Applied Mathematics I

Spring Semester 2021

Prof. Dr. Martin Spinrath
TA in charge: Chien-Han Yen
(tp60u06@gapp.nthu.edu.tw)
Exercise sheet 02
Due date: 18.03.2021, 1pm in google classroom
Please write your name and student number on every page of the solution.

Problem 3: (10 points) Series & roots of unity

The N + 1 complex numbers ωm are given by ωm = exp(2π i m/N ) for m = 0, 1, 2, . . . , N .
They are also called the roots of unity and are especially important in number theory, group
theory and the discrete Fourier transform. Here we want to consider them in the context of
series’.

(a) Evaluate the following (2 points each):

PN
(i) m=0 ωm ,
PN 2
(ii) m=0 ωm ,
PN m
(iii) m=0 ωm x .

(b) Use these results to evaluate (2 points each):

PN  2πm
− cos 4πm



(i) m=0 cos N N ,
P3 m 2πm


(ii) m=0 2 sin 3 .

Solution 3: (10 points) Series & roots of unity

(a)(i) This sum is a geometric series with common ratio r = exp(2π i /N ) and common factor
a = 1. Thus,
N
X 1 − exp(2π i(N + 1)/N ) 1 − exp(2π i /N )
ωm = = =1. (1)
1 − exp(2π i /N ) 1 − exp(2π i /N )
m=0

However, if N = 1 then the common ratio is unity and we can do a direct computation
1
X
ωm = exp(0) + exp(2π i) = 2 . (2)
m=0

(a)(ii) By a similar calculation to (i)

N
X
2 1 − exp(4π i(N + 1)/N ) 1 − exp(4π i /N )
ωm = = =1, (3)
1 − exp(4π i /N ) 1 − exp(4π i /N )
m=0
unless N = 1 or N = 2, when the common ratio would be unity. For N = 1:
1
X
2
ωm = exp(0) + exp(4π i) = 2 , (4)
m=0

and for N = 2:
2
X
2
ωm = exp(0) + exp(2π i) + exp(4π i) = 3 . (5)
m=0

(a) (iii) If x = 1 the calculation is identical to (i); so we will assume now x 6= 1. The sum is
then a geometric series with common ratio x exp(2π i /N ). Thus,
N
X 1 − xN +1 exp(2π i(N + 1)/N ) 1 − xN +1 exp(2π i /N )
ωm xm = = . (6)
1 − x exp(2π i /N ) 1 − x exp(2π i /N )
m=0

Since x 6= 1 there is no need to consider N = 1 separately. Nevertheless, just for fun for
N = 1 this reduces to (1 − x2 )/(1 − x) = 1 + x.
(b)(i) We can again use the by now familiar trick and realise that cos(2πm/N ) = Re(ωm ) and
cos(4πm/N ) = Re(ωm 2 ). Therefore


XN  
2πm
 
4πm
 XN 2 − 2 = 0 for N = 1 ,

2
cos − cos = Re (ωm − ωm ) = 1 − 3 = −2 for N = 2 , (7)
N N 
m=0 m=0 
1 − 1 = 0 for N ≥ 3 .

(b)(ii) Taking N = 3
3 3
1 − 24 exp(2π i /3)
 
X
m 2πm X (a)(iii)
2 sin = Im ωm 2m = Im
3 1 − 2 exp(2π i /3)
m=0 m=0
√ √ √ √ √
1 + 8 − 8i 3 (9 − 8 i 3)(2 + i 3) −16 3 + 9 3
= Im √ = Im =
1+1−i 3 7 7
√
=− 3. (8)