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Algebra Level 3

How many complex numbers are the conjugate of their own cube?


The answer is 5.

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2 solutions

Pranjal Jain
Mar 16, 2015

Let z = r e ι θ z=re^{\iota\theta} . Hence the statement is converted into the equation

z = z ˉ 3 r e ι θ = r 3 e 3 ι θ z=\bar{z}^3\\\Rightarrow re^{\iota\theta}=r^3e^{-3\iota\theta}

Comparing absolute values, r = r 3 r = 0 , 1 ( r 0 ) r=r^3\Rightarrow r=0,1\quad (r\geq 0) .

For r = 0 , z = 0 r=0, z=0

For r = 1 , r=1, we comparing te arguments giving θ = 2 n π 3 θ θ = n π 2 \theta=2n\pi-3\theta\\\Rightarrow \theta=\frac{n\pi}{2}

which gives 4 values of z z which are ι , ι , 1 , 1 \iota,-\iota,-1,1 .

Therefore total of 5 values (including 0).

Nice solution @Pranjal Jain , upvoted.

Utkarsh Bansal - 6 years, 2 months ago

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@Utkarsh Bansal Its better to use "@mention" rather than copying the link to profile.

Pranjal Jain - 6 years, 2 months ago

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A doubt,

θ = 2 n π 3 θ \theta=2n\pi-3\theta

4 θ = 2 n π θ = n π 2 \rightarrow4\theta=2n\pi\Rightarrow \theta=\frac{n\pi}{2} ,right?

So three solutions??

Anandhu Raj - 6 years, 2 months ago

How do you get the 4 values of z? Can someone explain?

Anik Mandal - 5 years ago

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n = 0, n = 1, n = -1, n = 2

Angel Raygoza - 1 year, 1 month ago

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm💀

Kumar Krish - 2 years, 5 months ago

Using Elementary Algebra. The problem means "How many solution of a + b i a+bi such that a b i = ( a + b i ) 3 a - bi = (a+bi)^3

Case 1: If a 0 a \neq 0 and b 0 b \neq 0 this follow that a b i ( a + b i ) 3 a- bi \neq (a+bi)^3

Case 2: If a = 0 b i = i b 3 a = 0 \Rightarrow -bi = -ib^3

Solving for b b . So b = 1 , 1 , 0 b = 1,-1, 0 . Therefore, i , i , 0 i, -i, 0 is the solution for case 2

Case 3: If b = 0 a = a 3 b = 0 \Rightarrow a = a^3

Solving for a a . So a = 1 , 1 , 0 a = 1, -1, 0 . Therefore, 1 , 1 , 0 1, -1, 0 is the solution for case 3.

Therefore, i , i , 1 , 1 , 0 i, -i, 1, -1, 0 are the solution. They have 5 5 solution.

What did you do in case 1?

Ajinkya Shivashankar - 4 years, 7 months ago

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I do it this way. Comparing real parts, we get a ( a 2 b 2 1 ) = 0 a(a^2 - b^2-1)=0 . Comparing imaginary parts, we get b ( a 2 b 2 + 1 ) = 0 b(a^2 - b^2+1)=0 . If both a a and b b are not zero, then both a 2 b 2 1 = 0 a^2 - b^2-1=0 and a 2 b 2 + 1 = 0 a^2 - b^2+1=0 are true, which is obviously impossible.

William Nathanael Supriadi - 3 years, 5 months ago

I think the question should be asked as - How many complex numbers are the cube of their conjugate?

Shubham Poddar - 2 years, 4 months ago

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the cube of the conjugate is the conjugate of the cube

Prabhnoor Singh - 1 year, 2 months ago

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