Complex Numbers and Polar Form
Complex numbers are written as z = x + iy, where x is the real part and y is the imaginary part. The key thing to remember is that i² = -1, which is what makes these numbers "imaginary."
You can visualise complex numbers on an Argand diagram - it's like a coordinate system where the x-axis shows real parts and the y-axis shows imaginary parts. This makes complex numbers much easier to work with geometrically.
The complex conjugate of z = x + iy is z* = x - iy. Geometrically, this is just a reflection across the real axis. The modulus |z| = √x2+y2 gives you the distance from the origin, whilst the argument arg(z) = arctany/x gives you the angle.
Polar form writes complex numbers as z = rcosθ+isinθ, where r is the modulus and θ is the argument. This form is incredibly useful for multiplication and division because you can just add or subtract the arguments.
Key insight: Multiplying by i rotates a complex number by 90° anticlockwise - this geometric interpretation makes many problems much clearer!