Recently I asked a question regarding the diophantine equation $x^2+y^2=z^n$ for $x, y, z, n \in \mathbb{N}$, which to my surprise was answered with the help complex numbers. I find it fascinating that for a question which only concerns integers, and whose answers can only be integers, such an elegant solution comes from the seemingly unrelated complex numbers - looking only at the question and solution one would never suspect that complex numbers were lurking behind the curtain!
Can anyone give some more examples where a problem which seems to deal entirely with real numbers can be solved using complex numbers behind the scenes? One other example which springs to mind for me is solving a homogeneous second order differential equation whose coefficients form a quadratic with complex roots, which in some cases gives real solutions for real coefficients but requires complex arithmetic to calculate.
(If anyone is interested, the original question I asked can be found here: $x^2+y^2=z^n$: Find solutions without Pythagoras!)
EDIT:
I just wanted to thank everyone for all the great answers! I'm working my way through all of them, although some are beyond me for now!