The argument of a complex numberz=a+bi, denoted by arg(z), is the angle θ between the positive real axis and the line connecting origin to the point(a,b) in the complex plane.
The measure of angle θ is the arctangent of the ratio of the y-coordinate to the x-coordinate of the point.
θ=arctan(ab)
This measure is typically expressed using radians. For example, consider a complex number 2+2i. Its argument can be found by calculating arctan(22).
arctan(22)=arctan(1)=2π
The argument of 2+2i is 2π.
Why
Deriving the Formula
The formula for the argument of a complex number z comes from the polar representation on a complex plane. In this representation, a complex number z is located using its modulusr and argument θ.
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