Understanding Complex Numbers and Their Proof: A Step-by-Step Explanation

In summary, the conversation discusses a problem involving complex numbers and a proof, where the solution involves a sum. However, the speaker is confused about a certain step where the sum is transformed into a fraction. The explanation for this is that the sum is a geometric series, which has a formula for when the ratio is less than 1. The speaker is reminded that the problem specified that the ratio must be less than 1.
  • #1
Perillux
I'm looking at a problem involving complex numbers and a proof. It shows the solution too, but I don't get how they did a certain step.
At one step they end up with this: (NOTE: the sigma should have 'n=0' on bottom and infinity on top, but I don't know how to do that in latex. If someone knows, please share):
[tex]Im(e^{i\theta}\sum(re^{2i\theta})^{n})[/tex]
Then in the next step they get from the above to the below:
[tex]Im(e^{i\theta}\frac{1}{1-re^{2i\theta}})[/tex]
If someone could please explain how they are equal I would greatly appreciate it.

I didn't include the default template for threads on this section of the forum because I don't think it really applies to this question, if I'm wrong then I appologize. I didn't really attempt much of a solution, other than just writing out the sums to see if I could do anything with that... no luck.
 
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  • #2
The way to do limits on the sum is \sum^{\infty}_{0}. You can use ^{} or _{} to put things at top or bottom of anything you want, generally.

The reason that they can get rid of the sum is that it is a geometric series, which has the explicit formula
[itex]\sum^{\infty}_{k=0}ar^{k} = \frac{a}{1-r}[/itex]
When [itex]r<1[/itex] (do you see why r must be less than 1?).

Cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geometric_series#Formula
 
  • #3
Of course! It even says 0 < r < 1 in the problem, lol, can't believe I overlooked that.

Thank you
 

1. What are complex numbers and why are they important in mathematics?

Complex numbers are numbers that contain both a real part and an imaginary part. The imaginary part is represented by the letter i, which stands for the square root of -1. These numbers are important in mathematics because they allow us to solve equations that would otherwise have no solution, and they have many applications in fields such as physics and engineering.

2. How are complex numbers represented and written mathematically?

Complex numbers are typically written in the form a + bi, where a is the real part and bi is the imaginary part. The real part is the coefficient of the real number 1, and the imaginary part is the coefficient of i. For example, the complex number 3 + 2i has a real part of 3 and an imaginary part of 2. They can also be represented graphically as points on a complex plane, where the x-coordinate represents the real part and the y-coordinate represents the imaginary part.

3. What is the proof for the existence of complex numbers?

The proof for the existence of complex numbers is based on the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra, which states that every polynomial equation of degree n with complex coefficients has exactly n complex roots. This means that for every polynomial equation that has no real solutions, there must be complex solutions. Therefore, complex numbers must exist in order to satisfy these equations.

4. How are complex numbers added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided?

Complex numbers follow the same rules for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division as real numbers. To add or subtract complex numbers, we simply add or subtract the real and imaginary parts separately. To multiply complex numbers, we use the FOIL method and then combine like terms. To divide complex numbers, we multiply the numerator and denominator by the complex conjugate of the denominator (where the sign of the imaginary part is changed).

5. What is the geometric interpretation of complex numbers?

Geometrically, complex numbers can be represented as points on a complex plane, also known as an Argand diagram. The x-coordinate represents the real part and the y-coordinate represents the imaginary part. This allows us to visualize complex numbers as vectors with both magnitude and direction. Addition and subtraction of complex numbers can be thought of as vector addition and subtraction, while multiplication and division can be thought of as scaling and rotating the vector.

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