Complex number

What is a Complex number?

  • Complex numbers allow solutions to certain equations that have no solutions in real numbers.
  • A set of complex numbers is denoted by C

Example :

(x – 1)2 = – 9

x = 1 +√-9

x = 1 + 3i


  • A complex number is a number that can be expressed in the form of a + bi,
  • where a and b are real numbers
  • i represents the imaginary unit ; i2 = −1

Complex number Classification

  • Based on the nature of the real part and imaginary part, any complex number can be classified into four types:
      • imaginary number
      • zero complex number
      • purely imaginary number
      • purely real number

a ≠ 0

b ≠ 0

a + ib

Imaginary number

a = 0

b = 0

0 + i0

Zero complex number

a = 0

b ≠ 0

ib

Purely imaginary number

a ≠ 0

b = 0

a

Purely real number

Complex number Properties

  • Every real number is a complex number, but every complex number is not necessarily a real number
  • The set of all complex numbers is denoted by Z ∈ C
  • The set of all imaginary numbers is denoted as  Z ∈ C−R
  • important properties of i

i2 =  -1

i3 = i2 x i = (-1) x i = -i


i4 = i2 x i2

= (-1) x (-1)

= 1


  • The Sum of four consecutive powers of i is equal to 0

ik + ik+1 + ik+2 + ik+3 = 0


  • Addition of Complex Numbers:

(a + bi) + (c +di) = (a+c) + (b+d)i


Scroll to Top