When I try to do this:
(%i1) declare (z, complex);
(%o1) done
(%i2) eq1: z^3 + 3 * %i * conjugate(z) = 0;
3
(%o2) 3 %i conjugate(z) + z = 0
(%i3) solve(eq1, z);
1/6 5/6 1/3 1/3
(- 1) (3 %i - 3 ) conjugate(z)
(%o3) [z = - -----------------------------------------,
2
1/6 5/6 1/3 1/3
(- 1) (3 %i + 3 ) conjugate(z)
z = -----------------------------------------,
2
1/6 1/3 1/3
z = - (- 1) 3 conjugate(z) ]
conjugates are not simplified. And the solution for z in terms of z isn't very useful. Is there a way to simplify it?
Also, how can I simplify out the (-1)^(1/6) part?
Also, this equation clearly has 0 as its root, but it's not in the solution set, why?
I don't think solve knows anything about conjugate. Try this to solve it with the real and imaginary parts of z as two variables. Like this:
(%i2) declare ([zr, zi], real) $
(%i3) z : zr + %i*zi $
(%i4) eq1: z^3 + 3 * %i * conjugate(z) = 0;
(%o4) (zr+%i*zi)^3+3*%i*(zr-%i*zi) = 0
(%i5) solve (eq1, [zr, zi]);
(%o5) [[zr = %r1,
zi = (sqrt(9*%r1^2-%i)+3*%r1)^(1/3)-%i/(sqrt(9*%r1^2-%i)+3*%r1)^(1/3)
+%i*%r1],
[zr = %r2,
zi = ((sqrt(3)*%i)/2-1/2)*(sqrt(9*%r2^2-%i)+3*%r2)^(1/3)
-(%i*((-(sqrt(3)*%i)/2)-1/2))/(sqrt(9*%r2^2-%i)+3*%r2)^(1/3)
+%i*%r2],
[zr = %r3,
zi = ((-(sqrt(3)*%i)/2)-1/2)*(sqrt(9*%r3^2-%i)+3*%r3)^(1/3)
-(%i*((sqrt(3)*%i)/2-1/2))/(sqrt(9*%r3^2-%i)+3*%r3)^(1/3)+%i*%r3]]
Note the variables%r1, %r2, and %r3 in the solution. These represent arbitrary values.