• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

Complex Locus (1 Viewer)

qwe

New Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2004
Messages
4
Gender
Female
HSC
2013
Need help with a locus question, question below

Find the locus of "modulus(z-3) + modulus(z+3) =5"

Looks like an ellipse but when i let z=x+iy it comes out as a hyperbola........

Any ideas people?
 

study-freak

Bored of
Joined
Feb 8, 2008
Messages
1,133
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
|z-3| + |z+3| = 5
|x-3 + iy| + |x+3 + iy| = 5
(x-3)^2 + y^2 + (x+3)^2 + y^2 = 25
x^2 + 18 + 2y^2 = 25
x^2+ 2y^2 = 7 (ellipse)
???

|x-3 + iy| + |x+3 + iy| = 5
(x-3)^2 + y^2 + (x+3)^2 + y^2 +2 sqrt[{(x-3)^2 + y^2)}{(x+3)^2 + y^2)}] = 25
 

Trebla

Administrator
Administrator
Joined
Feb 16, 2005
Messages
8,401
Gender
Male
HSC
2006
Need help with a locus question, question below

Find the locus of "modulus(z-3) + modulus(z+3) =5"

Looks like an ellipse but when i let z=x+iy it comes out as a hyperbola........

Any ideas people?
There's no way that could be an ellipse.
The geometric interpretation for an ellipse uses:
PS + PS' = 2a
The problem lies in the fact the SS' = 6 (draw a diagram to see this), so the sum of two sides (PS and PS') of triangle PSS' is LESS than the third side which is a violation of the triangle inequality!

Hence there is NO valid locus that satisfies the condition in the question...

Algebraically, the flaw is MUCH harder to spot.



Now consider, if the question was instead written like:


We end up with the SAME equation, either way because the step where we square both sides eliminates the information of the negative sign in the original question! In the second case, the geometric interpretation is correct using PS - PS' = 2a (provided PS > PS') and the triangle inequality is not violated.

The flaw in the original part lies in the bits in red and blue.

For the part in red, the LHS of the equality is non-negative so the RHS must obviously also be non-negative which leads to the condition:



Note that squaring both sides here is OKAY because both sides are positive.

For the part the blue, again the LHS of the equality is non-negative so the RHS must obviously also be non-negative which leads to the condition:



So for the final answer to be valid, BOTH the following conditions must be satisfied:



This can easily be shown graphically.

Now consider the final answer obtained which was



If you consider the sketch or the natural domain (x ≥ 2.5 and x ≤ - 2.5) of this hyperbola and compare that with the sketch of the two restrictions mentioned above, you will notice that NEITHER can be simultaneously satisfied i.e. the hyperbola does not exist under the given restrictions.

This means that there is NO valid solution for the locus.

Take home message: take care when squaring both sides!!!!! :p
 
Last edited:

qwe

New Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2004
Messages
4
Gender
Female
HSC
2013
Wow nice job on the algebraic explanation Trebla, and thank you for answering the question.

I guess I should have seen the triangle inequality violation.
 
K

khorne

Guest
That is why I think doing it geometrically preserves is better, as you preserve this information.
 

adomad

HSC!!
Joined
Oct 10, 2008
Messages
543
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
for this question, find the locus of z if Re(z) =|z|. can't you just say that it is only logical if the locus is the Re(z) axis where x>=0??

and how the fiffie cakes do you do this one

find the value of k if arg(z-2)=k arg(z^2-2z)?
 
Last edited:

addikaye03

The A-Team
Joined
Nov 16, 2006
Messages
1,267
Location
Albury-Wodonga, NSW
Gender
Male
HSC
2008
for this question, find the locus of z if Re(z) =|z|. can't you just say that it is only logical if the locus is the Re(z) axis where x>=0??

and how the fiffie cakes do you do this one

find the value of k if arg(z-2)=k arg(z^2-2z)?
arg(z-2)=k arg(z^2-2z)

z-2=(z^2-2z)^k

z-2=z^k(z-2)^k

(z^k) (z-2)^(k-1)=1

Got it from there?
 
Last edited:

adomad

HSC!!
Joined
Oct 10, 2008
Messages
543
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
LOL. i forgot the read the start of the question. just before i was going to rage quit, i scrolled up :chainsaw:


it states that |z-2| = 2 and 0< arg(z) <90 degrees

i got it now. thanks guys.
 
Last edited:

GUSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Active Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2008
Messages
1,102
Location
Turra
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
LOL. i forgot the read the start of the question. just before i was going to rage quit, i scrolled up :chainsaw:


it states that |z-2| = 2 and 0< arg(z) <90 degrees

i got it now. thanks guys.
hahahahaha well saying "that helps" wud be a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge UNDERSTATEMENT

lol
 

shaon0

...
Joined
Mar 26, 2008
Messages
2,029
Location
Guess
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
arg(z-2)=k.arg(z^2-2z)
If mod(z-2)=2, then;
arg(2)=k.arg(2z) [idk if this is correct]
But, mod(z-2)=2
ie. z-2=2 or z-2=-2
Thus, z=4 or 0 but arg(0) is undefined ie. z=4

arg(2)=k.arg(8)
arg(2)=3k.arg(2)
k=1/3

This solution is probably incorrect as I'm rusty with 4u
Gurmies, how did you do it geometrically?
 

Jacob1991

Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2008
Messages
108
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
arg(z-2)=k arg(z^2-2z)

z-2=(z^2-2z)^k

z-2=z^k(z-2)^k

(z^k) (z-2)^(k-1)=1

Got it from there?
if this is the question
'find k if arg(z-2)=k arg(z^2-2z)' and there are no more conditions, then k varies depending on z doesnt it? at least that's what Simon and I think... but our 4U knowledge is getting rusty so yeh...
 
Last edited:

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top