Conjugates in math are extremely helpful when we want to rationalize radical expressions and complex numbers. Two binomials are conjugates when they have the same terms but opposite signs in the middle.

Why are conjugates important?

The utility of the conjugate is that any complex number multiplied by its complex conjugate is a real number: This operation has practical utility for the rationalization of complex numbers and the square root of the number times its conjugate is the magnitude of the complex number when expressed in polar form.

Why are conjugates important in math?

Why is understanding conjugates so important? Because you will use this process in solving trig identities, evaluating limits, and complex solutions. In fact, the way we find the purely real number from a complex value is to use a complex conjugate.