How do you graph abs(z-i) = 2|zi|=2 in the complex plane?

1 Answer
Feb 3, 2016

This is a circle with radius 22 and centre ii

Explanation:

To say abs(z-i) = 2|zi|=2 is to say that the (Euclidean) distance between zz and ii is 22.

graph{(x^2+(y-1)^2-4)(x^2+(y-1)^2-0.011) = 0 [-5.457, 5.643, -1.84, 3.71]}

Alternatively, use the definition:

abs(z) = sqrt(z bar(z))|z|=z¯z

Consider z = x+yiz=x+yi where xx and yy are Real.

Then

2 = abs(z-i) = abs(x+yi-i) = abs(x+(y-1)i)2=|zi|=|x+yii|=|x+(y1)i|

= sqrt((x+(y-1)i)(x-(y-1)i)) = sqrt(x^2+(y-1)^2)=(x+(y1)i)(x(y1)i)=x2+(y1)2

Square both ends and transpose to get:

x^2+(y-1)^2 = 2^2x2+(y1)2=22

which is the equation of a circle radius 22 with centre (0, 1)(0,1), i.e. ii.