Boost your skills in A Level Further Mathematics Core Pure. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question is followed by hints and explanations. Get prepared for your exam with confidence!

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is not a valid polar form representation of a complex number as given?

In polar form a complex number with magnitude r and angle θ is written as z = r(cos θ + i sin θ). Expanding this gives z = r cos θ + i r sin θ, so the same factor r multiplies both the real part and the imaginary part. Option A matches exactly this pattern, and option C is also valid because cos θ − i sin θ = cos(−θ) + i sin(−θ), so z = r(cos θ − i sin θ) is just the same polar form with angle −θ. The remaining forms fail for general r because the imaginary part must be multiplied by r as well. In z = r cos θ − i sin θ, the real part has the r factor but the imaginary part does not, so you cannot factor out a single r to get the standard r(cos φ + i sin φ). Similarly, z = r cos θ + i sin θ lacks the r factor in the imaginary part, which again cannot be written as a single r multiplied by (cos φ + i sin φ) unless r = 1. So the form that is not a valid polar form for general r is the one where the imaginary part is not scaled by r.

In polar form a complex number with magnitude r and angle θ is written as z = r(cos θ + i sin θ). Expanding this gives z = r cos θ + i r sin θ, so the same factor r multiplies both the real part and the imaginary part.

Option A matches exactly this pattern, and option C is also valid because cos θ − i sin θ = cos(−θ) + i sin(−θ), so z = r(cos θ − i sin θ) is just the same polar form with angle −θ.

The remaining forms fail for general r because the imaginary part must be multiplied by r as well. In z = r cos θ − i sin θ, the real part has the r factor but the imaginary part does not, so you cannot factor out a single r to get the standard r(cos φ + i sin φ). Similarly, z = r cos θ + i sin θ lacks the r factor in the imaginary part, which again cannot be written as a single r multiplied by (cos φ + i sin φ) unless r = 1.

So the form that is not a valid polar form for general r is the one where the imaginary part is not scaled by r.