8a: How does complex arithmetic work?
Description
This article is from the Fractal FAQ, by Ermel Stepp stepp@muvms6.mu.wvnet.edu with numerous contributions by others.
8a: How does complex arithmetic work?
It works mostly like regular algebra with a couple additional formulas:
(note: a,b are reals, x,y are complex, i is the square root of -1)
Powers of i: i^2 = -1
Addition: (a+i*b)+(c+i*d) = (a+c)+i*(b+d)
Multiplication: (a+i*b)*(c+i*d) = a*c-b*d + i*(a*d+b*c)
Division: (a+i*b)/(c+i*d) = (a+i*b)*(c-i*d)/(c^2+d^2)
Exponentiation: exp(a+i*b) = exp(a)(cos(b)+i*sin(b))
Sine: sin(x) = (exp(i*x)-exp(-i*x))/(2*i)
Cosine: cos(x) = (exp(i*x)+exp(-i*x))/2
Magnitude: |a+i*b= sqrt(a^2+b^2)
Log: log(a+i*b) = log(|a+i*b|)+i*arctan(b/a) (Note: log is multivalued.)
Log (polar coordinates): log(r*e^(i*theta)) = log(r)+i*theta
Complex powers: x^y = exp(y*log(x))
DeMoivre's theorem: x^a = r^a * [cos(a*theta) + i * sin(a*theta)]
More details can be found in any complex analysis book.
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