 
  0 20   0 20 
3
z0  1 cos    i sin    1cos 0   i sin 0   1
 3 3  3 3  Here's the root we
already knew.
3   0 21   0 21 
z1  1 cos    i sin   
 3 3  3 3 
  2   2   1 3 If you cube any of
 1cos   i sin      i these numbers
  3   3  2 2
you get 1.
3   0 22    0 22    (Try it and see!)
z 2  1 cos    i sin   
 3 3  3 3 
  4   4  1 3
 1cos   i sin      i
  3   3  2 2
 1 3 1 3
We found the cube roots of 1 were: 1,   i,   i
2 2 2 2
Let's plot these on the complex
plane about 0.9
each line is 1/2 unit
Notice each of
the complex
roots has the
same magnitude
(1). Also the
three points are
evenly spaced
on a circle. This
will always be
true of complex
roots.