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Algebra Difficulty 5.3 AIME, harder Prove it Croatia

Determine all complex numbers zz such that zˉz+zzˉ\frac{\bar{z}}{z} + \frac{z}{\bar{z}} is a positive integer.

Solution

Let z=reiθz = re^{i\theta}, where r>0r > 0 and θR\theta \in \mathbb{R}. Then zˉ=reiθ\bar{z} = re^{-i\theta}.

We have:
zˉz+zzˉ=reiθreiθ+reiθreiθ=e2iθ+e2iθ=2cos(2θ) \frac{\bar{z}}{z} + \frac{z}{\bar{z}} = \frac{re^{-i\theta}}{re^{i\theta}} + \frac{re^{i\theta}}{re^{-i\theta}} = e^{-2i\theta} + e^{2i\theta} = 2\cos(2\theta)

We are told that 2cos(2θ)2\cos(2\theta) is a positive integer. The possible values for 2cos(2θ)2\cos(2\theta) are 11 and 22 (since 2cos(2θ)22\cos(2\theta) \leq 2 and must be a positive integer).

Case 1: 2cos(2θ)=22\cos(2\theta) = 2

Then cos(2θ)=1    2θ=2πk\cos(2\theta) = 1 \implies 2\theta = 2\pi k for some integer kk, so θ=πk\theta = \pi k.

Thus, z=reiπk=r(1)kz = re^{i\pi k} = r(-1)^k. So zz is a nonzero real number.

Case 2: 2cos(2θ)=12\cos(2\theta) = 1

Then cos(2θ)=12    2θ=±π3+2πk\cos(2\theta) = \frac{1}{2} \implies 2\theta = \pm \frac{\pi}{3} + 2\pi k for some integer kk.

So θ=±π6+πk\theta = \pm \frac{\pi}{6} + \pi k.

Thus, z=rei(±π6+πk)z = re^{i(\pm \frac{\pi}{6} + \pi k)} for r>0r > 0 and integer kk.

Therefore, all complex numbers z0z \neq 0 such that zz is a nonzero real number, or zz has argument ±π6\pm \frac{\pi}{6} or ±7π6\pm \frac{7\pi}{6} (modulo 2π2\pi), i.e., z=reiθz = re^{i\theta} where θ=πk\theta = \pi k or θ=±π6+πk\theta = \pm \frac{\pi}{6} + \pi k for integer kk and r>0r > 0.

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Source: MathNet, licensed CC-BY-4.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.