I'm trying to prove that if z=cis(2π/n)=cos(2π/n)+isin(2π/n), that is, z is a primitive n-th root of unity, for any integer n≥2, 1+z+z2+⋯+zn−1=0. I've already come across a nice and concise proof here, and that same link also has a comment pointing out that it's just a geometric sum which can be expressed as 1−cisn(2π/n)1−cis(2π/n) which is just 0 in the numerator. However, I was wondering if I could do it just using trig functions. It's an inefficient way of proving it, but I was fixated on this approach for so long I was wondering if someone knew how to do it.
Proving that the imaginary part is 0 is easy- you just use the identity sin(a)+sin(b)=2sin(a+b2)sin(a−b2) and for each integer j where $0< j
This same approach doesn't work for the real part- using the identity cos(a)+cos(b)=2cos(a+b2)cos(a−b2), and adding the same pairs gets 2cos(2π)cos(2π(n−2j)/n)=2cos(2π(n−2j)/n) so this gets 1+2∑⌊n/2⌋j=1cos(2π(n−2j)/n) with cos(π/n)=−1 added if n is even. Then I need to show that that sum is 0 if n is even and −1/2 if n is odd. Is there a clean way of doing this? The only thing I can think to do is repeat the sum of cos identity, and that doesn't seem too helpful.
Answer
Use the identity n−1∑m=0cos(mx+y)=cos(n−12x+y)sin(n2x)sin(x2)
and evaluate where x=2π/n and y=0 to deduce that the real part is zero.
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