MATH 2420 / 3242: COMPLEX ANALYSIS PROBLEMS

1. Complex numbers and sequences (Problem Sheet 1)

Problem 1.1 (Powers of i). Show that
i2 = 1,

, i3 = i,

i4 = 1,

i5 = i,

...

and

1
1
1
= i,
=
1,
= i, . . . .
i
i2
i3
Problem 1.2 (Rotation). Multiplication by i is geometrically a counterclockwise
rotation through /2 (90 ). Verify this by graphing z and iz and the angle of
rotation for:
(a) z = 2 + 2i; (b) z = 1 5i; (c) z = 4 3i.
Problem 1.3. Verify that
x2 y1 x1 y2
x1 x2 + y1 y2
x1 + iy1
+i
.
=
2
2
x2 + iy2
x2 + y 2
x22 + y22
Problem 1.4. If the product of two complex numbers is zero, show that at least
one factor must be zero.
Problem 1.5. Show that z = x + iy is pure imaginary if and only if z = z.
Problem 1.6. Verify

z1 + z2 = z1 + z2 ,

z1 z2 = z1 z2 ,

z1 z2 = z1 z2 ,

z1
z2


=

z1
z2

for z1 = 24 + 10i and z2 = 4 + 6i.

Problem 1.7. Let z1 = 2 + 3i and z2 = 4 5i. Showing the details of your work,
find (in the form x + iy):
(a) (5z1 + 3z2 )2 ;
(b) z1 z2 ;
(c) Re(1/z12 );
(d) Re(z22 ) and (Re z2 )2 ;
(e) z2 /z1 ;
(f) z1 /z2 and (z1 /z2 );
(g) (4z1 z2 )2 ;
(h) z1 /z1 and z1 /z1 ;
(i) (z1 + z2 )/(z1 z2 ).
Problem 1.8. Let z = x + iy. Find
(a) Im(z 3 ) and (Im z)3 ;
(b) Re(1/z);
(c) Im((1 + i)8 z 2 );
(d) Re(1/z 2 ).
Problem 1.9 (Laws of addition and multiplication). Derive the following laws for
complex numbers from the corresponding laws for real numbers:
(commutative laws) z1 + z2 = z2 + z1 and z1 z2 = z2 z1 ;

MATH 2420 / 3242: COMPLEX ANALYSIS PROBLEMS

(associative laws) (z1 + z2 ) + z3 = z1 + (z2 + z3 ) and (z1 z2 )z3 = z1 (z2 z3 );

(distributive law ) z1 (z2 + z3 ) = z1 z2 + z1 z3 ;
0 + z = z + 0 = z, z + (z) = (z) + z = 0, and z 1 = z.
Problem 1.10. Represent the following numbers in polar form and graph in the
complex plane:
1 1
(a) 3 3i,
(b) 2i and 2i,
(c) 5,
(d)
+ i,
2 4

1+i
6 + 5i
3 2 + 2i
2 + 2i

(e)
,
(g)
,
(f)
,
(h)
.
2
1i
3i
5 + 4i
2 3i
Show the details of your work.
Problem 1.11. Determine the principal value of the argument (Arg):
(a)

1 i,

(e)

(b)

20 + i,

(f) 7 7i,

(c)

20 i,
12

(g) (1 + i) ,

(d) 4 3i,
(h) (9 + 9i)3 .

Problem 1.12. Represent in the form x + iy and graph it in the complex plane:





,
(b) 3(cos 0.2 + i sin 0.2),
(c) 4 cos i sin
,
(a) cos + i sin
2
2
3
3


3
3
(d) cos(1) + i sin(1),
(e) 12 cos
+ i sin
.
2
2
Problem 1.13. Represent in the form x + iy and graph it in the complex plane:

8
(a) i, (b) 1, (c) 4 1, (d) 3 3 + 4i, (e) 5 1.

Problem 1.14 (Square root). (a) Show that w = z has the values



w1 = r cos + i sin
,
2
2
 




w2 = r cos
+ + i sin
+
2
2
= w1 .
(b) Obtain from (a) the (often more practical) formula
r
r


|z| + x
|z| x
z=
+ i sign y
2
2
where sign y = 1 if y 0, sign y = 1 if y < 0, and all square roots of positive
numbers are taken with positive sign.
(c) Find the square roots of

4i, 16 30i, 9 + 8 7i
and comment on the work involved.
Problem 1.15. Solve and graph all solutions, showing the details:
(a) z 2 (8 5i)z + 40 20i = 0;

MATH 2420 / 3242: COMPLEX ANALYSIS PROBLEMS

(b) z 4 + (5 14i)z 2 (24 + 10i) = 0;

(c) 8z 2 (36 6i)z + 42 11i = 0;
(d) z 4 + 16 = 0.
In case (d) use the solutions to factor z 4 + 16 into quadratic factors with real coefficients.
Problem 1.16. (a) Prove that Re z | Re z| |z| and Im z | Im z| |z|.
(b) (Parallelogram equality) Prove
|z1 + z2 |2 + |z1 z2 |2 = 2|z1 |2 + 2|z2 |2 .
(c) (Triangle inequality) Prove
|z1 + z2 | |z1 | + |z2 |.
(d) Verify the triangle inequality for z1 = 4 + 7i and z2 = 5 + 2i.