26. Complex Numbers

Using the definition of complex numbers and operations with complex numbers, students add, multiply, and graph with complex numbers using some sample items from the NC Algebra II Indicators. Once familiar with the operations and graphing, students iterate complex numbers in functions to determine whether the iteration stabilizes. With some experimentation, rules are developed that show patterns in stabilization that carry into graphs by special coloring schemes. The result is a fractal. Examples from the Julia Set and the Mandelbrot Set are shown.

Technology: Graphing calculator, Power Point slides.

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• Word version

• PowerPoint materials