Starters

1. Observe that 18 = 42 + 12 + 12 + 02. How many of the first fifteen positive

integers can be written as the sum of squares of four integers?
A 11 B 12 C 13 D 14 E 15
2. When the following five numbers are arranged in numerical order,
which one is in the middle?
A 4√15 B 5√10 C 7√5 D 9√3 E 11√2
.
3. If n is some integer, 1 ≤ n ≤ 9, what is the value of (0.n) / (0.n) ?

A 1/10 B 9/10 C 1 D 10/9 E it depends on n

4. A teacher gave a test to 20 students. Marks on the test ranged from 0 to 10

inclusive. The average of the first twelve papers marked was 6.5. What can
you conclude from this about the eventual average M for the whole group?
A 0.325 ≤ M ≤ 6.5 B 3.25 ≤ M ≤ 6.5 C 3.9 ≤ M ≤ 6.5
D 3.9 ≤ M ≤ 7.9 E 6.5 ≤ M ≤ 7.9
Further Mathematics Support Programme
Further Mathematics Support Programme
www.furthermaths.org.uk

Introduction to
Complex Numbers
Let Maths take you Further…
Objectives
To understand where complex numbers come from and why they
are useful
To know the definition of i
To be able to solve any quadratic equation
To be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide complex numbers
To use the Argand diagram to illustrate complex numbers
To find the modulus a complex number
To find the Argument of a complex number
To convert between Cartesian form and modulus-argument form
WHY COMPLEX
NUMBERS?
Solve these equations

x–1=0
3x – 1 = 0
x2 – 2 = 0
x2 + 1 = 0

 What types of numbers have we used to solve

these equations?
 Numbers
 In roughly historical order
 Natural Numbers – The counting numbers (1, 2, 3, ….)

 Rational Numbers – Any number that can be

expressed as a fraction – (4, 2.5, 1/3)

 Irrational Numbers – Any number that can`t be

expressed as a fraction. ( π ,√2, √3 + 1)

 Real Numbers – All numbers ( 2, 3.15, π ,√2)

 Integers – All whole numbers ( -5, -1, 6)

 Complex Numbers (Imaginary numbers)

 Numbers

 Subsets
 Natural Numbers – The counting numbers (1, 2, 3, ….)

 Integers – All whole numbers ( -5, -1, 6)

 Rational Numbers – Any number that can be

expressed as a fraction – (4, 2.5, 1/3)

 Real numbers – All numbers ( 2, 3.15, π ,√2)

 Complex Numbers (Imaginary numbers)

Complex Numbers

 What is the √(-1)?

 We define the imaginary number i to be the √(-1).
(Hence i2 = -1)
 Note that some courses use the letter j, but we
are going to use i.
 We can now use this to calculate a whole new
range of square roots.
 What is √(-144)?
Complex Numbers

 Now we can define a complex number (z) to

be a number that is made up of real and
imaginary parts.
z=x+yi
 Here x and y are real numbers.
 x is said to be the real part of z, or Re(z).
 y is said to be the imaginary part of z, or
Im(z).
 Solving Quadratics
 We can now solve any quadratic equation! E.g.

z2 + 6z + 25 = 0
 What is the quadratic formula?
Solving Quadratics
 6  36  100
z
2

Now try Exercise A in your packs

 MANIPULATING
COMPLEX NUMBERS
Addition and Subtraction

 To add and subtract complex numbers all you have to do

is add/subtract the real and imaginary parts of the
number.

 (a+bi) + (c+di) = a + c + bi + di
= (a + c)+ (b + d)i

 (a+bi) – (c+di) = a - c + bi - di
= (a - c)+ (b - d)i
Multiplying
 Multiplying two complex numbers is just like
multiplying out two brackets.
 But – remember that you can simplify i2 because
i2 = -1
 (a+bi)(c+di) =
Multiplying
 Alternatively you could use the box method.

a bi

di
 (a+bi)(c+di) =
Powers of i
 What are i3, i4, i5?
Questions
 If z1 = 5 + 4i z2 = 3 + i z3 = 7 – 2i
 Find
a) z1 + z3 =

b) z 1 - z2 =

c) z 1 – z3 =

d) z1 × z2 =

e) z1 × z3 =
Complex Conjugates
 The complex conjugate of
z = (a + bi) is z* = (a – bi)
 If you remember the two solutions to the quadratic
from a few slides back then they where complex
conjugates.
 z = -3 + 8i & z = -3 – 8i
 In fact all complex solutions to quadratics will be
complex conjugates. Why?
 If z = 5 + 4i
 What is z + z*
 What is z × z*
Activity
 Prove that for any complex number z = a + bi, that z
+ z* and z × z* are real numbers.
 First z + z* = (a + bi) + (a – bi)

 Now z × z* = (a + bi)(a – bi)

Division
 The method is similar to rationalising the denominator
which you met at GCSE.

1

2  4i
Division
 Now see if you can find (3 – 5i) ÷ (2+9i)
Questions
1. 1 2. 7  5i
1 i 6  2i
A bold hypothesis

You have just avoided a mathematical

inconvenience: by introducing a new
mathematical object, i, which follows all
the mathematical laws, you can now
square root negative numbers.
Another bold hypothesis

What happens if you try the same approach to get

rid of the equally inconvenient ban on dividing by
zero?
The problem is that there is no real number equal
to 1 ÷ 0.
So our bold hypothesis is to introduce a new
mathematical object which equals 1 ÷ 0 but which
behaves like an ordinary real number.
Another bold hypothesis

What happens if you try the same approach to get

rid of the equally inconvenient ban on dividing by
zero?
The problem is that there is no real number equal to
1 ÷ 0.
So our bold hypothesis is to introduce a new
mathematical object which equals 1 ÷ 0 but which
behaves like an ordinary real number.
We will call this new number: 
The hypothesis collapses...

So 1 ÷ 0 =   1=0x
Then 2x0=3x0
 (2 x 0) x  = (3 x 0) x 
 2 x (0 x ) = 3 x (0 x )


The hypothesis collapses...

So this Bold Hypothesis quickly leads to trouble.

How can you be sure that the same will never

happen with complex numbers?

Well, you can, but it’s rather complicated to prove...

Relay race
 Teams of 4 in a row
 Each person has 4 questions – they can only
be done when you are given the value of the
letter.
 I give the first person in each team an answer
sheet with the first value on. They work out
their answer, write it on the sheet and pass it
on.
 The last person brings the answer sheet to be
checked. If it’s correct, you will get the next
answer sheet (4 in all). If it’s wrong, it will be
passed back for correcting.
Tea!
 DRAWING
COMPLEX NUMBERS
 Argand Diagrams
 Complex numbers can Im
be shown Geometrically
on an Argand diagram
 The real part of the
number is represented
on the x-axis and the
imaginary part on the y. Re
 -3
 -4i
 3 + 2i
 2 – 2i
 Modulus of a complex number
 A complex number
Im
can be represented by
the position vector.
 x
 
 y y

 The Modulus of a x Re
complex number is
the distance from the
origin to the point.
 |z| = √(x2+y2)
 Note |x| = x
Modulus of a complex number

 Find
a) |3 + 4i| = 5

b) |5 – 12i| = 13

c) |6 – 8i| = 10

d) |-24 – 10i| = 26
Argument of a
complex number
 Now let’s look at the angle Im
(θ) that the line makes with
the positive real axis.
 NOTE: θ is measured in
radians in an anticlockwise
direction from the positive
real axis.
 θ is measured from –180° to
180° and is known as the r
principal argument of z.
 Argument z = arg z = θ y
 y = r sinθ, x = r cosθ
 tan θ = y/x
θ
 θ = inv tan (y/x)
x Re
Modulus/Argument
of a complex number
 Calculate the modulus and argument of the following complex
numbers. (Hint, it helps to draw a diagram)

1) 3 + 4i |z| = √(32+42) = 5
arg z = inv tan (4/3)
= 0.927

2) 5 – 5i |z| = √(52+52) = 5√2

arg z = inv tan (5/-5)
= -π/4

3) -2√3 + 2i |z| = √((2√3)2+22) = 4

arg z = inv tan (2/-2√3)
= 5π/6
Modulus/Argument
of a complex number
 Note, inv tan (y/x) will return answer in
first/fourth quadrant.
 Last example on previous slide inv tan (2/-
2√3) on your calculator will return, -30°,
however the answer we want is 150°.
 In some circumstances you may need to add
or subtract 180°.
 This is why a diagram is useful.
Modulus-Argument form
of a complex number
 So far we have plotted the position of a complex
number on the Argand diagram by going horizontally
on the real axis and vertically on the imaginary.
 (This is just like plotting co-ordinates on an x,y axis)
 However it is also possible to locate the position of a
complex number by the distance travelled from the
origin (pole), and the angle turned through from the
positive x-axis.
 (This is sometimes known as Polar co-ordinates and
can be studied in another course)
Modulus-Argument form
of a complex number
 (x,y)  (r, θ)
 cosθ = x/r, sinθ = y/r
 x = r cosθ, y = r sinθ,

Im Im

r
y
θ θ
x Re Re
Radians or degrees?

 Strictly speaking, you should work in radians.

 If you are in y12 though, you won’t know what
they are, so work in degrees.
 By the exam, you will be confident enough to
work in radians, so when you come to revise
this topic, work in radians.
 For information, 180° = π radians
Converting
 Converting from Cartesian to Polar
 (x,y) = [√(x2+y2),(inv tan (y/x))] = (r, θ)
 Convert the following from Cartesian to Polar
i) (1,1) = (√2,π/4)
Im

ii) (-√3,1) = (2,5π/6)

r
y
θ
iii) (-4,-4√3) = (8,-2π/3) x Re
Converting
 Converting from Polar to Cartesian
 (r, θ) = (r cosθ, r sin θ)
 Convert the following from Polar to Cartesian
i) (4,π/3) = (2,2√3)
Im

ii) (3√2,-π/4) = (3,-3)

r
y
θ
iii) (6√2,3π/4) = (-6,6) x Re
Modulus-Argument form
of a complex number
 Now we can define the Modulus-Argument
form of a complex number to be:
z = r (cosθ + i sinθ)
 Here r = |z| and θ = arg z
 When writing a complex number in
Modulus-Argument form it can be helpful to
draw a diagram.
 Remember that θ will take values between
-π and π.
Practice…

 Try the Exercises C and D from the packs.

 If you finish, have a go at some questions
from Exercises A and B
CONSOLIDATION
Try this jigsaw puzzle…
Take a short break!
SOLVING POLYNOMIAL
EQUATIONS
History of complex numbers
 In the quadratic formula (b2 – 4ac) is known as the
discriminant.
 If this is greater than zero the quadratic will have 2
distinct solutions.
 If it is equal to zero then the quadratic will have 1
repeated root.
 If it is less than zero then there are no solutions.
 Complex numbers where invented so that we could
solve quadratic equations whose discriminant is
negative.
 This can be extended to solve equations of higher order
like cubic and quartic.
 In fact complex numbers can be used to find the roots of
any polynomial of degree n.
History of complex numbers

 In 1629 Albert Girard stated that an nth degree

polynomial will have n roots, complex or real. Taking
into account repeated roots.
 For example the fifth order equation
(z – 2)(z-4)2(z2+9) = 0 has five roots.
2, 4(twice) 3i and -3i.
 For any polynomial with real coefficients solutions will
always have complex conjugate pairs.
 Many great mathematicians have tried to prove the
above.
 Gauss achieved it in 1799.
Complex numbers and equations
Given that 1 + 2i is a root of 4z3 – 11z2 + 26z – 15 = 0,
find the other roots.
Complex numbers and equations
Given that 1 + 2i is a root of 4z3 – 11z2 + 26z – 15 = 0,
find the other roots.
We now know that z2 – 2z + 5 is a factor, so
divide the original polynomial by this one.
 Complex numbers and equations
Given that -2 + i is a root of the equation z4 + az3 + bz2 + 10z + 25 = 0,
find the values of a and b and solve the equation.

First you need to find the values of z4,z3 & z2 so that you can substitute
them in to the equation above.

z2 =

z3 =

z4 =
 Complex numbers and equations
Given that -2 + i is a root of the equation z4 + az3 + bz2 + 10z + 25 = 0,
find the values of a and b and solve the equation.

z2 = 3 – 4i z3 = -2 + 11i z4 = -7 – 24i
 Complex numbers and equations
Given that -2 + i is a root of the equation z4 + az3 + bz2 + 10z + 25 = 0,
find the values of a and b and solve the equation.

-2 – 14i + a(-2 + 11i) + b(3 – 4i) = 0

Now equate real and imaginary parts:

 Complex numbers and equations
Given that -2 + i is a root of the equation z4 + 2z3 + 2z2 + 10z + 25 = 0
Find the values of a and b and solve the equation.
Given that -2 + i is a root of the equation
z4 + 2z3 + 2z2 + 10z + 25 = 0,
find the values of a and b and solve the equation.
 SUMMARY

Video: http://videos.howstuffworks.com/hsw/22930-discovering-math-complex-num
Complex Numbers – Key Points

If z = x + yi, the complex conjugate of z is z* =

To divide a pair of complex numbers, ...

The modulus of z is lzl =

This is the distance ...

The principal argument of z is

Complex Numbers – Key Points

The modulus argument form of z is z =

x= y=

r= θ=

A polynomial equation of degree n has n roots, taking into

account complex roots and repeated roots.

If z = x + yi is a root, then so is z =