Cube Roots of Unity

Rarely Tested

Cube Roots of Unity

## Definition / Concept

The cube roots of unity are the solutions of:

$$z^3=1$$

## Formula

The three cube roots are:

$$1,\omega,\omega^2$$

where:

$$\omega=e^{2\pi i/3}$$

$$\omega=-\frac12+i\frac{\sqrt3}{2}$$

$$\omega^2=-\frac12-i\frac{\sqrt3}{2}$$

## Important Identities

$$\omega^3=1$$

$$1+\omega+\omega^2=0$$

$$\omega\ne1$$

$$\omega^2+\omega+1=0$$

$$\frac1\omega=\omega^2$$

$$\frac1{\omega^2}=\omega$$

## Usage

- Used extensively in polynomial equations and complex-number simplification.

Question 1

Let $$z$$ be a complex number satisfying

$$z^2+z+1=0$$

Evaluate $$\sum_{k=1}^{100}\left(z^k+\frac1{z^k}\right)^2$$

Question 2

How many integers n in the set $${1, 2, 3, \ldots, 300}$$ satisfy both of the following conditions:

$$\text{(I)}\quad 1 + \omega^n + \omega^{2n} = 0$$

$$\text{(II)}\quad \left(\frac{1+i}{1-i}\right)^n = 1$$

where $$\omega$$ is a primitive cube root of unity and $$i = \sqrt{-1}$$?

Question 3

Let $$z_1$$, $$z_2$$, and $$z_3$$ be three distinct complex numbers representing the vertices of an equilateral triangle inscribed in the circle $$|z| = 2$$, arranged in a counter-clockwise order. If $$z_1 = 2$$, and a new complex number $$z_4$$ is defined by the transformation expression $$z_4 = \frac{z_2 \cdot \bar{z_3}}{z_1}$$, then the value of the expression $$|z_4 - z_1|^2$$ is equal to:

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