Section 8.

3 : De Moivres Theorem and

Applications
Let z
1
and z
2
be complex numbers, where
|z
1
| = r
1
, |z
2
| = r
2
, arg(z
1
) =
1
, arg(z
2
) =
2
.
Then
z
1
= r
1
(cos
1
+ i sin
1
)
z
2
= r
2
(cos
2
+ i sin
2
)
and
z
1
z
2
= r
1
r
2
_
_
(cos
1
cos
2
sin
1
sin
2
. .
cos(
1
+
2
)
) + i(sin
1
cos
2
+ cos
1
sin
2
. .
sin(
1
+
2
)
)
_
_
= r
1
r
2
(cos(
1
+
2
) + i sin(
1
+
2
))
This means
1. |z
1
z
2
| = r
1
r
2
= |z
1
| |z
2
|
2. arg(z
1
z
2
) =
1
+
2
= arg(z
1
) + arg(z
2
)
or :
The modulus of the product of two complex numbers is the product of their moduli,
and
the argument of the product of two complex numbers is the sum of their arguments.
We can use these facts to compute the square of a complex number (in polar
form): suppose z = r(cos + i sin ), so |z| = r and arg(z) = . Then z
2
has
modulus r r = r
2
, and z
2
has argument + = 2, i.e.
z
2
= r
2
(cos(2) + i sin(2))
This principle can be used to compute any positive integer power of z to give :
Theorem 8.3.1: (De Moivres Theorem) Let z = r(cos + i sin ), and let n be a
positive integer. Then
z
n
= r
n
(cos n + i sin n)
1
(i.e. in taking the nth power of z, we raise the modulus to its nth power and multiply
the argument by n.)
Remark: Provided z = 0, De Moivres Theorem also holds for negative integers n.
We now consider three problems of dierent types, all involving De Moivres
theorem.
1. Computing Positive Powers of a Complex Number
Example 8.3.2

Let z = 1 i. Find z
10
.
Solution: First write z in polar form.
|z| =
_
1
2
+ (1)
2
=

2
arg(z) =

4
(or
7
4
)
Polar Form : z =

2
_
cos(

4
) + i sin(

4
)
_
.
Applying de Moivres Theorem gives :
z
10
= (

2)
10
_
cos(10 (

4
)) + i sin(10 (

4
))
_
= 2
5
_
cos(
10
4
) + i sin(
10
4
)
_
= 32
_
cos(
5
2
) + i sin(
5
2
)
_
= 32
_
cos(
5
2
+ 2) + i sin(
5
2
+ 2)
_
= 32
_
cos(

2
) + i sin(

2
)
_
= 32(0 + i (1))
= 32i
Note: It can be veried directly that (1 i)
10
= 32i.
Exercise : Use De Moivres Theorem to nd (1 +

3i)
6
.
2. Computing nth roots of a complex number.
Example 8.3.3

Find all complex cube roots of 27i.

Solution: We are looking for complex numbers z with the property z
3
= 27i.
Strategy: First we write 27i in polar form :-
|27i| = |0 + 27i| =
_
0
2
+ (27)
2
= 27
2
arg(27i) =

2
27i = 27(cos

2
+ i sin

2
)
Now suppose z = r(cos +i sin ) satises z
3
= 27i. Then, by De Moivres Theorem,
r
3
(cos 3 + i sin 3) = 27i = 27(cos

2
+ i sin

2
)
Thus r
3
= 27 =r = 3 (since r must be a positive real number with cube 27).
What are the possible values of ? We must have
cos 3 = cos

2
and sin 3 = sin

2
This means :
3 =

2
+ 2k,
where k is an integer; i.e. 3 diers from

2
by a multiple of 2. Possibilities are :
1. k = 0: 3 =

2
, =

6
z
1
= 3(cos

6
+ i sin

6
)
= 3(

3
2
+ i
1
2
)
z
1
=
3

3
2
+
3
2
i
2. k = 1: 3 =

2
+ 2(1) =
5
2
, =
5
6
z
2
= 3(cos
5
6
+ i sin
5
6
)
= 3(

3
2
+ i
1
2
)
z
2
=
3

3
2
+
3
2
i
3. k = 2: 3 =

2
+ 2(2) =
9
2
, =
9
6
=
3
2
z
3
= 3(cos
3
2
+ i sin
3
2
)
= 3(0 + i(1))
z
1
= 3i
3
These are the only possibilities : setting k = 3 results in =

2
+2 which gives
the same result as k = 0.
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z
1
z
2
z
3
The complex cube roots of 27i are :
z
1
=
3

3
2
+
3
2
i
z
2
=
3

3
2
+
3
2
i
z
3
= 3i
In general : To nd the complex nth roots of a non-zero complex number z.
1. Write z in polar form : z = r(cos + i sin )
2. z will have n dierent nth roots (i.e. 3 cube roots, 4 fourth roots, etc.).
3. All these roots will have the same modulus r
1
n
(the positive real nth root of
r).
4. They will have dierent arguments :

n
,
+ 2
n
,
+ (2 2)
n
, . . . ,
+ ((n 1) 2)
n
5. The complex nth roots of z are given (in polar form) by
z
1
= r
1
n
_
cos(

n
) + i sin(

n
)
_
z
2
= r
1
n
_
cos(
+2
n
) + i sin(
+2
n
)
_
z
3
= r
1
n
_
cos(
+4
n
) + i sin(
+4
n
)
_
, etc.
Example: Find all the complex fourth roots of -16.
Solution: First write -16 in polar form.
Modulus : 16
Argument :
16 = 16(cos + i sin )
4
Fourth roots of 16 all have modulus 16
1
4
= 2, and possibilities for the argument are
:

4
,
+ 2
4
=
3
4
,
+ 4
4
=
5
4
,
+ 3
4
=
7
4
Fourth roots of 16 are :-
z
1
= 2(cos(

4
) + i sin(

4
)) =

2 +

2i
z
2
= 2(cos(
3
4
) + i sin(
3
4
)) =

2 +

2i
z
3
= 2(cos(
5
4
) + i sin(
5
4
)) =

2i
z
4
= 2(cos(
7
4
) + i sin(
7
4
)) =

2i
3. Proving Trigonometric Identities
Example 8.3.4

: Prove that
1. cos 5 = 16 cos
5
20 cos
3
+ 5 cos
2. sin 5 = 16 sin
5
20 sin
3
+ 5 sin
Solution: The idea is to write (cos + i sin )
5
in two dierent ways. We use both
the binomial theorem and De Moivres theorem, and compare the results.
Binomial Theorem:
(cos + i sin )
5
=
(cos )
5
+
_
5
1
_
(cos )
4
(i sin )
1
+
_
5
2
_
(cos )
3
(i sin )
2
+
_
5
3
_
(cos )
2
(i sin )
3
+
_
5
4
_
(cos )
1
(i sin )
4
+
_
5
5
_
(cos )
0
(i sin )
5
= cos
5
+ 5 cos
4
(i sin ) + 10(cos
3
)(i
2
sin
2
) + 10(cos
2
)(i
3
sin
3
)
+5(cos )(i
4
sin
4
) + (i
5
sin
5
)
= cos
5
+ i 5 cos
4
sin 10 cos
3
sin
2
i 10 cos
2
sin
3
+ 5 cos sin
4
+ i sin
5

= (cos
5
10 cos
3
sin
2
+ 5 cos sin
4
) + i(5 cos
4
sin 10 cos
2
sin
3
+ sin
5
)
Also, by De Moivres Theorem, we have
(cos + i sin )
5
= cos 5 + i sin 5
5
and so
cos 5 + i sin 5 = (cos
5
10 cos
3
sin
2
+ 5 cos sin
4
)
+i(5 cos
4
sin 10 cos
2
sin
3
+ sin
5
)
Equating the real parts gives
cos 5 = cos
5
10 cos
3
sin
2
+ 5 cos sin
4

= cos
5
10 cos
3
(1 cos
2
) + 5 cos (1 cos
2
)
2
= cos
5
10 cos
3
+ 10 cos
5
+ 5 cos (1 2 cos
2
+ cos
4
)
= cos
5
10 cos
3
+ 10 cos
5
+ 5 cos 10 cos
3
+ 5 cos
5

cos 5 = 16 cos
5
20 cos
3
+ 5 cos
For the other identity, look at the imaginary parts :
sin 5 = 5 cos
4
sin 10 cos
2
sin
3
+ sin
5

= 5(1 sin
2
)
2
sin 10(1 sin
2
) sin
3
+ sin
5

= 5(1 2 sin
2
+ sin
4
) sin 10 sin
3
+ 10 sin
5
+ sin
5

= 5 sin 10 sin
3
+ 5 sin
5
10 sin
3
+ 10 sin
5
+ sin
5

= 5 sin 10 sin
3
+ 5 sin
5
10 sin
3
+ 10 sin
5
+ sin
5

sin 5 = 16 sin
5
20 sin
3
+ 5 sin
Remark: This method can be used to prove many trigonometric identities. In
general one can write sin n and cos n in terms of powers of sin and cos by using
both the binomial theorem and De Moivres theorem to expand (cos +i sin )
n
and
comparing the real and imaginary parts of the results.
Exercise: Prove :
1. cos 4 = 8 cos
4
8 cos
2
+ 1
2. sin 4 = 4 cos
3
sin 4 cos sin
3