# Thread: complex number question

1. ## complex number question

Find the square root of the following complex number :

$6+8i$

$\sqrt{6+8i}=a+bi$

$6+8i=a^2-b^2+2abi$

$
a^2-b^2=6 ----1
$

$2ab=8 ---- 2$

From 2 , $b=\frac{4}{a}$

Substitute into 1 : $a^2-\frac{16}{a^2}=6$ which gives me
$a=\pm2\sqrt{2}$

then $b=\pm\frac{2}{\sqrt{2}}$

did i get the correct answers for a and b ? THanks for helping .

2. Originally Posted by thereddevils
Find the square root of the following complex number :

$6+8i$

$\sqrt{6+8i}=a+bi$

$6+8i=a^2-b^2+2abi$

$
a^2-b^2=6 ----1
$

$2ab=8 ---- 2$

From 2 , $b=\frac{4}{a}$

Substitute into 1 : $a^2-\frac{16}{a^2}=6$ which gives me
$a=\pm2\sqrt{2}$

then $b=\pm\frac{2}{\sqrt{2}}$

did i get the correct answers for a and b ? THanks for helping .
Yup, looks good.

3. Originally Posted by thereddevils
Find the square root of the following complex number :

$6+8i$

$\sqrt{6+8i}=a+bi$

$6+8i=a^2-b^2+2abi$

$
a^2-b^2=6 ----1
$

$2ab=8 ---- 2$

From 2 , $b=\frac{4}{a}$

Substitute into 1 : $a^2-\frac{16}{a^2}=6$ which gives me
$a=\pm2\sqrt{2}$

then $b=\pm\frac{2}{\sqrt{2}}$

did i get the correct answers for a and b ? THanks for helping .
I'm trying to solve a similar problem. Could you please show me how did you get 'a'??

4. Originally Posted by Math's-only-a-game
I'm trying to solve a similar problem. Could you please show me how did you get 'a'??
Multiply each side of the equation by $a^2$ :
$(a^2)^2-6a^2-16=0$

Let $x=a^2$, giving $x^2-6x-16=0$
and solve the quadratic. But be aware that $x=a^2\geq 0$. So you ought to keep only the positive root.