Erbil Polytechnic University
ICTE Department
1st stage
Engineering Mathematics 1
Complex numbers in polar and
Exponential Forms
Name: Glara Ali Hussein
Lecturer by: M.Salar Ameen
Table of content
What Is Polar Form of Complex Numbers?
Polar Form of Complex Number
Equation of Polar Form of Complex Numbers
Representation of Polar Form of Complex
Number
Conversion from Rectangular Form to Polar Form of Complex
Number
Product of Polar Form of Complex Number
What Is Polar Form of Complex Numbers?
In polar form, complex numbers are represented as the
combination of the modulus r and argument θ of the complex
number. The polar form of a complex number z = x + iy with
coordinates (x, y) is given as z = r cosθ + i r sinθ = r (cosθ + i sinθ).
The polar form is represented with the help of polar
coordinates of real and imaginary numbers in the coordinate
system. Consider a complex number A = x + i y in a two-
dimensional coordinate system:
In the figure above, we have cosθ = x/r; sinθ = y/r ⇒ x = rcosθ, y =
rsinθ. Using Pythagoras theorem, we have r2 = x2 + y2 and tanθ =
y/x ⇒ r = √(x2 + y2 ) and θ = tan-1 (y/x).
The horizontal and vertical axes are the real axis and the
imaginary axis, respectively.
r - the length of the vector and θ - the angle made with the real
axis, are the real and complex components of the polar form of
the complex number.
There is a point A with coordinates (x, y)
The distance from the origin (0,0) to point A is given as r.
The line joining the origin to point A makes an angle θ with the
positive x-axis.
The polar coordinates are given as (r, θ) and rectangular
coordinates are given as (x, y).
. Polar Form of Complex Number
The polar form of a complex number is another way of
representing complex numbers. The form z = a+bi is the rectangular form of
a complex number, where (a, b) are the rectangular coordinates. The polar
form of a complex number is represented in terms of modulus and
argument of the complex number. It is said Sir Isaac Newton was the one
who developed 10 different coordinate systems, one among them being
the polar coordinate system.
In this mini-lesson, we will get an overview of representing the polar form
of complex numbers, the magnitude of complex numbers, the argument of
the complex number, modulus of the complex number.
Equation of Polar Form of Complex
Numbers
The polar form of a complex number z = x + iy with coordinates
(x, y) is given as z = r cosθ + i r sinθ = r (cosθ + i sinθ). The
abbreviated polar form of a complex number is z = rcis θ, where
r = √(x2 + y2) and θ = tan-1 (y/x). The components of polar form of
a complex number are:
r - It signifies absolute value or represents the modulus of the
complex number.
Angle θ - It is called the argument of the complex number.
Representation of Polar Form of Complex
Number
We write complex numbers in terms of the distance from the
origin and a direction (or angle) from the positive horizontal axis.
Polar coordinates are expressed as (r, θ). Polar form for a complex
number z=a+bi is given by z = r cosθ + i r sinθ, where r = √(a2 + b2),
a=r cosθ and b=r sinθ
θ = tan-1(b / a) if z lies in the first or fourth quadrant
θ = tan-1(b / a) + 180° if z lies in the second quadrant
θ = tan-1(b / a) - 180° if z lies in the third quadrant
Conversion from Rectangular Form to Polar
Form of Complex Number
The conversion of complex number z=a+bi from rectangular form
2 2
to polar form is done using the formulas r = √(a + b ),
-1
θ = tan (b / a). Consider the complex number z = - 2 + 2√3 i, and
determine its magnitude and argument. We note that z lies in the
second quadrant, as shown below:
Using Pythagoras Theorem, the distance of z from the origin, or the magnitude of z, is |z|
= √((-2)2 + (2√3)2) = √(4+12) = √16 = 4. Now, let us calculate the angle between the line
segment joining the origin to z (OP) and the positive real direction (ray OX). Note that
the angle POX' is tan-1(2√3/(-2)) = tan-1(-√3) = -tan-1(√3). Since the complex number lies
in the second quadrant, the argument θ = - tan-1(√3) + 180° = - 60° + 180° = 120°. So,
the polar form of complex number z = - 2 + 2√3 i will be 4(cos120° + i sin120°)
Product of Polar Form of Complex Number
Let us consider two complex numbers in polar form, z = r1(cos θ1 +
i sin θ1), w = r2(cos θ2 + i sin θ2), Now, let us multiply the two complex
numbers:
zw = r1(cos θ1 + i sin θ1) × r2(cos θ2 + i sin θ2)
= r1r2 [(cos θ1cos θ2 - sin θ1sin θ2) + i (sin θ1cos θ2 + cos θ1sin θ2)]
= r1r2 [cos(θ1 + θ2) + i sin(θ1 + θ2)]
Related Topics to Polar Form of Complex Number
Complex Number Calculator
Complex Numbers
Complex Conjugate
Important Notes on Polar Form of Complex Number
To determine the argument of z, we should plot it and observe
its quadrant, and then accordingly calculate the angle which
the line joining the origin to z makes with the positive real
direction.
The polar form makes operations on complex numbers easier.
Modulus of z, |z| is the distance of z from the origin.
It is easy to see that for an arbitrary complex number z = x + yi,
its modulus will be |z| = √(x2 + y2)
Argument of z, Arg(z), is the angle between the line joining z to
the origin and the positive real direction and lies in the interval
(-π. π].
