Apply De Moivre's Theorem to solve the equation \( z^{4}=1 \), thus obtaining the fourth roots of 1 .
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To solve the equation \( z^{4} = 1 \), we can express 1 in polar form as \( 1 = \text{cis}(0) \) (where cis stands for cos + i*sin). According to De Moivre's Theorem, the roots can be obtained using the formula \( z_k = r^{1/n} \text{cis}\left(\frac{\theta + 2k\pi}{n}\right) \), for \( k = 0, 1, 2, \ldots, n-1 \). Here, \( r = 1 \), \( \theta = 0 \), and \( n = 4 \). Thus, the fourth roots are: - \( z_0 = \text{cis}\left(\frac{0 + 2 \cdot 0 \pi}{4}\right) = \text{cis}(0) = 1 \) - \( z_1 = \text{cis}\left(\frac{0 + 2 \cdot 1 \pi}{4}\right) = \text{cis}\left(\frac{\pi}{2}\right) = i \) - \( z_2 = \text{cis}\left(\frac{0 + 2 \cdot 2 \pi}{4}\right) = \text{cis}(\pi) = -1 \) - \( z_3 = \text{cis}\left(\frac{0 + 2 \cdot 3 \pi}{4}\right) = \text{cis}\left(\frac{3\pi}{2}\right) = -i \) So, the fourth roots of 1 are \( 1, i, -1, \text{ and } -i \). These roots can be graphed on the complex plane, where they would appear evenly spaced around the unit circle, forming the vertices of a square. It's quite a visual treat to see how they lie on a circle of radius 1, showcasing the elegant symmetry of complex numbers!