Euler's identity is used in many engineering applications where it is convenient to express complex
numbers in polar form:
e i = cos + i sin
e i =
(i )n
n =0
n!
e i = 1 + i +
e i = 1 + i
(i )2 + (i )3 + (i )4 + (i )5 + (i )6 + (i )7 + (i )8 + (i )9 + L
2!
2
2!
3!
3
3!
4!
4
4!
+i
5
5!
5!
6
6!
6!
7
7!
7!
8
8!
+i
8!
9
9!
9!
+L
2 4 6 8
3 5 7 9
+
+
+ L + i
+
+
+ L
ei = 1
2! 4! 6! 8!
3! 5! 7! 9!
e i = cos + i sin
The Euler identity is often used to relate trigonometric functions with hyperbolic functions:
cosh(ix ) =
e ix + e ix
2
cosh(ix ) =
1
(cos x + i sin x + cos( x) + i sin( x) )
2
cosh(ix ) =
1
(cos x + i sin x + cos x i sin x )
2
cosh(ix ) =
1
(2 cos x ) = cos x
2
and:
sin x =
PHY 106
Triton College
John Baliga
eix e ix
2i
Page 1 of 3
1
cos N i sin N
(cos + i sin )n =
(cos + i sin )n =
(cos + i sin )n
cos N i sin N
cos 2 N + sin 2 N
DeMoivre's theorem is consistent with the additive property of exponents in Euler's theorem:
( )
cos n + i sin n = e in = e i
PHY 106
Triton College
John Baliga
= (cos + i sin )n
Page 2 of 3
The advantage to using Euler's theorem is that integrals, differential equations and other relations that
involve sinusoids can be handled using the relatively simple-to-use exponential function.
For example:
ax
cos bxdx =
1
2
[ e
ax + ibx
dx + e ax ibx dx
e ax cos bxdx =
1 e ax + ibx e ax ibx
+
+C
a ib
2 a + ib
e ax cos bxdx =
e ax
2 a 2 + b2
e ax cos bxdx =
e ax e ibx + e ibx
a
2
a 2 + b 2
ax
cos bxdx =
e ax cos bxdx =
) [(a ib)e
+ ibx
(a
e ax
2
+b
+ (a + ib )e ibx + C
ibx
ibx
ib e e
e ibx + e ibx
a
2
e ibx e ibx
+ b
2i
+ C
+ C
e ax
(a cos bx + b sin bx ) + C
a 2 + b2
Without Euler's identity, this integration requires the use of integration by parts twice, followed by algebric
manipulation.
Also, the solution of this standard differential equation is made simple using Euler's identity:
m&x& + bx& + kx = 0
b
b2
k
2
m
2m
4m
In the case where the determinant is negative, we know immediately that there will be a sinusoid in the
solution:
x = Ae t cos( ' t + )
where =
b
and ' =
2m
PHY 106
Triton College
John Baliga
k
b2
m 4m 2
Page 3 of 3