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For the quadratic polynomial $p(x)=2x^2-6x+5$, the discriminant is $(-6{)}^2-4(2)(5)=-4$, so its roots of a polynomial are the complex conjugatesTheir sum is $3=-(-6)/2$, and their product is $(9+1)/4=5/2$, matching the constant coefficient divided by the leading coefficient. More revealingly, $r_{+}{r}_{-}=r_{+}\overline{r_{+}}=|r_{+}{|}^2$: the product is the square of a complex modulus. Coefficients in the real numbers therefore need not imply polynomial roots in the real numbers.

For any polynomial with coefficients in the real numbers, $p(\overline{z})=\overline{p(z)}$. Thus a nonreal root of a polynomial brings its complex conjugate along with the same multiplicity of a root. This follows by applying complex conjugation to the polynomial expression and its factors. It explains why sums of complex conjugate terms can produce coefficients in the real numbers.

The complex modulus is a nonnegative real number. Equality therefore requires $z-1$ itself to be real and nonnegative. Its imaginary part gives $y=0$, and its real part then gives $x-1\ge 0$. Conversely every such point satisfies the equality. Hence the complete solution set isGeometrically this is the closed ray on the real axis starting at $z=1$.

Take $r>0$ and select a complex argument $\theta$ for $z$. To specify the complex exponentiation, use $z^{1+i}=\exp ((1+i)(\ln r+i\theta ))$. Expanding its exponent givesIts complex logarithm therefore has valuesThe continuous logarithm obtained by retaining the displayed exponent uses $k=0$. If the outer logarithm is the principal logarithm, choose $k$ to put the imaginary part in $(-\pi ,\pi ]$ instead; the real part is unchanged. In particular one cannot generally assert $\mathrm{Log}(e^w)=w$ without checking its imaginary part.

The condition on the real part gives $\ln r=\theta$, so the required logarithmic spiral has polar coordinatesAs $\theta$ increases, it runs from the negative real axis near radius $e^{-\pi }$ through $-i{e}^{-\pi /2}$, $1$ and $i{e}^{\pi /2}$ to the negative real axis at radius $e^{\pi }$. The angle increases by one complete turn. Using the conventional principal argument $-\pi <\theta \le \pi$, the inner negative-axis endpoint is excluded and the outer endpoint is included. The convention $-\pi \le \theta <\pi$ reverses those endpoint choices. If both limiting arguments are admitted by the paper's wording, both limiting endpoints are drawn; the interior curve is the same. The origin is never included because the complex logarithm is undefined there.

Put $s=t^2-t^{-2}$. Part (b)(ii) gives $u=s+2i$, soThe parameter $s$ increases strictly from $-15/4$ to $15/4$. Therefore the imaginary part $Y=4s$ increases from $-15$ to $15$, while the real part is $X=s^2-4$. The endpoints areThe real axis crossing is at $s=0$, giving $\boxed{(-4,0)}$ at $t=1$. The two imaginary axis crossings satisfy $s^2=4$, givingIn order, the trajectory passes from its lower endpoint through $(0,-8)$, then the leftmost point $(-4,0)$, then $(0,8)$, to its upper endpoint. It is a right-opening parabola segment, traversed continuously upward as shown in the right panel.

Squaring givesThus $\mathrm{Im}u=2$ is constant, while $d(\mathrm{Re}u)/dt=2t+2t^{-3}>0$. The trajectory is the horizontal line segmentIt crosses the imaginary axis at $\boxed{(0,2)}$, when $t=1$, and never crosses the real axis. The middle panel shows the rightward direction.

Write $z=X+iY$. Its coordinates are $X=t$, $Y=1/t$, so $XY=1$. For the given positive range of $t$, this traces a segment of the first-quadrant hyperbola, moving rightward and downward:The complex conjugate is $z^{\ast }=t-i/t$. It is the reflection in the real axis, tracing $XY=-1$ in the fourth quadrant, rightward and upward:Neither trajectory crosses either axis, because $t$ and $1/t$ remain nonzero. The left panel of the figure marks the endpoints and directions.

The principal argument selects a single complex argument of a nonzero complex number, conventionally in $(-\pi ,\pi ]$. It is the imaginary part of the principal logarithm. The alternative interval $[-\pi ,\pi )$ changes the convention on the negative real axis. Neither convention makes the selected complex argument continuous across that axis.

The real axis consists of the points of the complex plane whose imaginary part is zero. These points represent the real numbers.