Complex numbers

http://www.clarku.edu/~djoyce/complex/

Dave's Short Course on

Introduction
This is an introduction to complex numbers. It includes the mathematics and a
little bit of history as well. It is intended for a general audience. The necessary
background in a familiarity with ordinary real numbers (all positive and
negative numbers and zero) and algebra.
In one section some background in trigonometry is needed as indicated with the
symbol. That section goes further into complex numbers and is optional
in an introduction.

Table of contents
I. History
1. Quadratic and cubic equations
Solution of quadratics, solution of cubics
2. The Fundamental Theorem of Algebra
3. The number i
The Fundamental Theorem of
Algebra proved!

II. Mathematics
4. The complex plane, addition and
subtraction
Notation, arithmetic operations
on C, parallelogram rule,
addition as translation, negation
and subtraction

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Complex numbers

http://www.clarku.edu/~djoyce/complex/

5. Absolute value
The unit circle, the triangle
inequality
6. Multiplication
Multiplication done algebraically, multiplying a complex number by a
real number, multiplication and absolute value, powers of i, roots of
unity, multiplying a complex number by i, a geometric interpretation
of multiplication
7. Angles and polar coordinates
8. Reciprocals, conjugation, and division
Reciprocals done geometrically, complex conjugates, division
9. Powers and roots
Powers, roots, more roots of unity

Select topic
1999, 2013
David E. Joyce

Daves Short Course on Complex Numbers is

located
at http://www.clarku.edu/~djoyce/complex/

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Department of Mathematics and Computer

Science
Clark University
Worcester, MA 01610

05/07/2015 09:17 PM