Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2012/ia/paper-1/1c/b/ii/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2012 ia Paper 1 1C b ii Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-07
Let denote the value of the complex logarithm used in the equation. Factoring gives or . Since , the complete answer isThe principal complex logarithm takes exactly these values at and , so both are solutions with that convention. If the complex logarithm is interpreted as multivalued, the same answer holds in the sense that a logarithm value satisfies the equation. The equation is not an assertion that every logarithm value of these numbers has the stated square.
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