KJSCE – SVU COMPLEX NUMBERS SEM-I (20-21)

ROOTS OF ALGEBRAIC EQUATIONS:

De Moivre’s theorem can be used to find the roots of an algebraic equation.
General values of and where k is an
integer.
To solve the equation of the type , we apply De Moivre’s
theorem

This shows that ( ) is one of the n roots of

The other roots are obtain by expressing the number in the general form

{ } ( ) ( )
Taking k = 0, 1, 2,…………...,(n – 1). We get n roots of the equation.
Note: (i) Complex roots always occur in conjugate pair if coefficients of different
powers of x including constant terms in the equation are real.
(ii) Continued products mean products of all the roots of the equation.

SOME SOLVED EXAMPLES:

1. If is a cube root of unity, prove that
⁄
Solution: Consider
⁄ ⁄

Putting , the cube roots of unity are

(say)

And * +

Now, ( ) ( )
√ √
( ) ( )

Now, [ ]

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KJSCE – SVU COMPLEX NUMBERS SEM-I (20-21)

2. Find all the values of √ ⁄√ √ ⁄√

⁄
Solution: √ ( )
√ √ √
⁄
( )
⁄
* ( ) ( )+
⁄
* ( ) ( )+

√ ( ) ( )
√

Similarly, √ ( ) ( )
√

√ √ ( )
√ √

Putting we get the three roots as

i.e., where

3. Find the cube roots of .

⁄
⁄
Solution: * ( ) ( ) ( )+
⁄
* ( )( ( ) ( ))+
⁄ ⁄
( ( )) * ( ) ( )+
⁄ ⁄
( ( )) * ( ( )) ( ( ))+

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KJSCE – SVU COMPLEX NUMBERS SEM-I (20-21)

⁄
( ( )) * ( ) ( )+
Putting we get the three roots

⁄
4. Find the continued product of all the value of
⁄ ⁄
⁄
Solution: ( ) ( )
⁄
* ( ) ( )+

( ) ( )

Putting we get the three roots as

( ) ( ) ( )
Continued product
( )( )( )

( ) ( )

⁄
√
5. Find all the values of ( ) and show that their continued product is 1.
⁄
√
Solution: ( ) {( ) }
⁄

⁄
[ ]

Putting we get the four roots as,

( ) ( ), ( ) ( )

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KJSCE – SVU COMPLEX NUMBERS SEM-I (20-21)

( )

The required product ( ) ( )

6. SOLVE:
Solution:

Consider
⁄ ⁄ ⁄
[ ]

Putting we get the three roots

Similarly from we get the remaining four roots as
where

7. SOLVE:
Solution:
Multiplying the given equation by , we get
We have

Putting we get the roots of the equation.

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KJSCE – SVU COMPLEX NUMBERS SEM-I (20-21)

It is clear that 1 is the roots of

and the remaining roots are the roots of
i.e.,

8. SOLVE:
Solution:
Multiplying the given equation by we get,

⁄ ⁄

⁄
[ ]

Putting we get the six roots of equation

It is clear that and – are the roots of and the remaining roots
are roots of

9. Find the roots common to .

Solution: Consider
⁄ ⁄ ⁄
[ ]

( ) ( )

Putting we get the three roots as

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KJSCE – SVU COMPLEX NUMBERS SEM-I (20-21)

( )
Now consider,
⁄ ⁄
⁄
( ) * ( ) ( )+

( ) ( )

Putting we get the six roots as

( )

common roots are ( )

10. If
⁄

Solution:
⁄ ⁄ ⁄
[ ]

( ) ( )

⁄ ⁄ ⁄
⁄

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KJSCE – SVU COMPLEX NUMBERS SEM-I (20-21)

( ) where

11. If one root of find all other roots.

Solution: The given equation is
Since one of the root is
other root must be (since roots always occurs as complex conjugate pairs)
are the two roots

Now we want to find other two remaining roots for that we divide
by and we obtain

the remaining two roots are the roots of equation

√ √

The required remaining roots of given equation are

12. If are the roots of , find them & show that

.
Solution: We have
⁄

Putting , we get the five roots as

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KJSCE – SVU COMPLEX NUMBERS SEM-I (20-21)

Putting , we see that

the roots are , and hence

Putting we get

13. Solve the equation and show that

the real part of all the roots is ⁄
Solution: We have

( ) ( ) ( )
⁄
* ( ) ( )+

where

Simplifying as in the above example, we get

⁄ ⁄
⁄

For , we get three roots, All these roots have the real part ⁄

14. If is a 7th root of unity, prove that

if n is a multiple of 7 and is equal to zero otherwise.

Solution: We have

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KJSCE – SVU COMPLEX NUMBERS SEM-I (20-21)

Let

( )
If n is not a multiple of 7,
Now, sum of 7 terms of G.P

If n is a multiple of 7, say
Then,

⁄ ⁄
15. Prove that √ ⁄ ( ) ( )
Solution: We have to show that √ ⁄
√ √

Squaring both sides, we get,

√( )( )

We shall prove this result

Now,
√( )( )

√
√ ( )

√ √ ⁄

SOME PRACTICE PROBLEMS

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KJSCE – SVU COMPLEX NUMBERS SEM-I (20-21)

1. Find the cube roots of unity. If is a complex cube root of unity prove that
(i) (ii)
2. Prove that the n th roots of unity are in geometric progression.
3. Show that the sum of the n th roots of unity is zero.
4. Prove that the product of n th roots of unity is
5. Find all the values of the following :
⁄
⁄ ⁄
(i) (ii) (ix) ( √ )
⁄
√
6. Find the continued product of all the values of ( )
⁄
7. Find all the value of and find the continued product of these values.
8. Solve the equations
(i) (ii)
(iii)
9. If

10. Show that the roots of are given by

11. If are the roots of find them and prove that
.
12. Prove that ( )( ) .
13. Solve the equation and show that the real part of all the roots is
⁄ .
⁄
14. If and . then prove that b & c are
roots of quadratic equation
⁄ ⁄
15. Prove that (i) √ ⁄ ( ) ( )
⁄ ⁄
(iv) √ ⁄ ( ) ( )
16. If is a root of the equation find all the
other roots.

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