If z is a complex number satisfying z + 1/z =1, calculate z^10+ 1/z^10.
If
z is a complex number satisfying z+1z=1, calculate z10+1z10.
(z+1z)2=z2+1z2+2zz12=z2+1z2+2z2+1z2=1−2z2+1z2=−1(z2+1z2)(z+1z)=z3+1z3+z+1z(−1)∗1=z3+1z3+1z3+1z3=−1−1z3+1z3=−2(z2+1z2)(z3+1z3)=z5+1z5+z+1z(−1)∗(−2)=z5+1z5+1z5+1z5=2−1z5+1z5=1(z5+1z5)2=z10+1z10+2z5z512=z10+1z10+2z10+1z10=1−2z10+1z10=−1
edited: Thank you Alan, thank you MaxWong
also see: https://web2.0calc.com/questions/if-z-is-a-complete-number-satisfying
An interesting theorem: If z+1z=2cosα, then zn+1zn=2cosnα for positive integers n and real α.
(If you don't like to read proofs, then you can jump to the point where I marked "END OF PROOF".)
Proof of the theorem:
We use strong induction.
Base case #1 : n = 1.
Substituting n = 1 and checking shows that base case #1 is true.
Base case #2 : n = 2.
z2+1z2=(z+1z)2−2=(2cosα)2−2=2(2cos2α−1)=2cos2α
So base case #2 is true.
Inductive step: Assume zt+1zt=2costα and zt−1+1zt−1=2cos(t−1)α for some positive integer t.
zt+1+1zt+1=(zt+1zt)(z+1z)−(zt−1+1zt−1)=2costα⋅2cosα−2cos(t−1)αBy product to sum formula:=2(cos(t+1)α+cos(t−1)α)−2cos(t−1)α=2cos(t+1)α
Therefore by principles of mathematical induction, the proposition is true.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------(END OF PROOF)-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back to the problem. Using the theorem I mentioned above, and substituting α=60∘ into the formula,
z10+1z10=2cos(10⋅60∘)=2cos(600∘)=2cos240∘=−1