Tell me more ×
Mathematics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people studying math at any level and professionals in related fields. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote -4 down vote favorite

What is a primitive nth root of unity?

share|improve this question
10  
Try: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primitive_nth_root_of_unity If there is a specific point that is unclear, perhaps you could edit your question to reflect a point you find confusing, that way you can get a better response. – WWright Dec 8 '10 at 23:07
Where did you heard about it? – AD. Dec 9 '10 at 6:22
I would not understand an up-vote, however I do not understand the down-votes either... – AD. Dec 9 '10 at 6:25
No worries on the points. Ill try to ask better questions. – Jason Smith Dec 9 '10 at 21:17

1 Answer

up vote 4 down vote accepted

Wikipedia says:

An nth root of unity, where n = 1,2,3,··· is a positive integer, is a complex number z satisfying the equation

$z^n = 1$.

An nth root of unity is primitive if it is not a kth root of unity for some smaller k: $z^k \neq 1 (k = 1, 2, 3, \ldots, n-1 )$

share|improve this answer

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.