Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Problem 19 Complex Numbers
Problem 19 Complex Numbers
However, we have to adjust this for the i’s and such. Notice that the complex units of
the coefficients are 1, i, −1, −i, −i. We notice that this is close to the pattern formed by
1, i, i2 , i3 , i4 .
Based on these two observations of symmetry, we can deduce that (z + i)4 is very close to
the given equation here. More specifically, we have that
√ π
(z + i)4 = 1 + i = 2 · cis
4
A translation of z by −i simply means replacing z with z − i. Remember that the imaginary
part is in the y-coordinate direction. So if we reduce z by the value i, visually, it’s the same
as sliding z downwards by 1 unit in the y direction. If you slide a shape down one unit, its
area doesn’t change.
√ π
So now, we started from (z + i)4 =
2 · cis 4
√ π
Now, we’ll replace z with z − i, and we get (z − i + i)4 = z 4 =
2 · cis 4 .
We can also rotate by an angle of -45 degrees counterclockwise, or −π/4 in radian measure,
and the area still won’t change. To rotate a complex number around the origin by an angle
of θ, you multiply it by cos θ + i sin θ, abbreviated cis θ.
√
So let’s do that: z 4 = 2 · cis π4 · cis −π
4
So now, the two rotations cancel out, since they are in opposite directions, and you get that
the original
√ area is the same as the area of the quadrilateral whose vertices are roots of
z4 = 2
√
8
√ √ √
Now, if we solve that equation, we get the numbers 2, − 8 2, i 8 2, −i 8 2.
√
4
If we plot those numbers as points in the complex plane, we find a square with area 2 2 .
Solution was combined from two solutions initially written by Alex Anderson & The Zuton
Force and compiled from Art of Problem Solving Forums.