EN7230

Instrumentation & Automatic Control

Lecture 1 - Arithmetic of complex numbers

Contents
Square root of a negative number ......................................................................................... 2
Complex numbers ......................................................................................................................... 3
Equal complex numbers ............................................................................................................ 3
Addition and subtraction of complex numbers ............................................................... 3
Multiplication of complex numbers ...................................................................................... 4
Division of complex numbers .................................................................................................. 5
The Argand diagram .................................................................................................................... 5
The modulus and argument of a complex number......................................................... 6
Polar form of a complex number............................................................................................ 7
The form 𝒓𝐜𝐨𝐬𝜽 + 𝒋𝐬𝐢𝐧𝜽........................................................................................................... 8
Multiplication and division of complex numbers in polar form. ........................... 10
The exponential form of a complex number .................................................................. 11

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Square root of a negative number
If a real number is squared the answer cannot be negative. For example,
squaring both 7 and -7, the result is positive. That is,

72 = 49, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 (−72 ) = 49

It is impossible to obtain a negative result by squaring a real number.

Suppose we introduce a new sort of number, called j, with the property
that,
𝑗 2 = −1

The number j cannot be a real number because its square is negative. We

say it is imaginary. Having defined j, we can use it to write down the
square root of any negative number.

j is an imaginary number such that

𝒋𝟐 = −𝟏 𝒐𝒓 𝒋 = √−𝟏

Example: Write down expressions for √−100, √−𝜔 2

√−100 = √−1 √100 = 10𝑗

√−𝜔 2 = √−1 √𝜔 2 = 𝑗𝜔

Example: Use the formula for solving a quadratic equation to solve

2𝑥 2 + 𝑥 + 1 = 0

−𝑏 ± √𝑏 2 − 4𝑎𝑐 −1 ± √12 − 8 −1 √−7

𝑥1,2 = = = ±
2𝑎 4 4 4

−𝑏 ± √𝑏 2 − 4𝑎𝑐 −1 ± √12 − 8 −1 √7
𝑥1,2 = = = ±𝑗
2𝑎 4 4 4

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Complex numbers
Real and imaginary parts
A complex number such as 5+2j is made up of two parts, a real part 5 and
an imaginary part 2. The imaginary part is the multiple of j. It is common
practice to use the letter z to denote a complex number and write z = a+bj,
where a is the real part and b is the imaginary part.

If z is a complex number, then we write

𝒛 = 𝒂 + 𝒃𝒋
where a is the real part and b is the imaginary part.

Equal complex numbers

Two complex numbers are equal only when their real parts are equal, and
their imaginary parts are equal. So, if
𝑎 + 𝑏𝑗 = 3 − 2𝑗
it follows that 𝑎 = 3 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏 = −2.

Complex conjugate

If 𝒛 = 𝒂 + 𝒃𝒋, its complex conjugate, denoted by 𝒛̅ is

𝒛̅ = 𝒂 − 𝒃𝒋
When solving quadratic equations with real coefficients any complex roots
occur in complex conjugate pairs.

Addition and subtraction of complex numbers

Given two complex numbers we can find their sum and difference in the
following way,
If 𝒛𝟏 = 𝒂𝟏 + 𝒃𝟏 𝒋 and 𝒛𝟐 = 𝒂𝟐 + 𝒃𝟐 𝒋 then
𝒛𝟏 + 𝒛𝟐 = (𝒂𝟏 + 𝒂𝟐 ) + (𝒃𝟏 + 𝒃𝟐 )𝒋
𝒛𝟏 − 𝒛𝟐 = (𝒂𝟏 − 𝒂𝟐 ) + (𝒃𝟏 − 𝒃𝟐 )𝒋
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 Example: If 𝑧1 = 3 + 11𝑗 and 𝑧2 = 18 − 21𝑗 find 𝑧1 + 𝑧2 and 𝑧1 − 𝑧2 .

𝑧1 + 𝑧2 = (3 + 11𝑗) + (18 − 21𝑗) = 21 − 10𝑗

𝑧1 − 𝑧2 = (3 + 11𝑗) − (18 − 21𝑗) = −15 + 32𝑗

Multiplication of complex numbers

To multiply two complex numbers, we use the normal rules of algebra and
also the fact that 𝑗 2 = −1. In general, we have the following result,

If 𝒛𝟏 = 𝒂𝟏 + 𝒃𝟏 𝒋 and 𝒛𝟐 = 𝒂𝟐 + 𝒃𝟐 𝒋 then
𝒛𝟏 𝒛𝟐 = (𝒂𝟏 𝒂𝟐 − 𝒃𝟏 𝒃𝟐 ) + 𝒋(𝒂𝟏 𝒃𝟐 + 𝒂𝟐 𝒃𝟏 )

Proof:

Example: Find 𝑧1 𝑧2 if 𝑧1 = 3 − 2𝑗 and 𝑧2 = 5 + 3𝑗.

Example: Find 𝑧̅𝑧 if 𝑧 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑗

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Division of complex numbers
Division of complex numbers requires a special technique that uses the
complex conjugate.

𝑧1
Example: Find when 𝑧1 = 3 + 2𝑗 and 𝑧2 = 4 − 3𝑗.
𝑧2

The Argand diagram

Engineers often find a graphical interpretation of complex numbers useful.
This graphical interpretation is known as an Argand diagram. From the
Argand diagram two other useful quantities, the modulus and the
argument can be defined. These provide an alternative way of describing
complex numbers, known as the polar form.

Imaginary axis

𝑧 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑗
b

a
Real axis

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Example: Plot the following numbers on an Argand diagram.

𝑧1 = 2 + 3𝑗, 𝑧2 = −3 + 2𝑗, 𝑧3 = −3 − 2𝑗, 𝑧4 = −2𝑗, 𝑧5 = 6.

The modulus and argument of a complex number.

Consider the Argand diagram below which shows the complex number 𝑧 =
𝑎 + 𝑏𝑗. The distance of the point (a,b) from the origin is known as the
modulus, or magnitude, of the complex number and is given the symbol r.
Alternatively, r is written as |𝑧|. The modulus can be found using
Pythagoras theorem that is, |𝑧| = 𝑟 = √𝑎2 + 𝑏 2 .

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 The modulus of a complex number 𝒛 = 𝒂 + 𝒃𝒋 is
𝒓 = |𝒛| = √𝒂𝟐 + 𝒃𝟐
Graphically, this is the distance of (a,b) from the origin.

Given a complex number 𝑧 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑗 we can calculate the angle between the

positive x-axis and a line joining (a,b) to the origin. This angle is called the
argument of the complex number. It is abbreviated to arg(z) and often given
the symbol 𝜃.

Trigonometry can be used to determine 𝜃. Referring to the figure above,

𝑏
tan 𝜃 = so that
𝑎

𝑏
𝜃 = tan−1 ( )
𝑎
Angles measured anticlockwise from the positive x-axis are conventionally
positive whereas angles measured clockwise are negative.

The argument of a complex number 𝒛 = 𝒂 + 𝒃𝒋 is the angle between the

positive x-axis and the line joining (a,b) to the origin.

Polar form of a complex number

The position of a complex number is uniquely determined by giving its
modulus and argument. This description is known as the polar form.
Engineers often write the polar form of a complex number as 𝑧 = 𝑟∠𝜃.

The polar form of a complex number can be written as

𝒛 = 𝒓∠𝜽
where r is the modulus and 𝜽 is the argument.

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Example: Calculate the polar form of the complex numbers 𝑧1 = 3 + 4𝑗, 𝑧2 =
−2 + 𝑗.

The form 𝒓(𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜽 + 𝒋 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽)

Consider the figure below which shows the complex number 𝑧 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑗 =
𝑟∠𝜃.

Using trigonometry, we can write,

𝑎 𝑏
cos 𝜃 = and sin 𝜃 =
𝑟 𝑟

which can be rearranged to,

𝑎 = 𝑟 cos 𝜃 and 𝑏 = 𝑟 sin 𝜃

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We can use the above results to find the real and imaginary parts of a complex
number given in polar form.

If 𝒛 = 𝒓∠𝜽 , the real and imaginary parts of z are respectively,

𝒂 = 𝒓 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜽 and 𝒃 = 𝒓 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽

This is an alternative way of expressing the complex number with modulus r

and argument 𝜃.
𝒛 = 𝒂 + 𝒃𝒋
{ 𝒛 = 𝒓∠𝜽
𝒛 = 𝒓(𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜽 + 𝒋 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽)

Example: Find the modulus and argument of the complex number 𝑧 = 5𝑗.
Express z in the form 𝑟(cos 𝜃 + 𝑗 sin 𝜃).

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 𝜋
Example: Show the complex number 𝑧 = 4∠ ( ) on an Argand diagram. State
3
its modulus and argument. Find the real and imaginary parts of the complex
number.

Multiplication and division of complex numbers in polar form.

When two complex numbers are given in polar form it is particularly simple to
multiply and divide them. This is an advantage of using the polar form. To
multiply the two numbers, we multiply their moduli and add their arguments.
To divide the numbers, we divide their moduli and subtract their arguments.

If 𝒛𝟏 = 𝒓𝟏 ∠𝜽𝟏 and 𝒛𝟐 = 𝒓𝟐 ∠𝜽𝟐 then

𝒛𝟏 𝒓𝟏
𝒛𝟏 𝒛𝟐 = 𝒓𝟏 𝒓𝟐 ∠(𝜽𝟏 + 𝜽𝟐 ) and = ∠(𝜽𝟏 − 𝜽𝟐 )
𝒛𝟐 𝒓𝟐

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 𝜋 𝜋 𝑧
Example: If 𝑧1 = 5∠ ( ) and 𝑧2 = 4∠ (− ) find 𝑧1 𝑧2 and 1.
6 4 𝑧 2

The exponential form of a complex number

In addition to the cartesian and polar forms of a complex number there is a

third form called the exponential form.

Euler relations
𝒋𝜽
𝒆 = 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜽 + 𝒋 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽 𝒆−𝒋𝜽 = 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜽 − 𝒋 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽

Example: Use Euler relations to express sin 𝜃 and cos 𝜃 in terms of 𝑒 𝑗𝜃 and
𝑒 −𝑗𝜃 .

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 Using the polar form, recall that a complex number with modulus 𝑟 and
argument 𝜃 may be written as,
𝑧 = 𝑟(cos 𝜃 + 𝑗 sin 𝜃)
It follows immediately from Euler's relations that we can also write this
complex number in exponential form as,
𝑧 = 𝑟𝑒 𝑗𝜃 .

Exponential form of a complex number

𝒛 = 𝒓(𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜽 + 𝒋 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽) = 𝒓𝒆𝒋𝜽
𝒛̅ = 𝒓(𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝜽 − 𝒋 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽) = 𝒓𝒆−𝒋𝜽

When using this form, you should ensure that all angles are measured in
radians and not degrees.

Example: Express the number 𝑧 = 3 + 3𝑗 in exponential form.

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