If $\displaystyle |Z - \frac {4}{Z}| = 2$, then the maximum value of $\displaystyle |Z|$ is equal to
- $\displaystyle \sqrt 5 + 1$
-
2
- $\displaystyle 2 + \sqrt 2$
- $\displaystyle \sqrt 3 + 1$
We have for any two complex numbers $\displaystyle \alpha$ and $\displaystyle \beta$
$\displaystyle ||\alpha|| \leq |\alpha - \beta|$
Now $\displaystyle ||Z|-|\frac {4}{|Z|}||\leq|Z-\frac {4}{Z}|$
$\displaystyle \Rightarrow |Z| - \frac {4}{|Z|}|\leq 2$
Set $\displaystyle |Z| = r > 0$, then $\displaystyle |r-\frac {4}{r}|\leq 2$
$\displaystyle \Rightarrow -2 \leq r - \frac {4}{r} \leq 2$
The left inequality gives
$\displaystyle r^2 + 2r - 4 \geq 0$
The corresponding roots are
$\displaystyle r = \frac {-2\pm \sqrt {20}}{2} = -1 \pm \sqrt 5$
Thus $\displaystyle r \geq \sqrt 5 - 1$ or $\displaystyle r \leq -1 - \sqrt 5$
implies that $\displaystyle r \geq \sqrt 5 - 1$ (As r > 0) ... (i)
Again consider the right inequality
$\displaystyle r - \frac {4}{r} \leq 2 \Rightarrow r^2 - 2 r - 4 \leq 0$
The corresponding roots are
$\displaystyle r = \frac {2 \pm \sqrt {20}}{2} = 1 \pm \sqrt 5$
Thus $\displaystyle 1 - \sqrt 5 \leq r \leq 1 + \sqrt 5$
But r > 0, hence $\displaystyle r \leq 1 + \sqrt 5$ .... (ii)
(i) and (ii) gives
$\displaystyle \sqrt 5 - 1 \leq r \leq \sqrt 5 + 1$
So, the greatest value is $\displaystyle \sqrt 5 + 1$.