Paper 1 · Complex Numbers ⏱ Tested in 2 exam questions since 2022 Lesson 1 of 17

Complex Numbers 1 – Introduction

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You’ll learn

  • Simplify square roots of negatives using i = √(−1), e.g. √(−9) = 3i
  • Write complex numbers in the form a + bi and identify the real and imaginary parts
  • Evaluate powers of i like i⁵⁰ and i²¹ by breaking them into pairs of i² = −1
  • Handle negative powers such as i⁻¹² using the index rule a⁻ᵖ = 1/aᵖ

Most recent exam questions

  • 2024 Paper 1 Q2(a) — quadratic with negative discriminant ⟹ complex roots via the −b formula
  • 2022 Paper 1 Q1(c) — classify each of six complex numbers into the correct region of a Venn diagram. ℝ is the…

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