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I have the following question

I need to compute the complex partial fraction decomposition of $\frac{z^5-1}{z^4+1}$. After a first long division I get $\frac{z^5-1}{z^4+1}=z-\frac{z+1}{z^4+1}$,now I only need to continue with the partial fraction decomposition of $\frac{z+1}{z^4+1}$ but here I'm somehow stuck. My idea was to solve $z^4=-1$ so I would like to solve $e^{4i\Theta}=e^{i\pi}$. so I got now that $z^4+1=\left(z+\frac{1+i}{\sqrt{2}}\right)\left(z-\frac{1+i}{\sqrt{2}}\right)\left(z-\frac{1-i}{\sqrt{2}}\right)\left(z+\frac{1-i}{\sqrt{2}}\right)$ right?

Could maybe someone help me?

user1294729
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  • It works the exact same way as in real analysis, except easier: all your factors are linear. How would you decompose a real valued rational function $\frac{x+1}{p(x)}$ with a degree 4 polynomial function $p$? – Vercassivelaunos Apr 11 '22 at 07:55
  • @Vercassivelaunos so I added above that I would like to find the roots of $z^4+1$ or in your case $p(x)$ – user1294729 Apr 11 '22 at 07:56
  • Maybe not relevant to the actual question, but in your long division you forgot to include the quotient in the equality that you wrote (which is certainly not true as it currently stands). – Hans Lundmark Apr 11 '22 at 08:23
  • @HansLundmark perfect thanks – user1294729 Apr 11 '22 at 08:24
  • OK, but now the remainder has the wrong sign. Anyway, I think this answer should resolve your problem. – Hans Lundmark Apr 11 '22 at 08:25
  • @Vercassivelaunos so I got now that $z^4+1=\left(z+\frac{1+i}{\sqrt{2}}\right)\left(z-\frac{1+i}{\sqrt{2}}\right)\left(z-\frac{1-i}{\sqrt{2}}\right)\left(z+\frac{1-i}{\sqrt{2}}\right)$ right? – user1294729 Apr 11 '22 at 08:26

1 Answers1

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It is easier to leave the roots in symbolic form.

You have already established that $$\frac{z^5 - 1}{z^4 + 1} = z - \frac{z + 1}{z^4 + 1}.$$ Then let the roots of $z^4 + 1 = 0$ be $$r_k = e^{(2k-1) \pi i/4}, \quad k \in \{1, 2, 3, 4\}.$$ We then seek coefficients $A_k \in \mathbb C$ satisfying $$\frac{z + 1}{z^4 + 1} = \sum_{k=1}^4 \frac{A_k}{z - r_k}.$$ To this end we employ the "cover-up" method arising from the fact that when the RHS is expressed over the common denominator $z^4 + 1$, the numerator is the sum $$\sum_{k=1}^4 A_k \prod_{j \ne k} (z - r_j) = A_1 (z - r_2)(z - r_3)(z - r_4) + A_2 (z - r_1)(z-r_3)(z-r_4) + \cdots,$$ where each product of linear factors excludes the factor with $r_k$ as a root. Hence by choosing $z = r_k$ in the above expression for each $k$, we obtain the successive identities $$\begin{align} r_1 + 1 &= A_1(r_1 - r_2)(r_1 - r_3)(r_1 - r_4), \\ r_2 + 1 &= A_2(r_2 - r_1)(r_2 - r_3)(r_2 - r_4), \\ r_3 + 1 &= A_3(r_3 - r_1)(r_3 - r_2)(r_3 - r_4), \\ r_4 + 1 &= A_4(r_4 - r_1)(r_4 - r_2)(r_4 - r_3), \\ \end{align}$$ or more generally, $$r_k + 1 = A_k \prod_{j \ne k} (r_k - r_j),$$ hence $$A_k = \frac{r_k + 1}{\prod_{j \ne k} (r_k - r_j)} = \frac{e^{(2k-1)\pi i/4} + 1}{\prod_{j \ne k} (e^{(2k-1) \pi i/4} - e^{(2j-1) \pi i/4})}.$$ All that remains is to evaluate this expression: for instance, $$A_1 = \frac{e^{\pi i/4} + 1}{(e^{\pi i/4} - e^{3\pi i/4})(e^{\pi i/4} - e^{-\pi i/4})(e^{\pi i/4} - e^{-3\pi i/4})} = \frac{1}{2(1 - \sqrt{2} + i)}.$$ The rest I leave as an exercise.

heropup
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