TAM 541 Homework 1 Solution

1. Problem 1
   
1 0 0 −1
(a) I =   and J =  . It can be noted that I is the 2 × 2 identity
0 1 1 0
 
−1 0
matrix. Therefore, I 2 = I and IJ = JI = J. Also, J 2 =   = −I by
0 −1
simple calculation.
 
a −(−b)
(b) Since z̄ = a − ib, corresponding Z̄ =   = aI − bJ
−b a
     
a1 −b1 a2 −b2 a1 + a2 −b1 − b2
Z1 + Z2 =  + = 
b 1 a1 b 2 a2 b 1 + b 2 a1 + a1

= (a1 + a2 )I + (b1 + b2 )J
−1 2 2 −1
z =   = (a − ib)/(a + b ), thus corresponding matrix is Z
1/(a + ib) =
1  a b
and this is the inverse matrix of Z corresponding to the original
a2
+ b2 −b a
complex number z.
Z1 Z2 = (a1 I + b1 J)(a2 I + b2 J) = a1 a2 I 2 + a1 b2 IJ + b1 a2 JI + b1 b2 J 2 = (a1 a2 −
b1 b2 )I + (a1 b2 + b1 a2 )J and this is same as the matrix derived from the complex
number (a1 a2 − b1 b2 ) + i(a1 b2 + b1 a2 ) = z1 z2 . It can be noted that two matrices
in this specific form are commute.
From the two result above, z1 /z2 corresponds to Z1 Z2−1 = Z2−1 Z1 , where Z2−1 is
the inverse of Z2 .

(c) |z|2 = 2
 a + b2 by Pythagorean formula, and it is exactly the determinant of
a −b
Z= 
b a

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 For the rest of problems, z = x + iy for real number x, y will be used, possibly with
subscripts.

2. Problem 2

(a) Let z = x + iy, then z 3 = (x + iy)3 = x3 + 3x2 (iy) + 3x(iy)2 + (iy)3 = (x3 − 3xy 2 ) +
i(3x2 y − y 3 ), so

|z 3 |2 = (x3 − 3xy 2 )2 + (3x2 y − y 3 )2

= x6 − 6x4 y 2 + 9x2 y 4 + 9x4 y 2 − 6x2 y 4 + y 6
= x6 + 3x4 y 2 + 3x2 y 4 + y 6
= (x2 + y 2 )3 = (|z|2 )3
= (|z|3 )2

Taking positive square root on both sides, it can be concluded |z 3 | = |z|3 for any real
number x, y.

(e) It suffices to show that |z1 + z2 | ≤ |z1 | + |z2 | since it can be proved inductively for
more terms.

|z1 + z2 |2 = (x1 + x2 )2 + (y1 + y2 )2

= x21 + 2x1 x2 + x22 + y12 + 2y1 y2 + y22
= (x21 + y12 ) + (x22 + y22 ) + 2(x1 x2 + y1 y2 )
= |z1 |2 + |z2 |2 + 2(x1 x2 + y1 y2 )

Meanwhile, (x1 x2 + y1 y2 )2 ≤ (x21 + y12 )(x22 + y22 ) since collecting all terms to the right-
hand side yields (x1 y2 − x2 y1 )2 ≥ 0 which is true for all real numbers x1 , x2 , y1 , y2 .1
Therefore,
|z1 + z2 |2 ≤ |z1 |2 + |z2 |2 + 2|z1 ||z2 | = (|z1 | + |z2 |)2

and since the square-root function is monotone, |z1 + z2 | ≤ |z1 | + |z2 |

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This solution uses the least amount of any known theorems, but one may use Cauchy-Schwartz inequality.

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3. Problem 3

(a) z̄¯ = x − iy = x + iy = z

(b) Using 1/z = (x − iy)/(x2 + y 2 ), 1/z = (x + iy)/(x2 + y 2 ). Meanwhile, 1/z̄ =

1/(x − iy) = (x + iy)/(x − iy)(x + iy) = (x + iy)/(x2 + y 2 ). Therefore, two expressions
are identical.

(d) We showed that z 3 = (x+iy)3 = (x3 −3xy 2 )+i(3x2 y −y 3 ) in the previous problem.
Substituting −y instead of y only affects on the odd powers of y, which are all in the
imaginary part. Indeed,

z̄ 3 = (x3 − 3xy 2 ) + i(−3x2 y + y 3 ) = z 3

4. Problem 4

Using the fact that z̄ = x − iy, the result is obvious.

5. Problem 5

9(a) (2 − i)3 = 23 + 3 · 22 · (−i) + 3 · 2 · (−i)2 + (−i)3 = 8 − 12i − 6 + i = 2 − 11i

 1 − i   (1 − i)2   1 − 2i − 1 
     
10(a)  = =  = | − i| = 1
1 + i   (1 + i)(1 − i)   1 + 1