Complex Numbers: Product, Quotient and Inverse

Martti E. Pesonen, last revised 30.11.2006

1. Product of Complex Numbers

This page requires a Java capable browser. Beside you see two complex numbers as plane vectors z and w and their product is zw.

Problems

1. When z = (-2,1) and w = (4,1), what is zw?
2. When z = i, what must w be, so that the product zw = (2,-3)?
3. If z is kept constant, when is zw real?
4. Keep the point z fixed and move w. Which geometric property stays invariant?


2. Division of Complex Numbers

This page requires a Java capable browser. Beside you see two complex numbers as plane vectors z and w and their quotient is z/w.

Problems

1. When z = (-8,4) and w = (3,1), what is z/w?
2. Solve the equation (4-3i)/w = 1 - 2i.
3. When z is purely imaginary, for what kind of numbers w are w and z/w on a same straight line through the origin?
4. When w = i, what can you say about z and z/w?


3. Inversion of Complex Numbers

This page requires a Java capable browser. Beside you see a complex number as a plane vector z and its inverse 1/z.
Also the conjugate conj(1/z) can be switches visible.

Problems

1. What is the inverse of 3 + i ?
2. Where is the inverse of the conjugate of z when z is inside the unit disk D?
3. What is the inverse of a circle like?
4. What does the inverse of an origin-centered square look like?