Name: __________________________________________

Unit 16 Notes: COMPLEX NUMBERS & POLAR COORDINATES

OUTCOME
I can write a complex number in polar form.
I can apply the properties of polar coordinates to simplify expressions.
I can convert between polar and Cartesian forms.
I can calculate powers of a complex number using De Moivre’s theorem.
I can find the nth root of a complex number.
I can find the nth root of unity.

We have studied complex numbers algebraically, now we will look at them geometrically!

Cartesian form:

We can plot a complex number on the Cartesian plane if we change the axes. This is called an

 All real numbers with b = lie on the

real axis.

 All numbers
with a = 0 lie on the imaginary axis.

 The origin (0, 0) lies on both axes and it

corresponds to , a real number.

 Complex numbers that are neither real nor

purely imaginary (a and b ≠ 0) lie in one
of the four quadrants.

Jean-Robert Argand (1768-1822) was born in Switzerland

but moved to Paris in 1806. He ran a bookstore and liked to
read about math in his spare time! (It doesn’t sound like he
had a lot of friends!)
 Ex: We would graph 𝟐 + 𝟑𝒊 as two units to the right and 3 units up.

If we join the origin to this point, it is called a vector that we call ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑶𝑷.

In unit 5, we added and subtracted complex numbers by adding the real and imaginary parts:

Ex: 𝒛𝟏 = 𝟑 + 𝟒𝒊 𝒛𝟐 = 𝟏 − 𝟐𝒊 𝒛𝟏 + 𝒛𝟐 =______________________

To add two complex numbers geometrically, we draw the second

starting at the end of the first and then count from the origin to the
final end point:

Ex: 𝒖 = −𝟐 + 𝟓𝒊 𝒘 = −𝟑 + 𝟐𝒊
𝒖 + 𝒘 =?

To subtract two complex numbers geometrically, we count the

second vector in the opposite direction:

Ex: 𝒖 = −𝟐 + 𝟓𝒊 𝒘 = −𝟑 + 𝟐𝒊
𝒖 − 𝒘 =?

Remember complex conjugates?? If 𝒛 = 𝒙 + 𝒊𝒚, then

𝒛∗ =________________________

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ is written as ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗

For complex vectors, the conjugate of 𝑶𝑷 𝑶𝑷′.
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑶𝑷′ is a vertical reflection of ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑶𝑷.
 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 𝟐 − 𝟒𝒊 and its conjugate ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
Ex: Draw 𝑶𝑷 𝑶𝑷′.

A vector has two characteristics, a length and a direction.

For a complex number, the length is called its and its direction is called its .

The modulus of the complex number 𝑧 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑖:

|𝒛| = √𝒂𝟐 + 𝒃𝟐

Ex. #1: Calculate the modulus of 𝟑 − 𝟐𝒊.

Ex. #2: If 𝒛 = −𝟓 + 𝟒𝒊, calculate |𝒛|.

Some properties of modulus:

 |𝒛∗ | =
 |𝒛|𝟐 =
 |𝒛𝟏 𝒛𝟐 | =
𝒛
 |𝒛𝟏 | =
𝟐

 |𝒛𝟏 𝒛𝟐 𝒛𝟑 … 𝒛𝒏 | =
 |𝒛𝒏 | =

Ex. #3: Find |𝒛| given that 𝟓|𝒛 − 𝟏| = |𝒛 − 𝟐𝟓| where 𝒛 is a complex number.
Ex. #4: Find the distance between 𝒛 = 𝟐 + 𝟑𝒊 and 𝒘 = 𝟔 + 𝒊. To find the distance between two vectors:
If 𝑧1 = ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑂𝑃1 and 𝑧2 = ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑂𝑃2 , then |𝒛𝟏 − 𝒛𝟐 | is
the distance between 𝑃1 and 𝑃2 .

ARGUMENT & POLAR FORM

The ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ and the positive real axis.

of a complex vector is the angle, 𝜽, between 𝑶𝑷

 Arugment of z =

 Real numbers have argument of

 Purely imaginary numbers have arguemnts of

Cartesian form of a complex number: 𝒛 =

Polar form of a complex number: 𝒛 = where |𝒛| is the modulus of 𝒛, 𝜽 is the argument
of 𝒛 and 𝒄𝒊𝒔𝜽 =

“CIS” is short form for

Ex. #5: Convert the following to polar form:

a) 𝟐𝒊 b) -3 c) 𝟏 − 𝒊
CARTESIAN TO POLAR METHOD:
 𝟓𝝅
Ex. #6: Convert √𝟑𝒄𝒊𝒔 ( 𝟔 ) to Cartesian form. POLAR TO CARTESIAN METHOD:

Properties of 𝒄𝒊𝒔𝜽: These are similar to

 𝒄𝒊𝒔𝜽 𝒙 𝒄𝒊𝒔𝝓 = 𝒄𝒊𝒔(𝜽 + 𝝓) exponent laws:
𝒄𝒊𝒔𝜽
 = 𝒄𝒊𝒔(𝜽 − 𝝓) 𝑥 𝑛 𝑥 𝑚 = 𝑥 𝑛+𝑚
𝒄𝒊𝒔𝝓

 (𝒄𝒊𝒔𝜽)𝒏 = 𝒄𝒊𝒔(𝒏𝜽) 𝑥𝑛
= 𝑥 𝑛−𝑚
𝑥𝑚
 𝒄𝒊𝒔(𝜽 + 𝟐𝒌𝝅) = 𝒄𝒊𝒔𝜽, for all 𝒌𝝐ℤ
(𝑥 𝑛 )𝑚 = 𝑥 𝑛𝑚
 ∗
If 𝒛 = |𝒛|𝒄𝒊𝒔𝜽, then 𝒛 = |𝒛|𝒄𝒊𝒔(−𝜽).

Ex. #7: Use the properties of 𝒄𝒊𝒔 to simplify the following:

𝝅
𝝅 𝟑𝝅 𝒄𝒊𝒔( ) 𝟏𝟎𝟕𝝅
𝟓
a) 𝒄𝒊𝒔 ( 𝟓 ) 𝒄𝒊𝒔 ( 𝟏𝟎 ) b) 𝟕𝝅 c) 𝒄𝒊𝒔 ( )
𝒄𝒊𝒔( ) 𝟔
𝟏𝟎

Ex. #8: Use the properties of 𝒄𝒊𝒔 to find the transformations which moves 𝒛 to 𝒊𝒛.

Remember: (𝒄𝒊𝒔𝜽)𝒏 = 𝒄𝒊𝒔(𝒏𝜽)

∴ (|𝒛|𝒄𝒊𝒔𝜽)𝒏 = |𝒛|𝒏 𝒄𝒊𝒔(𝒏𝜽)
Ex. #9: a) Write 𝒛 = 𝟏 + √𝟑𝒊 in polar form.
𝝅
b) Hence, multiply 𝒛 by 𝟐𝒄𝒊𝒔 ( 𝟔 ).
c) Illustrate what has happened on an Argand plane.
d) What transformations have taken by the multiplication in part b)?

𝟕𝝅 𝟕𝝅
Ex. #10: Use complex numbers to write 𝒄𝒐𝒔 (𝟏𝟐 ) and 𝒔𝒊𝒏 ( 𝟏𝟐 ) in simplest surd form.

Ex. #11: Suppose 𝒛 = √𝟐𝒄𝒊𝒔𝜽, where 𝜽 is obtuse. Find the modulus and argument of:
𝒛
a) 𝟐𝒛 b) 𝒊 c) (𝟏 − 𝒊)𝒛

Ex. #12: Suppose 𝒛 = 𝒄𝒊𝒔𝝓 where 𝝓 is acute. Find the modulus and argument of 𝒛 + 𝟏.
 EULER’S FORM & DE MOIVRE’S THEOREM

Leonard Euler proved that 𝒛 = |𝒛|𝒄𝒊𝒔𝜽 can also be written as 𝒛 = |𝒛|𝒆𝒊𝜽.

He proved this using:

𝒆𝒊𝜽 = 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽 + 𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽

𝝅
Ex. #1: Evaluate: a) 𝒆−𝒊𝟒 b) 𝒊−𝒊

DE MOIVRE’S THEOREM

Abraham de Moivre (1667-1754), was a French Mathematician who escaped to

England to avoid religious persecution. He hung out a lot with Isaac Newton and
his friends, and spent most of his life working on probability theories but he did
dabble in complex numbers and trigonometry.

De Moivre’s Theoreom states:

(|𝒛|𝒄𝒊𝒔𝜽)𝒏 = |𝒛|𝒏 𝒄𝒊𝒔(𝒏𝜽)

for all rational n.

𝟖
Ex. #2: Find the exact value of (√𝟑 + 𝒊) using De Moivre’s Theorem.
Ex. #3: Find the exact value of (𝟏 + 𝒊)𝟏𝟐 using De Moivre’s Theorem.

Link between Double Angle Identities and De Moivre’s Theorem:

 ROOTS OF COMPLEX NUMBERS

The nth roots of the complex number c are the n solutions of 𝒛𝒏 = 𝒄.

Ex: The 4th roots of 𝟐𝒊 are the four solutions of 𝒛𝟒 = 𝟐𝒊.

Some things to consider:

 There are exactly n nth roots of c.
 If 𝒄 ∈ ℝ, the complex roots must occur in conjugate pairs.
𝟏
 The roots of 𝒛𝒏 will all have the same modulus of |𝒄|𝒏 .
𝟏
 On an Argand plane, the roots all lie on a circle with radius = |𝒄|𝒏 .
𝟏
 The roots of the circle 𝒓 = |𝒄|𝒏 are equally spaced around the circle.

Ex. #1: Find the four 4th roots of 1 by:

a) Factorization b) the “nth roots method”.

Ex. #2: Solve: 𝒛𝟑 = −𝟖𝒊

Ex. #3: Find the fourth roots of -4 in the form 𝒂 + 𝒃𝒊 and hence write 𝒛𝟒 + 𝟒 as a product of real quadratic
factors.

The solutions to 𝑧 𝑛 = 1 are called the nth roots of unity.

Ex. #4: a) Find the three cube roots of unity.

b) Draw them on an Argand Plane.
c) If w is the root with the smallest positive argument, show that the roots are 1, w, w2 and that 𝟏 +
𝒘 + 𝒘𝟐 = 𝟎.