An Introduction to Complex Numbers

Exercise 1: Working with complex numbers

Solutions

1) Given the complex numbers 𝑧 = 1 + 2𝑖 and 𝑤 = 3 − 𝑖, calculate the following.

a) 𝑧𝑤

𝑧𝑤 = (1 + 2𝑖)(3 − 𝑖) = 3 + 6𝑖 − 𝑖 − 2𝑖 2 = 5 + 5𝑖

b) 𝑖𝑧 ∗ − 𝑤

𝑖𝑧 ∗ − 𝑤 = 𝑖(1 − 2𝑖) − (3 − 𝑖) = 𝑖 − 2𝑖 2 − 3 + 𝑖 = −1 + 2𝑖

c) (𝑧 + 4𝑤)∗

(𝑧 + 4𝑤)∗ = (1 + 2𝑖 + 12 − 4𝑖)∗ = 13 + 2𝑖

2) Compute the two complex roots of the quadratic equation 𝑧 2 − 2𝑧 + 17 = 0.

If we complete the square, we have

(𝑧 − 1)2 − 1 + 17 = 0
(𝑧 − 1)2 = −16

Taking the square root and using our rules for surds gives
𝑧 − 1 = ±√−16 = ± 4𝑖

Therefore, the two complex roots of the quadratic are

𝑧 = 1 + 4𝑖 or 𝑧 = 1 − 4𝑖
3) Calculate the value of 𝑖 93 .

Recalling the cyclic nature of the powers of 𝑖, we can rewrite the power as

𝑖 93 = 𝑖 92 𝑖 = (𝑖 4 )23 𝑖

Observing 𝑖 4 = 1, we deduce that 𝑖 93 = 𝑖.

2+5𝑖
4) Express 4−2𝑖 in the form 𝑥 + 𝑦𝑖.

Multiplying the denominator and numerator by the conjugate of 4 − 2𝑖 and expanding gives

2 + 5𝑖 (2 + 5𝑖)(4 + 2𝑖) 8 + 20𝑖 + 4𝑖 − 10

= =
4 − 2𝑖 (4 − 2𝑖)(4 + 2𝑖) 16 − 8𝑖 + 8𝑖 + 4

Which simplifies as

−2 + 24𝑖 1 6
= = − + 𝑖
20 10 5

5) Given that the quadratic equation 𝑧 2 + 𝑝𝑧 + 𝑞 = 0 has a complex root equal to −3 + 4𝑖 and 𝑝 and 𝑞 are
real numbers. Find the value of 𝑝 and 𝑞.

As the quadratic equation has real coefficients, and we know that the complex roots of a
polynomial equation with real coefficients must occur in conjugate pairs, it follows that the other
root is given by 𝑧 = −3 − 4𝑖.

Expressing the quadratic equation as product of its two complex roots

(𝑧 − (−3 + 4𝑖))( 𝑧 − (−3 − 4𝑖)) = 0

and expanding gives

𝑧 2 − (−3 + 4𝑖)𝑧 − (−3 − 4𝑖)𝑧 + (−3 + 4𝑖)(−3 − 4𝑖) = 0.

Hence equating coefficients, we deduce that

𝑝 = −(−3 + 4𝑖) − (−3 − 4𝑖) = 3 − 4𝑖 + 3 + 4𝑖 = 6

𝑞 = (−3 + 4𝑖)(−3 − 4𝑖) = 9 − 12𝑖 + 12𝑖 + 16 = 25.

6) Find the four complex roots of the quartic equation (4𝑧 2 − 4𝑧 + 5)(𝑧 2 + 4) = 0.

To find the four roots, we will set each term equal to zero. Starting the first bracket, we have
4𝑧 2 − 4𝑧 + 5 = 0.

By the quadratic formula, the roots of this quadratic equation may be calculated as
4 ± √(−4)2 − 4 × 4 × 5 4 ± √16 − 80 4 ± √−64
𝑧= = =
2×4 8 8

which simplifies to give

1
𝑧 = 2 ± 𝑖.

For the second bracket, we have

𝑧2 + 4 = 0

and so
𝑧 = ±√−4 = ±2𝑖.

Therefore, the roots of quartic equation are

1
𝑧 = ±2𝑖, 2 ± 𝑖.

7) Solve the equation (𝑖𝑧)∗ + 3𝑧 = 3 + 7𝑖.

Let 𝑧 = 𝑥 + 𝑦𝑖, if we substitute this expression into the equation, we obtain

(𝑥𝑖 − 𝑦 )∗ + 3𝑥 + 3𝑦𝑖 = 3 + 7𝑖.

Computing the conjugate

−𝑦 − 𝑥𝑖 + 3𝑥 + 3𝑦𝑖 = 3 + 7𝑖

and collecting the real and imaginary parts gives

−𝑦 + 3𝑥 + (−𝑥 + 3𝑦)𝑖 = 3 + 7𝑖

Equating the real and imaginary parts, we deduce that

Real part) −𝑦 + 3𝑥 = 3 (1)

Imaginary part) −𝑥 + 3𝑦 = 7. (2)

Eliminating 𝑥, by multiplying equation (2) by 3 and adding to equation (1) gives

8𝑦 = 24.
 Hence 𝑦 = 3, and by substituting the value of 𝑦 into equation (1), we see that 𝑥 = 2.

Therefore, the solution to the original equation is given by 𝑧 = 2 + 3𝑖.

2𝑧−2𝑖
8) Solve the following equation 1+𝑖
= 3 − 𝑖.

There are a few possible approaches to solve this equation.

Method 1
We may multiply the equation by 1 + 𝑖 to obtain
2𝑧 − 2𝑖 = (3 − 𝑖)(1 + 𝑖)

Which if we expand gives

2𝑧 − 2𝑖 = 3 − 𝑖 + 3𝑖 − 𝑖 2 = 4 + 2𝑖

Rearranging gives
2𝑧 = 4 + 4𝑖

and therefore, we deduce that 𝑧 = 2 + 2𝑖.

Method 2
Alternatively, we may multiply the numerator and denominator of the fraction by the conjugate
of 1 + 𝑖 to obtain

(2𝑧 − 2𝑖)(1 − 𝑖)
=3−𝑖
(1 + 𝑖)(1 − 𝑖)

We may now expand to obtain

2𝑧 − 2𝑖𝑧 − 2𝑖 + 2𝑖 2
= 3−𝑖
1 − 𝑖2

which simplifies as
2𝑧 − 2𝑖𝑧 − 2𝑖 − 2
= 3−𝑖
2

and hence
𝑧 − 𝑖𝑧 − 𝑖 − 2 = 3 − 𝑖

We may now rearrange to deduce that

𝑧 − 𝑖𝑧 = 5.
 Expressing 𝑧 in the form 𝑥 + 𝑦𝑖, then gives
𝑥 + 𝑦𝑖 − 𝑖(𝑥 + 𝑦𝑖) = 5

and so
𝑥 + 𝑦 + (𝑦 − 𝑥)𝑖 = 5.

We may now equate the real and imaginary parts, to deduce that

Real part: 𝑥+𝑦 = 5

Imaginary part: −𝑥 + 𝑦 = 0

Hence, by solving these equations, we deduce that 𝑥 = 2 and 𝑦 = 2.

9) Find all of the possible values of the complex number 𝑤 such that the quadratic equation 𝑖𝑧 2 + 2𝑤𝑧 + 𝑤 ∗ = 0 has a
repeated real root.

If the quadratic equation has a repeated real root, then the discriminant must be equal to 0.
It therefore follows that

4𝑤 2 − 4𝑖𝑤 ∗ = 0

which we can simplify as

𝑤 2 − 𝑖𝑤 ∗ = 0.

Substituting 𝑤 = 𝑥 + 𝑦𝑖, into the equation gives

(𝑥 + 𝑦𝑖)2 − 𝑖(𝑥 − 𝑦𝑖) = 0.

Expanding the brackets,

𝑥 2 + 2𝑥𝑦𝑖 − 𝑦 2 − 𝑥𝑖 − 𝑦 = 0

and collecting real and imaginary terms gives

𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2 − 𝑦 + 𝑖(2𝑥𝑦 − 𝑥) = 0.

Equating the real and imaginary parts, gives the equations

Real parts) 𝑥2 − 𝑦2 − 𝑦 = 0 (1)

Imaginary parts) 2𝑥𝑦 − 𝑥 = 0. (2)
 Examining the equation for the imaginary parts, we may factorise to obtain

𝑥(2𝑦 − 1) = 0.

1
Therefore, either 𝑥 = 0 or 𝑦 = 2.

In the case 𝑥 = 0, if we substitute the value of 𝑥 into equation (1), we observe that

−𝑦(𝑦 + 1) = −𝑦 2 − 𝑦 = 0

and so 𝑦 = 0 or 𝑦 = −1.

1
In the case 𝑦 = 2, if we substitute the value of 𝑦 into equation (1), this gives
3
𝑥2 = .
4

√3
and therefore 𝑥 = ± .
2

In summary, our four possible values of 𝑤, such that the quadratic has a repeat root are

√3 1
𝑤 = 0, −𝑖 , ± + 𝑖.
2 2