WTW 164

Unit 3.1: Operations, conjugate,

and modulus of a complex number
Dr HR (Maya) Thackeray
<maya.thackeray@up.ac.za>
Complex numbers
i2 = –1
A complex number z is an expression of the form a + bi (this is the
standard form), where a and b are real numbers.
The real part of z is Re z = a, and the imaginary part of z is Im z = b.
z = Re z + i Im z
For real numbers a, b, c, and d:
a + bi = c + di if and only if (a = c and b = d).
The set of complex numbers is .
The complex plane
The complex plane (also known as the Argand plane):

Re(3 – 2i) = 3; Im(3 – 2i) = –2

Operations
• (a + bi) + (c + di) = (a + c) + (b + d)i
• (a + bi) – (c + di) = (a – c) + (b – d)i
• s(a + bi) = sa + sbi if s is real
• (a + bi)(c + di) = ac + adi + bci + bdi2 = (ac – bd) + (ad + bc)i, using the
fact that i2 = –1
• = = = + i (assuming c + di is not 0)
Examples: Operations
• (3 + 2i) + (1 – i) = 4 + i
• (3 + 2i) – (1 – i) = 2 + 3i
• (3 + 2i) = + i
For the three examples above, the complex numbers act as if they were
vectors being added, subtracted, and multiplied by a scalar.
• (3 + 2i)(1 – i) = 3 – 3i + 2i + 2 = 5 – i
• = = = +i
Conjugates
If z = a + bi with a and b real numbers, then the conjugate of z is
= = a – bi.
Example: 1 – i = 1 + i.
To get , reflect z around the real axis in the complex plane.
(We shall not use the notation z* that is used by some sources to
denote .)
Properties of conjugates
If z = a + bi and = c + di with a, b, c, and d all real numbers, then:
• = z. Proof: = = = a + bi = z.
• = . Proof: = =
= (a + c) – (b + d)i = a – bi + c – di = .
• = .
• = z if and only if z is real.
• Re z = (z + )/2 and Im z = (z – )/(2i). Proof: Tutorial exercise.
Examples: Complex matrices
By the usual rules for matrix multiplication, we have
.
We have
= (–1)(–1 + 3i) – (–2 – i)(1 + 3i) = 1 – 3i – (1 – 7i) = 4i, and
.
Modulus
If z = a + bi with a and b real numbers, then the modulus |z| of z is
|z| = .
It is the length of the vector associated with z in the complex plane.
Example: |3 + 2i| = = .
Properties of the modulus (page 1)
If z = a + bi and = c + di with a, b, c, and d all real numbers, then:
• |z| is nonnegative. Proof: a2 + b2 is nonnegative, so its square root is
well defined and nonnegative, so |z| is nonnegative.
• |z| = 0 if and only if z = 0. Proof: |z| = 0 if and only if = 0 if and only if
a2 + b2 = 0 if and only if a = b = 0 if and only if z = 0.
• z = |z|2. Proof: z = (a + bi)(a – bi) = a2 + b2 = |z|2.
• |z| = |–z| = ||. Proof: Tutorial exercise.
• |zw| = |z||w|. Proof: Tutorial exercise.
Properties of the modulus (page 2)
• If w is not 0, then |z/w| = |z|/|w|. Proof (not part of WTW 164):
|(z/w)w| = |z/w|.|w| by the previous result, so |z/w| = |z|/|w|.
• |z + w| |z| + |w| (this is the triangle inequality).
Proof (not part of WTW 164):
|z + w|2 = (z + w)( + ) = z + z + w + w = |z|2 + |w|2 + 2Re(z)
|z|2 + |w|2 + 2|z| = |z|2 + |w|2 + 2|z|.|w| = (|z| + |w|)2, so
|z + w| |z| + |w|.
• |z – w| |z| – |w| (this is another form of the triangle inequality).
Proof (not part of WTW 164):
|(z – w) + w| |z – w| + |w| by the previous result, so |z – w| |z| – |w|.
Quadratic equations (page 1)
• Example: Solve x2 – 8x + 25 = 0.
Solution. x = (8 )/2 = (8 )/2 = (8 6i)/2 = 4 3i.
For positive real c, the principal square root of –c is i; we write = i in
this case. Examples: = i and = 5i.
For real a, b, and c with a not equal to 0, the solutions of the quadratic
equation ax2 + bx + c = 0 are x = .
Quadratic equations (page 2)
Note that if b2 – 4ac < 0, then = i and the two roots x = i form a
conjugate pair (that is, each is the conjugate of the other).
Note that if a and b are negative real numbers, then does not equal . .
Example: = = 4, but
. = i . i = (–1) . = –4.