Complex Numbers

Problems

  1. Find the roots of $x^4-1=0$.
  2. What is the value of $(1+i)(1+i^2)(1+i^3)(1+i^4)$?
  3. What is the value of $1+ i^2 + i^4 + i^6 + \dots i^{2n}$?
  4. What is the smallest positive integer $n$ such that $\left( \frac{2 i}{1+i}\right )^n$is a positive integer?
  5. Explain why in general the expression $a + i b > c + i d$ is not meaningful for complex numbers. Are there any special values of $a,b,c,d$ where such inequalities become meaningful?
  6. Suppose $\theta_1, \theta_2, \theta_3$ are the three angles (in radian) of a triangle. What is the value of $e^{i \theta_1} e^{i \theta_2} e^{i \theta_3}$?
  7. Let $\omega$ be one of the complex cubic roots of unity (i.e. $\omega$ is a root of $x^3-1=0$). Then simplify the following expression

$$ (1-\omega)(1-\omega^2)(1+\omega^4)(1+\omega^8) $$

  1. If $\omega$ is the same as in the previous problem. Then simplify

$$ 2 (3 + 5 \omega + 3\omega^2) + (3+ 3 \omega + 5 \omega^2) $$

  1. Find the square root of $5+12 i$ and $-15-8i$ and express them in the algebraic form (i.e. $a+ i b$ form)

Find even more problems in the attached worksheet

worksheet.pdf


Vectors and Matrices

For the following vectors $\ket{u}$ and $\ket{v}$, find the inner products $\braket{u|v}$ and $\braket{v|u}$. Also, find the norms $||u||$ and $||v||$. (Problems 1 -3).

  1. $\ket{u} = 5i \ket{b_1} + e^{i \theta} \ket{b_2}$ , $\ket{v} = 3 \ket{b_1} + 2e^{i \theta} \ket{b_2}$ , where $\theta$ is a real constant and $\ket{b_i}$ form an orthonormal basis.