Oscillations and Waves - Lecture 3

Dr. Simon Hanna February 2, 2004

Complex Numbers

4. Reciprocal: z x iy 1 = = 2 z zz x + y2 5. Division: 1 z1 (x1 x2 + y1 y2 ) i(x1 y2 x2 y1 ) z1 z2 = = 2 z2 z2 z2 x2 + y2 2 Other useful results involving the conjugate: z1 + z 2 = z 1 + z2 z1 .z2 = z1 .z2 z1 /z2 = z1 /z2 x = (z) = 1 (z + z) 2 y = (z) =
1 2i (z

Jordan and Smith Ch.6 A reminder of some useful results. Complex notation: z = x + iy, i = x = (z) y = (z)

real part imaginary part

x and y are both real numbers If y = 0, z is real If x = 0, z is imaginary Complex conjugate: z = x iy

z)

4.1

Useful results:
z2 = x2 + iy2

4.2

The Argand diagram

z1 = x1 + iy1 ; 1. Equality: z1 = z2

Treat complex numbers as vectors in the complex plane:

Imaginary (y)
Argand diagram P r O y

if x1 = x2

and y1 = y2

2. Addition and subtraction: z1 + z2 = (x1 + x2 ) + i(y1 + y2 ) z1 z2 = (x1 x2 ) + i(y1 y2 ) 3. Product: z1 z2 = (x1 + iy1 )(x2 + iy2 ) z1 z2 = (x1 x2 y1 y2 ) + i(x1 y2 + x2 y1 ) Special result: zz = (x + iy)(x iy) = x2 + y 2 1 1. |z| = |z| Length OP = r = or |z|.
x

Real (x)

x2 + y 2 called modulus of z,

Useful properties of modulus:

2. zz = |z|2 3. |z1 z2 | = |z1 ||z2 | 4. |z1 /z2 | = |z1 |/|z2 | But note: |z1 + z2 | = |z1 | + |z2 |

and: z = r(cos i sin ) = rei where Useful results: cos = sin =

1 2 1 2i

r = |z|

= arg(z)

ei + ei ei ei

Addition on the complex plane (parallelogram law like vectors): de Moivres theorem:
y z1+z2 z2 z1

(cos + i sin )n = ei

= ein

(cos + i sin )n = cos n + i sin n for any integer n.

4.5
x

Complex representation of oscillations

Consider the equation of SHM:

4.3
y

Polar representation

P r y x

d2 u + 2x = 0 (1) dt2 cos t and sin t are both solutions of this equation. Therefore, any linear combination of cos t and sin t will also be a solution, i.e.: u = A cos t + B sin t also satises eq. (1). In particular: u = A(cos t + i sin t) = Aeit is also a solution. Thus u = Aeit

x = r cos r = |z|

y = r sin

= arg(z) = arctan(y/x)

represents an oscillation, with amplitude A and frequency . We can always represent an oscillation using a complex exponential function; To obtain the actual, physical displacement, of the system, we just take the real (or imaginary) part of the solution: i.e. or: displacement = (u) = A cos t displacement = (u) = A sin t

Normally: <

z = x + iy = r cos + ir sin z = r(cos + i sin )

4.4

Exponential representation

By comparing series expansions of the functions, it can be shown that: ei = cos + i sin z = r(cos + i sin ) = rei 2

The main advantage of working with complex exponentials, is that they are much easier to manipulate mathematically than sines and cosines, especially when combining the eect of two or more oscillators.