Dawnbridge

TI-Nspire CX II field manual for IB Math

HL only · 32 of 42

32

Complex-number arithmetic

HL only

Evaluate any numeric complex expression (sums, products, quotients, integer powers, and mixed Cartesian / polar terms) straight off the home screen, provided it contains no unknowns.

Goal

Compute (1+2i)34eiπ/4 and write the answer in the form a+bi.

1

Press 7: Settings & Status2: Document Settings. Confirm Angle = Radian so the eiπ/4 term is read correctly, and set Real or Complex to Rectangular: without this the calculator stays in Real mode and either refuses to combine the terms or returns an error instead of an a+bi answer.

2

From the Scratchpad calculator, type the base 1+2i in parentheses: → highlight i  . Then raise it to the third power with . The right arrow moves the cursor back out of the exponent.

3

Subtract the polar term 4eiπ/4:  → highlight π  → highlight i  . The ÷ builds a stacked fraction π/4; the first exits it and the last one leaves the exponent.

4

Press to force the decimal approximation. (Plain would keep the exact surd form of the eiπ/4 term instead of a clean a+bi value.)

Scratchpad
RAD
(1+2i)34e4πi
−13.82844.82843i
Result

(1+2i)34eiπ/4−13.84.83i.

Your turn

Work each one on your calculator, then check the answer.

  1. 1

    Compute (2+i)4 in the form a+bi.

  2. 2

    Compute 2+i98i in the form a+bi.

  3. 3

    Compute 2eiπ/4+5ei2π/3, giving the answer in polar form reiθ.