Pre-Calculus All-in-One For Dummies

Chapter 15

Coordinating with Complex Numbers

IN THIS CHAPTER

Pitting real versus imaginary

Exploring the complex number system

Plotting complex numbers on a plane

Solving problems involving complex solutions

Complex numbers can be a most interesting (but frequently neglected) topic in a standard study of pre-calculus. Using complex numbers efficiently can vastly simplify a difficult problem or even allow you to solve a problem that you couldn’t solve before.

In early math experiences, you may have been told that you can’t find the square root of a negative number. If somewhere in your calculations you stumbled on an answer that required you to take the square root of a negative number, you simply threw that answer out the window. As you advanced in math, you found that you needed complex numbers to explain natural phenomena that real numbers are incapable of explaining. In fact, entire math courses are dedicated to the study of complex numbers and their applications. You won’t see that kind of depth here; however, you’ll be introduced to the basic topics and enough to allow you ...