Nanyang Technological University MH2801 Complex Methods for the Sciences

Tutorial 1 Solutions
Complex Numbers
(1923 Aug 2013)
1. Cartesian and Polar Forms of a Complex Number. Write down the real part, imaginary part,
modulus, and argument of the following complex numbers:
(a)

i,
(b)
2
i
,
(c) (1 + i)
1+i
.
Solution. (a) Writing i = e
i/2
, we see that

i =
_
e
i/2
= e
i/4
= cos

4
+ i sin

4
=
1

2
+
i

2
.
Thus, the real part of

i is
1

2
and the imaginary part is
1

2
. The modulus of

i is 1, and the
argument is

4
.
(b) Writing 2
i
= e
i ln 2
, we see that
2
i
= e
i ln 2
= cos(ln 2) + i sin(ln 2).
The real part is cos(ln 2) while the imaginary part is sin(ln 2). The modulus of 2
i
is 1, and the
argument is ln 2.
(c) Writing 1 + i =

2 e
i/4
, we nd that
(1 + i)
1+i
=
_
2 e
i/4
_
1+i
=
_
2 e
i/4
_
1

_
2 e
i/4
_
i
=

2 e
i/4
(

2)
i
e
i
2
/4
,
which can be simplied to
(1 + i)
1+i
=

2 e
i/4
e
i ln

2
e
/4
=

2 e
/4
e
i
_

4
+
ln 2
2
_
.
Therefore, the real part of (1+i)
1+i
is

2 e
/4
cos
_

4
+
ln 2
2
_
and the imaginary part is

2 e
/4
sin
_

4
+
ln 2
2
_
.
The modulus of (1 + i)
1+i
is

2 e
/4
, and the argument is

4
+
ln 2
2
.
2. Trigonometric Functions and Complex Angles. In the lecture, we will see a proof of Eulers
formula e
ix
= cos x + i sin x for x R. It holds, in fact, for z C, so that we can write
cos z =
e
iz
+ e
iz
2
, sin z =
e
iz
e
iz
2i
, (1)
for the trigonometric functions, and
cosh z =
e
z
+ e
z
2
, sinh z =
e
z
e
z
2
, (2)
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Nanyang Technological University MH2801 Complex Methods for the Sciences
for the hyperbolic trigonometric functions.
(a) A & W, Qn. 6.1.9(a). Show that
cos z = cosh iz, cos iz = cosh z;
i sin z = sinh iz, sin iz = i sinh z.
(3)
(b) A & W, Qn. 6.1.10(a). Show that
sin(x + iy) = sin x cosh y + i cos x sinh y,
cos(x + iy) = cos x cosh y i sin x sinh y.
(4)
(c) A & W, Qn. 6.1.11(a). Show that
sinh(x + iy) = sinh x cos y + i cosh x sin y,
cosh(x + iy) = cosh x cos y + i sinh x sin y.
(5)
Solution. (a) Using the formulas in Eqn. (3), we see that
cosh iz =
e
(iz)
+ e
(iz)
2
= cos z, sinh iz =
e
(iz)
e
(iz)
2
= i
e
iz
e
iz
2i
= i sin z. (Shown)
Using the formulas in Eqn. (2), we see that
cos iz =
e
i(iz)
+ e
i(iz)
2
=
e
z
+ e
z
2
= cosh z,
sin iz =
e
i(iz)
e
i(iz)
2i
= i
e
z
e
z
2
= i
e
z
e
z
2
= i sinh z.
(Shown)
(b) Using the formulas in Eqn. (2) and Eqn. (3), we see that
sin(x + iy) =
1
2i
_
e
i(x+iy)
e
i(x+iy)
_
=
1
2i
_
e
ix
e
y
e
ix
e
y
_
=
1
2i
_
(cos x + i sin x) (cosh(y) + sinh(y)) (cos(x) + i sin(x)) (cosh y + sinh y)
_
=
1
2i
_
(cos x + i sin x) (cosh y sinh y) (cos x i sin x) (cosh y + sinh y)
_
=
1
2i
_
cos x cosh y cos x sinh y + i sin x cosh y i sin x sinh y
cos x cosh y cos x sinh y + i sin x cosh y + i sin x sinh y
_
=
1
2i
_
2 cos x sinh y + 2i sin x cosh y
_
= i cos x sinh y + sin x cosh y. (Shown)
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Nanyang Technological University MH2801 Complex Methods for the Sciences
Using the same formulas, we also see that
cos(x + iy) =
1
2
_
e
i(x+iy)
+ e
i(x+iy)
_
=
1
2
_
e
ix
e
y
+ e
ix
e
y
_
=
1
2
_
(cos x + i sin x) (cosh y sinh y) + (cos x i sin x) (cosh y + sinh y)
_
=
1
2
_
cos x cosh y cos x sinh y + i sin x cosh y i sin x sinh y +
cos x cosh y + cos x sinh y i sin x cosh y i sin x sinh y
_
=
1
2
_
2 cos x cosh y 2i sin x sinh y
_
= cos x cosh y i sin x sinh y. (Shown)
(c) Using the formulas in Eqn. (2) and Eqn. (3), we see that
sinh(x + iy) =
1
2
_
e
x+iy
e
(x+iy)
_
=
1
2
_
e
x
e
iy
e
x
e
iy
_
=
1
2
_
(cosh x + sinh x) (cos y + i sin y) (cosh x sinh x) (cos y i sin y)
_
=
1
2
_
cosh x cos y + i cosh x sin y + sinh x cos y + i sinh x sin y
cosh x cos y + i cosh x sin y + sinh x cos y i sinh x sin y
_
=
1
2
_
2i cosh x sin y + 2 sinh x cos y
_
= sinh x cos y + i cosh x sin y. (Shown)
Similarly,
cosh(x + iy) =
1
2
_
e
x+iy
+ e
(x+iy)
_
=
1
2
_
e
x
e
iy
+ e
x
e
iy
_
=
1
2
_
(cosh x + sinh x) (cos y + i sin y) + (cosh x sinh x) (cos y i sin y)
_
=
1
2
_
cosh x cos y + i cosh x sin y + sinh x cos y + i sinh x sin y +
cosh x cos y i cosh x sin y sinh x cos y + i sinh x sin y
_
=
1
2
_
2 cosh x cos y + 2i sinh x sin y
_
= cosh x cos y + i sinh x sin y. (Shown)
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Nanyang Technological University MH2801 Complex Methods for the Sciences
3. RHB, Qn. 3.2. By considering the real and imaginary parts of the product e
i
e
i
, prove the standard
formulas for cos( + ) and sin( + ).
Solution. Applying the Euler formula to the LHS of e
i(+)
= e
i
e
i
, we nd
e
i(+)
= cos( + ) + i sin( + ).
Applying the Euler formula to the RHS of e
i(+)
= e
i
e
i
, we nd
e
i
e
i
= (cos + i sin ) (cos + i sin )
= cos cos + i cos sin + i sin cos + i
2
sin sin
= (cos cos sin sin ) + i (cos sin + sin cos ) .
Equating the real parts of the LHS and RHS, we nd that
cos( + ) = cos cos sin sin .
Similarly, equating the imaginary parts of the LHS and RHS, we nd that
sin( + ) = cos sin + sin cos .
These are the standard formulas for the sines and cosines of the sum of two angles that we
are all very familiar with.
4. RHB, Qn. 3.16. The polynomial f (z) is dened by
f (z) = z
5
6z
4
+ 15z
3
34z
2
+ 36z 48. (6)
(a) Show that the equation f (z) = 0 has roots of the form z = i, where is real. Hence factorize
f (z).
(b) Show further that the cubic factor of f (z) can be written in the form (z + a)
3
+ b, where a and b
are real. Hence solve f (z) = 0 completely.
Solution. (a) Suppose the roots of f (z) has the form z = i, then substituting this into f (z) = 0
gives
i
5

5
6i
4

4
+ 15i
3

3
34i
2

2
+ 36i 48 = 0,
which can be simplied to
i
5
6
4
15i
3
+ 34
2
+ 36i 48 = 0.
For the above complex equation to hold, we need to have the real part of the equation and
the imaginary part of the equation to hold separately, i.e.
6
4
+ 34
2
48 = 0,

5
15
3
+ 36 = 0.
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Nanyang Technological University MH2801 Complex Methods for the Sciences
From 6
4
34
2
+ 48 = 0, we nd that

2
=
34

1156 1152
12
=
34

4
12
=
8
3
, 3.
From
5
15
3
+ 36 = 0, we nd = 0 or

4
15
2
+ 36 = 0,
for which the roots are

2
=
15

225 144
2
=
15

81
2
=
15 9
2
= 3, 12.
However, not all roots of these two equations correspond to roots of the complex algebraic
equation. We check that = 0,
_
8
3
,

12 do not give i that are roots of f (z) = 0. i

3,
on the other hand, is a root of f (z) = 0.
This means that (z i

3) and (z + i

3) are factors of
f (z) = z
5
6z
4
+ 15z
3
34z
2
+ 36z 48,
i.e. (z
2
i
2
3) = (z
2
+ 3) is a factor of f (z).
Using polynomial long division, we nd that
f (z) = z
5
6z
4
+ 15z
3
34z
2
+ 36z 48 = (z
2
+ 3)(z
3
6z
2
+ 12z 16).
(b) Comparing the cubic factor z
3
6z
2
+ 12z 16 with
(z + a)
3
+ b = z
3
+ 3az
2
+ 3a
2
z + a
3
+ b,
we see that a = 2 and b = 8.
With this, we see that
f (z) = z
5
6z
4
+ 15z
3
34z
2
+ 36z 48
= (z
2
+ 3)(z
3
6z
2
+ 12z 16)
= (z
2
+ 3)[(z 2)
3
8],
and hence, from z
2
+ 3 = 0 we see that f (z) = 0 has roots z = i

3, or from
(z 2)
3
8 = 0 = (z 2)
3
= 8 = z 2 = 2, 2 e
i
2
3
, 2 e
i
4
3
= z = 4, 2 + 2 e
i
2
3
, 2 + 2 e
i
4
3
.
5. RHB, Qn. 3.26. In the theory of special relativity, the relationship between the position and time
coordinates of an event, as measured in two frames of reference that have parallel x-axes, can be
expressed in terms of hyperbolic functions. If the coordinates are x and t in one frame and x

and t

in
the other, then the relationship take the form
x

= x cosh ct sinh ,
ct

= x sinh + ct cosh .
(7)
Express x and ct in terms of x

, ct

, and , and show that

x
2
(ct)
2
= (x

)
2
(ct

)
2
. (8)
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Nanyang Technological University MH2801 Complex Methods for the Sciences
Solution. To write x in terms of x

, ct

and , we multiply x

by cosh and ct

by sinh to get
x

cosh = x cosh
2
ct cosh sinh ,
ct

sinh = x sinh
2
+ ct cosh sinh .
(9)
Adding these two equations gives us
x

cosh + ct

sinh = x(cosh
2
sinh
2
) = x,
making use of the hyperbolic trigonometric identity
cosh
2
sinh
2
= 1.
To get ct in terms x

, ct

and , we multiply x

by sinh and ct

by cosh to get
x

sinh = x cosh sinh ct sinh

2
,
ct

cosh = x cosh sinh + ct cosh

2
.
(10)
Adding these two equations gives us
x

sinh + ct

cosh = ct(sinh
2
+ cosh
2
) = ct.
Using
x = x

cosh + ct

sinh ,
ct = x

sinh + ct

cosh ,
we then nd that
x
2
(ct)
2
=
_
x

cosh + ct

sinh
_
2

_
x

sinh + ct

cosh
_
2
= (x

)
2
cosh
2
+ 2x

(ct

) cosh sinh + (ct

)
2
sinh
2

(x

)
2
sinh
2
2x

(ct

) cosh sinh (ct

)
2
cosh
2

= (x

)
2
(cosh
2
sinh
2
) + (ct

)
2
(sinh
2
cosh
2
) = (x

)
2
(ct

)
2
. (Shown)
. . . /SAC
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