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So we can give you the right tools, let us know if you're a...Course: Precalculus > Unit 3
Lesson 3: Complex conjugates and dividing complex numbersIntro to complex number conjugates
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- why does sal uses a Z wih a dashed line? is it a rule for complex no.(15 votes)
- Do you mean the Z with the bar over the top, or the dash across the middle of the Z?
The bar over the top (in this case) means that we are talking about the conjugate of Z, not Z itself.
If you talking about the dash across the middle of the Z, that's a way to make it clear that it's a Z, and not a 2, which with messy handwriting in math can be a problem.(70 votes)
- at the end of the video. why did sal say that any complex number multiplied by its conjugate is equal to the magnitude of the complex number squared??
i just lost my understanding there....please help....(24 votes)- Because it is true. The magnitude of z=a+bi is written |z|=√(a²+b²) from the distance formula. A complex number multiplied by its own conjugate (a+bi)(a-bi)=a²+(bi)²=a²+b². But if you take the square root of that, you get the magnitude. So any number times its complex conjugate is equal to the square of its magnitude (which is a real number).(4 votes)
- At7:47, why is a^2 + b^2 = |z|^2 ?(19 votes)
- general form of complex number is a+ib and we denote it as z
z=a+ib. but |z|=[a^2+b^2]^1/2.
|z|^2=a^2+b^2(3 votes)
- Sal references a previous video in which "imaginary parts" and functions to obtain them are discussed. If one is following the College Algebra coursework, however, that video does not appear. Where would I be able to find it?(7 votes)
- What does conjugate mean?(3 votes)
- If you have a number like 2+3√3, the conjugate is what you get by flipping the sign on the irrational or imaginary term.
So the conjugate of 2+3√3 is 2-3√3.
The conjugate of π-4i is π+4i.
The conjugate of 5 is 5 again.
If you add or multiply a number with its conjugate, you get a rational or real number back.(8 votes)
- At time stamp6:44why does the speaker state that I squared is negative one for five I sqared. He did not stat that for the numberator.(4 votes)
- i is defined as the square root of -1. That is the foundation of this. Watch http://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra/complex-numbers or read http://www.purplemath.com/modules/complex.htm(4 votes)
- Umm... at7:48, why does Sal write
a^2 + b^2 = |z|^2? I don't understand that line. Can someone explain it? Thank you.(3 votes)- Starting from
(a+bi)(a-bi), a factored difference of two squares, here are some steps in the simplification process that got left out in the video:(a+bi)(a-bi)
From here, this can either be distributed the long way, or it can be recognized that this is in the form "(x+y)(x-y)," which can be rewritten in the form "x²-y²," shown here:a²-(bi)²
Now, here is what got left out. An expression in the form "(xy)²" can be rewritten as "x²y²," shown bellow:
(The parentheses around "a²-(b²i²)b²i²" are just for clarity).
Sincei=√(-1), the following holds true:a²-{b²[√(-1)]²}
The subtraction of any number "b" from any number "a," which isa-b, can be rewritten using addition asa+(-1)*b. So, the expression can be rewritten as the following:a²+(-1){b²[√(-1)]²}
This can be further rewritten as this:a²+{(-1)*(b²)*[√(-1)]²}
Since the square of a square root is just equal to whatever is under the square root symbol, this can be simplified to this:a²+[(-1)*(b²)*(-1)]
Switching the order of two of the terms yields the following:a²+[(-1)*(-1)*(b²)]
Of course,(-1)*(-1)=1; so, the expression simplifies to this:a²+(1*b²)
Finally, because any number "a" multiplied by "1" is simply equal to "a," this becomes the expression bellow:a²+b²
Now, I'm not sure why there are absolute value bars around "Z," since squaring it will make it positive without them, and I'm not sure whya²+b²=|Z|². However, I hope this helps.(4 votes)
- at4:50sal multiples the equation by the conjugate of the dominator, but he only changes the sign on the imaginary number, not the real number. why did he not change he sign of the real number?(2 votes)
- Rationalizing the denominator with complex numbers is the same as rationalizing the denominator when there is a square root in the denominator. When there are 2 terms in the denominator, you need to create a difference of 2 squares: a^2-b^2. The factors of a difference of 2 squares need to fit the pattern:(a-b)(a+b). Each factor has the same terms but opposite signs in the middle. Anything other than this pattern will not eliminate any square roots or "i" in the denominator.
If you take your approach, you are basically multiplying the original denominator by -1. So, you are essentially doing: -1(a+b)^2 = -a^2-2ab-b^2. The middle term will still contain "i", so it will not have been eliminated.
Here's the math to show you the difference.
Sal has: (4+5i)(4-5i) = 16-20i+20i-25i^2 = 16+25 = 41
Your version: (4+5i)(-4-5i) = -16-20i-20i-25i^2 = -16-40i+25 = 9-40i
Because (-4-5i) does not fit the pattern to create a difference of 2 squares, the middle term is created and "i" is not eliminated.
Hope this helps.(3 votes)
- What’s the relationship between complex numbers and vectors? And which video was it first talked about in?(3 votes)
- i have a question about the last formula that there was. how does that "i" that was in the (a^2) - (bi^2) just disappear in the next part of the formula? the a^2+b^2 part? Thanks..!(1 vote)
- One of the key properties of the imaginary number is that i^2 = -1. Thus, -(bi)^2 = -b^2*i^2 = -b^2(-1) = +b^2
Hope this helps.(4 votes)