nth roots of Complex Numbers:

Theorem on nth roots:

If 𝑧 = 𝑟(cos 𝜃 + 𝑖 sin 𝜃 ) is any nonzero complex number and if 𝑛 is any positive integer, then 𝑧 has
exactly 𝑛 different nth roots 𝑤0 , 𝑤1 , 𝑤2 .. . . . 𝑤𝑛 − 1 . These roots, for 𝜃 in radians, are:
𝒏 𝜽 + 𝟐𝝅𝒌 𝜽 + 𝟐𝝅𝒌
𝒘𝒌 = √ 𝒓 [ 𝐜𝐨𝐬 ( ) + 𝒊 𝐬𝐢𝐧 ( ) ]
𝒏 𝒏

Or equivalently, for 𝜃 in degrees,

𝒏 𝜽 + 𝟑𝟔𝟎𝟎 𝒌 𝜽 + 𝟑𝟔𝟎𝟎 𝒌
𝒘𝒌 = √ 𝒓 [ 𝐜𝐨𝐬 ( ) + 𝒊 𝐬𝐢𝐧 ( ) ]
𝒏 𝒏

Where: 𝒌 = 𝟎, 𝟏, 𝟐,. . . . . , 𝒏 − 𝟏.
𝟏 𝟏
𝜽 𝜽
when k = 0, 𝒛𝒏 = 𝒓𝒏 [ 𝒄𝒐𝒔 ( ) + 𝒊 𝒔𝒊𝒏 ( )]
𝒏 𝒏

Example: Find the four fourth roots of −8 − 8√3 𝑖.

2
Solution: Given: 𝑎 = −8, 𝑏 = −8√3 𝑟 = √(−8)2 + (−8√3 ) = 16

−8√3
tan 𝜃 = = √3 ; 𝜃 = 2400 .
−8
4 2400 + 3600 𝑘 2400 + 3600 𝑘
𝑤𝑘 = √16 [ cos ( ) + 𝑖 sin ( ) ]
4 4

𝑤𝑘 = 2[ cos(600 + 900 𝑘) + 𝑖 sin(600 + 900 𝑘) ]

𝑤0 = 2[ cos(600 ) + 𝑖 sin(600 ) ] = 1 + √3 𝑖
𝑤1 = 2[ cos(1500 ) + 𝑖 sin( 1500 ) ] = −√3 + 𝑖
𝑤2 = 2[ cos(2400 ) + 𝑖 sin(2400 ) ] = −1 − √3 𝑖
𝑤3 = 2[ cos(3300 ) + 𝑖 sin( 3300 ) ] = √3 – 𝑖

COMPLEX VARIABLE
Let complex variable be 𝑧 = 𝑥 + 𝑖𝑦 or 𝑤 = 𝑢 + 𝑖𝑣, where 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑢, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑣 are real variables and 𝑧 and 𝑤
are complex variables.

Example: Solve for 𝑧 if 3𝑖𝑧 2 + 8 = 296 − 84𝑖

Solution: 3𝑖𝑧 2 + 8 = 296 − 84𝑖
3𝑖𝑧 2 = 296 − 8 − 84𝑖
3𝑖𝑧 2 = 288 − 84𝑖
288 − 84𝑖 288 − 84𝑖 −3𝑖
𝑧2 = ⟹ 𝑧2 = ∙
3𝑖 3𝑖 −3𝑖
−864𝑖 + 252𝑖 2 −864𝑖 + 252(−1 )
𝑧2 = ⟹ 𝑧2 =
−9𝑖 2 −9(−1 )

𝑧 2 = −28 − 96𝑖
 Use 𝑧 = 𝑥 + 𝑖𝑦 ⟹ 𝑧 2 = ( 𝑥 + 𝑖𝑦 )2
𝑧 2 = 𝑥 2 + 2𝑥𝑦𝑖 + 𝑦 2 𝑖 2 ⟹ 𝑧 2 = 𝑥 2 + 2𝑥𝑦𝑖 + 𝑦 2 ( −1 )
𝒛𝟐 = 𝒙𝟐 − 𝒚𝟐 + 𝟐𝒙𝒚𝒊
Substitute to the given complex variable: 3𝑖(𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2 + 2𝑥𝑦𝑖) + 8 = 296 − 84𝑖
3𝑖𝑥 2 − 3𝑖𝑦 2 + 6𝑥𝑦𝑖 2 + 8 = 296 − 84𝑖
⟹ 3𝑖𝑥 2 − 3𝑖𝑦 2 + 6𝑥𝑦(−1) + 8 = 296 − 84𝑖
3𝑖𝑥 2 − 3𝑖𝑦 2 − 6𝑥𝑦 + 8 = 296 − 84𝑖
⟹ 3𝑖𝑥 2 − 3𝑖𝑦 2 + 84𝑖 = 6𝑥𝑦 + 288
Imaginary part: 3𝑖𝑥 2 − 3𝑖𝑦 2 + 84𝑖 = 0
3𝑖(𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2 + 28) = 0
𝒙𝟐 − 𝒚𝟐 = −𝟐𝟖
Real part: 6𝑥𝑦 + 288 = 0
6(𝑥𝑦 + 48) = 0
𝟒𝟖 2304
𝑥𝑦 = −48 ⟹ using 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥): 𝒚 = − ⟹ 𝑦2 =
𝒙 𝑥2
2304
Substitute: 𝑦2 = to 𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2 = −28
𝑥2
2304
𝑥2 − ( ) = −28
𝑥2
2304
[𝑥 2 − ( ) = −28 ] 𝑥 2
𝑥2

𝑥 4 + 28𝑥 2 − 2304 = 0
Let 𝑢 = 𝑥 2 then 𝑢2 = 𝑥 4
𝑢2 + 28𝑢 − 2304 = 0
Quadratic Formula: 𝑎 = 1, 𝑏 = 28, 𝑐 = −2304
−28 ± √(28)2 − 4(1)(−2304 )
𝑢=
2(1)

𝑢 = 36 and 𝑢 = −64 since 𝑢 = 𝑥 2 , then 𝑥 2 = 36 and 𝑥 2 = −64

48
𝑥 = ±√36 , 𝑥 = 6 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑥 = −6 from 𝑦 = −
𝑥

𝑦 = −8 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦 = 8
Therefore: 𝒛 = 𝟔 − 𝟖𝒊 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝒛 = −𝟔 + 𝟖𝒊
Coefficient of Complex Numbers by Determinants

Let 𝑎1 𝑧 + 𝑏1 𝑖𝑤 = 𝑐1 and 𝑎2 𝑧 + 𝑏2 𝑖𝑤 = 𝑐2

By Cramer’s Rule solving for z and w:

𝑐 𝑏1 𝑖
| 1 |
𝑐2 𝑏2 𝑖 (𝑐2 )(𝑏2 𝑖) − (𝑐2 )(𝑏1 𝑖)
For z: 𝑧= 𝑎 𝑏1 𝑖 = (𝑎1 )(𝑏2 𝑖) − (𝑎2 )(𝑏1 𝑖)
| 1 |
𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑖

𝑎1 𝑐1
| 𝑎 | (𝑎1 )(𝑐2 ) − (𝑎2 )(𝑐1 )
2 𝑐2
For w: 𝑤 = 𝑎1 𝑏1 𝑖 = (𝑎1 )(𝑏2 𝑖) − (𝑎2 )(𝑏1 𝑖)
| |
𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑖

Example: Solve the system and find w and z

5𝑤 − (12 − 7𝑖)𝑧 = −5.2 − 3𝑖

}
(5 − 4𝑖)𝑤 + 3𝑖𝑧 = 4.5 + 2𝑖
By Cramer’s rule:

| −5.2−3𝑖 −12+7𝑖 | (−5.2−3𝑖)(3𝑖) − (4.5+2𝑖)(−12+7𝑖)

4.5+2𝑖 3𝑖
𝑤= 5 −12+7𝑖 = (5)(3𝑖) − (5−4𝑖)(−12+7𝑖)
| |
5−4𝑖 3𝑖
78 63 231
− 5 𝑖 − 9𝑖 2 − (−54 + 2 𝑖 −24𝑖+14𝑖 2 ) 77 − 𝑖
10
= =
15𝑖 − (−60 + 35𝑖+48𝑖 −28𝑖 2 ) 32 − 68𝑖

231 3696 7854

77 − 10 𝑖 32 + 68𝑖 2464 + 5236𝑖 − 𝑖 − 5 𝑖2
5
= ∙ = (32)2 − (68𝑖)2
32 − 68𝑖 32 + 68𝑖

20174 22484
+ 5 𝑖
5
=
5648
20174 22484
𝑖
5 5
= + = 0.714 + 0.796𝑖 rectangular form
5648 5648

5 −5.2−3𝑖 |
| ( 5 )( 4.5+2𝑖) − ( 5−4𝑖 )(−5.2−3𝑖)
5−4𝑖 4.5+2𝑖
𝑧= 5 −12+7𝑖 = (5)(3𝑖) − (5−4𝑖)(−12+7𝑖)
| |
5−4𝑖 3𝑖

22.5+10𝑖 − (−26 −15𝑖 + 20.8𝑖 + 12𝑖 2 ) 60.5 + 4.2𝑖

= =
15𝑖 − (−60 + 83𝑖 − 28𝑖 2 ) 32−68𝑖

60.5 + 4.2𝑖 32+68𝑖 1936 + 4114𝑖 + 134.4𝑖 + 285.6𝑖 2

= ∙ =
32−68𝑖 32+68𝑖 1024−4624𝑖 2

1650.4 + 4248.4𝑖
=
5648

1650.4 4248.4𝑖
= + = 0.29 + 0.75𝑖
5648 5648

for w: 𝑟𝑤 = √(0.714)2 + (0.796)2 = 1.07 for z: 𝑟𝑧 = √(0.29)2 + (0.75)2 = 0.8

0.796 0.75
tan 𝜃𝑤 = ⟹ 𝜃𝑤 = 480 tan 𝜃𝑧 = ⟹ 𝜃𝑧 = 690
0.714 0.29

Polar form: 𝑤 = 1.07(cos 480 + 𝑖 sin 480 ) Polar form: 𝑧 = 0.8(cos 690 + 𝑖 sin 690 )
0 0
Euler form: 𝑤 = 1.07𝑒 𝑖 48 Euler form: 𝑧 = 0.8𝑒 𝑖 69