Locus of arg(z/(z-1+2i))=π/3


By Sarah Shales (t382) on June 8, 1998 :

Please could you help me with explaining what the locus of

arg(z/(z-1+2i))=π/3 looks like?
I know it is an arc of a circle, but which arc ?

Help
By Stuart White (saw30) on June 10, 1998 :
Dear Sarah,

As arg(a×b)=argaargb the equation becomes:

argz-arg(z-(1-2i))=π/3

The rest of the answer gets somewhat geometrical, so look at the diagram.

Draw a triangle OAB, with O at the origin and B at (1,-2). Let A represent z. Draw lines OX, Y'BY parallel to the x-axis as shown.

Then argz=XOA (where XOA represents the angle between XO and OA) and arg(z-(1-2i))=YBA. Therefore the equations can be written

XOA-YBA=π/3

As BOX=Y'BO we can write

(BOA-Y'BO)-YBA=π/3

BOA-(Y'BO+YBA)=π/3

By angles on a straight line ( Y'OY) this becomes:

BOA-(π-ABO)=π/3

and by angles in a triangle:

OAB=π/3

(Note I have been careful to ensure all angles are described in an anticlockwise sense)

So the angle OAB is constant, and as all angles subtended by the same arc of a circle are equal A lies on an arc of a circle connecting O to B, such that the size of the angle |OAB| is π/3. There are two such arcs, one below O and B and one above.

One arc will correspond to the π/3 and the other -π/3, so how do we find out which is which? Well here's a rather crude way:

For A to be above OB clearly YBAXOA (measured as arguments i.e. in an anticlockwise sense). Therefore argz-arg(z-(1-2i))<0 so does not equal π/3.

So A must lie below OB. So we have determined which arc the locus of z lies on.

I hope this helps - please get back to me if it makes no sense.

Yours,

Stuart Diagram 1Diagram 2