|
| 1 | +# Complex Number |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +A **complex number** is a number that can be expressed in the |
| 4 | +form `a + b * i`, where `a` and `b` are real numbers, and `i` is a solution of |
| 5 | +the equation `x^2 = −1`. Because no *real number* satisfies this |
| 6 | +equation, `i` is called an *imaginary number*. For the complex |
| 7 | +number `a + b * i`, `a` is called the *real part*, and `b` is called |
| 8 | +the *imaginary part*. |
| 9 | + |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | + |
| 12 | +A Complex Number is a combination of a Real Number and an Imaginary Number: |
| 13 | + |
| 14 | + |
| 15 | + |
| 16 | +Geometrically, complex numbers extend the concept of the one-dimensional number |
| 17 | +line to the *two-dimensional complex plane* by using the horizontal axis for the |
| 18 | +real part and the vertical axis for the imaginary part. The complex |
| 19 | +number `a + b * i` can be identified with the point `(a, b)` in the complex plane. |
| 20 | + |
| 21 | +A complex number whose real part is zero is said to be *purely imaginary*; the |
| 22 | +points for these numbers lie on the vertical axis of the complex plane. A complex |
| 23 | +number whose imaginary part is zero can be viewed as a *real number*; its point |
| 24 | +lies on the horizontal axis of the complex plane. |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +| Complex Number | Real Part | Imaginary Part | | |
| 27 | +| :------------- | :-------: | :------------: | --- | |
| 28 | +| 3 + 2i | 3 | 2 | | |
| 29 | +| 5 | 5 | **0** | Purely Real | |
| 30 | +| −6i | **0** | -6 | Purely Imaginary | |
| 31 | + |
| 32 | +A complex number can be visually represented as a pair of numbers `(a, b)` forming |
| 33 | +a vector on a diagram called an *Argand diagram*, representing the *complex plane*. |
| 34 | +`Re` is the real axis, `Im` is the imaginary axis, and `i` satisfies `i^2 = −1`. |
| 35 | + |
| 36 | + |
| 37 | + |
| 38 | +> Complex does not mean complicated. It means the two types of numbers, real and |
| 39 | +imaginary, together form a complex, just like a building complex (buildings |
| 40 | +joined together). |
| 41 | + |
| 42 | +## Basic Operations |
| 43 | + |
| 44 | +### Adding |
| 45 | + |
| 46 | +To add two complex numbers we add each part separately: |
| 47 | + |
| 48 | +```text |
| 49 | +(a + b * i) + (c + d * i) = (a + c) + (b + d) * i |
| 50 | +``` |
| 51 | + |
| 52 | +**Example** |
| 53 | + |
| 54 | +```text |
| 55 | +(3 + 5i) + (4 − 3i) = (3 + 4) + (5 − 3)i = 7 + 2i |
| 56 | +``` |
| 57 | + |
| 58 | +On complex plane the adding operation will look like the following: |
| 59 | + |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | + |
| 62 | +### Subtracting |
| 63 | + |
| 64 | +To subtract two complex numbers we subtract each part separately: |
| 65 | + |
| 66 | +```text |
| 67 | +(a + b * i) - (c + d * i) = (a - c) + (b - d) * i |
| 68 | +``` |
| 69 | + |
| 70 | +**Example** |
| 71 | + |
| 72 | +```text |
| 73 | +(3 + 5i) - (4 − 3i) = (3 - 4) + (5 + 3)i = -1 + 8i |
| 74 | +``` |
| 75 | + |
| 76 | +### Multiplying |
| 77 | + |
| 78 | +To multiply complex numbers each part of the first complex number gets multiplied |
| 79 | +by each part of the second complex number: |
| 80 | + |
| 81 | +Just use "FOIL", which stands for "**F**irsts, **O**uters, **I**nners, **L**asts" ( |
| 82 | +see [Binomial Multiplication](ttps://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/polynomials-multiplying.html) for |
| 83 | +more details): |
| 84 | + |
| 85 | + |
| 86 | + |
| 87 | +- Firsts: `a × c` |
| 88 | +- Outers: `a × di` |
| 89 | +- Inners: `bi × c` |
| 90 | +- Lasts: `bi × di` |
| 91 | + |
| 92 | +In general it looks like this: |
| 93 | + |
| 94 | +```text |
| 95 | +(a + bi)(c + di) = ac + adi + bci + bdi^2 |
| 96 | +``` |
| 97 | + |
| 98 | +But there is also a quicker way! |
| 99 | + |
| 100 | +Use this rule: |
| 101 | + |
| 102 | +```text |
| 103 | +(a + bi)(c + di) = (ac − bd) + (ad + bc)i |
| 104 | +``` |
| 105 | + |
| 106 | +**Example** |
| 107 | + |
| 108 | +```text |
| 109 | +(3 + 2i)(1 + 7i) |
| 110 | += 3×1 + 3×7i + 2i×1+ 2i×7i |
| 111 | += 3 + 21i + 2i + 14i^2 |
| 112 | += 3 + 21i + 2i − 14 (because i^2 = −1) |
| 113 | += −11 + 23i |
| 114 | +``` |
| 115 | + |
| 116 | +```text |
| 117 | +(3 + 2i)(1 + 7i) = (3×1 − 2×7) + (3×7 + 2×1)i = −11 + 23i |
| 118 | +``` |
| 119 | + |
| 120 | +### Conjugates |
| 121 | + |
| 122 | +We will need to know about conjugates in a minute! |
| 123 | + |
| 124 | +A conjugate is where we change the sign in the middle like this: |
| 125 | + |
| 126 | + |
| 127 | + |
| 128 | +A conjugate is often written with a bar over it: |
| 129 | + |
| 130 | +```text |
| 131 | +______ |
| 132 | +5 − 3i = 5 + 3i |
| 133 | +``` |
| 134 | + |
| 135 | +On the complex plane the conjugate number will be mirrored against real axes. |
| 136 | + |
| 137 | + |
| 138 | + |
| 139 | +### Dividing |
| 140 | + |
| 141 | +The conjugate is used to help complex division. |
| 142 | + |
| 143 | +The trick is to *multiply both top and bottom by the conjugate of the bottom*. |
| 144 | + |
| 145 | +**Example** |
| 146 | + |
| 147 | +```text |
| 148 | +2 + 3i |
| 149 | +------ |
| 150 | +4 − 5i |
| 151 | +``` |
| 152 | + |
| 153 | +Multiply top and bottom by the conjugate of `4 − 5i`: |
| 154 | + |
| 155 | +```text |
| 156 | + (2 + 3i) * (4 + 5i) 8 + 10i + 12i + 15i^2 |
| 157 | += ------------------- = ---------------------- |
| 158 | + (4 − 5i) * (4 + 5i) 16 + 20i − 20i − 25i^2 |
| 159 | +``` |
| 160 | + |
| 161 | +Now remember that `i^2 = −1`, so: |
| 162 | + |
| 163 | +```text |
| 164 | + 8 + 10i + 12i − 15 −7 + 22i −7 22 |
| 165 | += ------------------- = -------- = -- + -- * i |
| 166 | + 16 + 20i − 20i + 25 41 41 41 |
| 167 | +
|
| 168 | +``` |
| 169 | + |
| 170 | +There is a faster way though. |
| 171 | + |
| 172 | +In the previous example, what happened on the bottom was interesting: |
| 173 | + |
| 174 | +```text |
| 175 | +(4 − 5i)(4 + 5i) = 16 + 20i − 20i − 25i |
| 176 | +``` |
| 177 | + |
| 178 | +The middle terms `(20i − 20i)` cancel out! Also `i^2 = −1` so we end up with this: |
| 179 | + |
| 180 | +```text |
| 181 | +(4 − 5i)(4 + 5i) = 4^2 + 5^2 |
| 182 | +``` |
| 183 | + |
| 184 | +Which is really quite a simple result. The general rule is: |
| 185 | + |
| 186 | +```text |
| 187 | +(a + bi)(a − bi) = a^2 + b^2 |
| 188 | +``` |
| 189 | + |
| 190 | +## References |
| 191 | + |
| 192 | +- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_number) |
| 193 | +- [Math is Fun](https://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/complex-numbers.html) |
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