Complex Variables and

Transforms
Lecture #04
Engr. Hammad Khalid
Department of Mechanical Engineering
DeMoivre’s Theorem
The Complex Plane
Complex Number

• A complex number z = x + yi can be interpreted geometrically as the

point (x, y) in the complex plane. The x-axis is the real axis and the y-
axis is the imaginary axis.
Complex Plane
Magnitude or Modulus of z

• Let z = x + yi be a complex number. The magnitude or modulus of z,

denoted by |z| is defined as the distance from the origin to the
point (x, y). In other words

z  x y 2 2
DeMoivre’s Theorem

• DeMoivre’s Theorem is a formula for raising a complex number to

the power n.
• If z = r (cos  + i sin ) is a complex number, then
• zn = rn [(cos (n) + i sin (n)]
• where n ≥ 1 is a positive integer.
Using DeMoivre’s Theorem

• Write [2(cos 20o + i sin 20o)]3 in the standard form a + bi.

Using DeMoivre’s Theorem

• = 23 [(cos (3 x 20o) + i sin (3 x 20o)]

• = 8 (cos 60o + i sin 60o)

1 3
 8     4  4 3
2 2 
Using DeMoivre’s Theorem

• Write (1 + i)5 in standard form a + bi

• First we have to change to (1 + i) to polar form

r  1 1  2
2 2

1 
  tan   1

1 4
Using DeMoivre’s Theorem

5
    
  2  cos  i sin  
  4 4 
 5      

 
  2  cos  5    i sin  5    
  4  4  
 5 5 
 4 2  cos  i sin 
 4 4 
 2 2
 4 2      4  4i
 2 2 
Finding Complex Roots

• Let w = r(cos 0 + i sin 0) be a complex number and let n ≥ 2 be

an integer. If w ≠ 0, there are n distinct complex roots of w, given
by the formula

   0 2 k    0 2k  
zk  r cos  
n
  i sin   
 n n  n n 
where k  0,1, 2,. . . , n  1.
Finding Complex Roots

• Find the complex fourth roots of -16i

• First we have to change the number to polar form

r  02   16   16
2

 16  3
  tan  1

 0  2
Finding Complex Roots

  3 3 
 16  cos  i sin 
  2 2 
1
  1 3   1 3 
zn  (16) cos  
4
  i sin   
 4 2  4 2 
 3 2 k   3 2 k 
 2  cos    i sin    , k  0,1, 2,3
 8 4   8 4 
  3  k   3  k  
2  cos     i sin   
  8 2   8 2 
Finding Complex Roots

  3   0   3   0  
z0  2  cos     i sin   
  8 2   8 2 
 3 3 
z0  2  cos  i sin 
 8 8 
  3  1   3  1  
z1  2  cos     i sin   
  8 2   8 2 
 7 7 
z1  2  cos  i sin 
 8 8 
Finding Complex Roots

  3   2   3   2  
z2  2  cos     i sin   
  8 2   8 2 
 11 11 
 2  cos  i sin 
 8 8 
  3   3   3   3  
z3  2  cos     i sin   
  8 2   8 2 
 15 15 
 2  cos  i sin 
 8 8 
DeMoivre’s Theorem
• Let z = r (cos  + i sin ) be a complex numbers in polar form. If n is a
positive integer, z to the nth power, zn, is

z  [r (cos  i sin  )]
n n

 r (cos n  i sin n )
n
Text Example

Find [2 (cos 10º + i sin 10º)]6. Write the answer in rectangular form a + bi.

Solution By DeMoivre’s Theorem,

[2 (cos 10º + i sin 10º)]6

Raise the modulus to the 6th power and multiply
= 2 [cos (6 · 10º) + i sin (6 · 10º)]
6
the argument by 6.

= 64(cos 60º + i sin 60º) Simplify.

1 3 
 64
2  i 2 
 Write the answer in rectangular form.
 
 32  32 3i Multiply and express the answer in a + bi form.
DeMoivre’s Theorem for Finding Complex Roots
• Let =r(cos+isin) be a complex number in polar form. If
0,  has n distinct complex nth roots given by the formula

    360k     360k 
z k  r cos
n
  i sin  
  n   n 
where k  0,1,2,3,..., n  1
Example

• Find all the complex fourth roots of

81(cos60º+isin60º)

    360k     360k 
z k  r cos
n
  i sin  
  n   n 
  60  360 * 0   60  360 * 0 
 81cos
4
  i sin  
  4   4 
 3(cos15  i sin 15 )
 De Moivre’s Theorem

is a complex number,
then

In compact form, this is written

z  r  cos  i sin  
z 2  ?? r  cos  i sin   r  cos  i sin  
 r  cos   2i cos sin   i sin  
2 2 2

 r 2  cos 2   sin 2   i 2sin  cos 

 r 2  cos 2  i sin 2 
z 2  r 2  cos 2  i sin 2 
z  r  cos  i sin  
z 2  r  cos  i sin   r  cos  i sin  
 r 2  cos 2   2i cos sin   i 2 sin  
 r  cos   sin   i 2sin  cos 
2 2 2

 r  cos 2  i sin 2 
2

z 2  r 2  cos 2  i sin 2 
 3
What about z ?

z  r  cos  i sin   , z 2  r 2  cos 2  i sin 2 

z 3  z  z 2  r 2  cos 2  i sin 2  r  cos  i sin  
 r 2  cos 2   2i cos sin   i 2 sin  
 r  cos   sin   i 2sin  cos 
2 2 2

 r  cos 2  i sin 2 
2

z  r  cos 2  i sin 2 
2 2
r 3  cos 2  i sin 2   cos  i sin   
r 3  cos 2 cos  i cos 2 sin   i sin 2 cos   i 2 sin 2 sin   
r 3  cos 2 cos  sin 2 sin   i cos 2 sin   i sin 2 cos  
r 3 cos 2 cos  sin 2 sin   i  sin 2 cos  cos 2 sin    
r 3 cos  2     i  sin  2       r 3  cos3  i sin 3 

z 3  r 3  cos3  i sin 3 
 We saw…
z 2  r 2  cos 2  i sin 2  and
z 3  r 3  cos3  i sin 3 
Similarly….
z  r  cos 4  i sin 4 
4 4

z 5  r 5  cos5  i sin 5 

z n  r n  cos n  i sin n 
 Powers of Complex Numbers
This is horrible in rectangular It’s much nicer in trig form. You just
form. raise the r to the power and multiply
theta by the exponent.
 a  bi 
n

 a  bi   a  bi   a  bi  ...  a  bi  z  r  cos   i sin  

z n  r n  cos n  i sin n 
The best way to expand one
of these is using Pascal’s
triangle and binomial
Example
expansion. z  5  cos 20  i sin 20 
You’d need to use an i-chart z 3  53  cos 3  20  i sin 3  20 
to simplify.
z 3  125  cos60  i sin 60 
De Moivre’s Theorem
r1   cos1  i sin 1 
• If is a complex number, and if n is any real
number, then

 r  cos1  i sin 1    r n  cos n  i sin n  .

n

• In compact form, this is written

   cis n  .
n
r cis   r n