de Moivre's formula

English

Etymology

Named after Abraham de Moivre (1667–1754), French mathematician.

Proper noun

de Moivre's formula

1. (mathematics) A formula that connects trigonometry and complex numbers, stating that, for any complex number (and, in particular, for any real number) x and integer n, ${\big (}\cos(x)+i\sin(x){\big )}^{n}=\cos(nx)+i\sin(nx),$ where i is the imaginary unit.

Synonyms

• de Moivre's identity
• de Moivre's theorem