Can Wolfram Alpha Handle Complex Inequality Solutions?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the complexities of solving inequalities involving complex functions, specifically focusing on the tangent and arctangent functions. The original poster is attempting to understand the behavior of a specific expression involving complex numbers and logarithms, particularly in relation to the output from Wolfram Alpha.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the implications of ordering complex numbers and question the validity of comparing complex expressions to zero. There is a focus on understanding the conditions under which the original expression can yield negative values.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively engaging with the original poster's inquiries, providing insights into the nature of complex numbers and their implications for the problem at hand. Some suggest that the expression in question cannot be negative, while others are probing the assumptions made in the formulation of the problem.

Contextual Notes

There is a notable emphasis on the distinction between real and complex numbers, particularly regarding the interpretation of inequalities in the complex plane. The discussion also touches on the necessity of understanding the domain of the functions involved and the implications of square roots in the context of complex solutions.

  • #31


GreenPrint said:
lol sorry and thanks for your help!

What did you do here ?

( SQRT( 1 + #^2)SQRT( 1 + #^2) ) / ( (1 + #i)SQRT( 1 + #^2) )
(1 + #^2)/( (1 + #i)SQRT( 1 + #^2) )
(1 - ix)/SQRT( 1 + #^2)- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>?
1/SQRT( 1 + #^2 ) - (ix)/SQRT( 1 + #^2)

How did you go from step 2 to 3 ?
 
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  • #32


GreenPrint said:

Homework Statement



I was trying rewrite properly the tangent and arctangent function and was trying to figure out what values of the argument in the natural log was < 0 so that way I could simplify my formulas further because

i ln(-1) = -pi/2
and stuff of the sort

(-x i)/SQRT(x^2 + 1) + SQRT(x^2 +1)/(x^2 + 1) < 0
basically looking for the first x value that would make that a negative number

I'd say x=0 is the only answer that makes the expression a negative number (zero imaginary part) assuming you don't use the principal square root values. That is, use the function:

f(x)=-\frac{x i}{\sqrt{x^2 + 1}} - \frac{\sqrt{x^2 + 1}}{x^2 + 1}

or:

f(x)=\frac{x i}{\sqrt{x^2 + 1}} - \frac{\sqrt{x^2 + 1}}{x^2 + 1}

where the root symbol means "principal value".

Also, Wolfram Alpha and Mathematica only use the principal value by default when evaluating a multi-valued function.
 

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