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G2 Lecture5

1) Stereographic projection maps points on the unit sphere S^2 minus the north pole N to points in the complex plane C in an angle-preserving manner. 2) Identifying points in C with points in S^2 - {N} and the point at infinity with N gives a bijection between the Riemann sphere and the extended complex plane. 3) Under stereographic projection, circles on the Riemann sphere correspond to circles and lines in the complex plane. Great circles correspond to lines of the form α(z^-1) + βz = 0.

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Lân Võ Thành
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71 views

G2 Lecture5

1) Stereographic projection maps points on the unit sphere S^2 minus the north pole N to points in the complex plane C in an angle-preserving manner. 2) Identifying points in C with points in S^2 - {N} and the point at infinity with N gives a bijection between the Riemann sphere and the extended complex plane. 3) Under stereographic projection, circles on the Riemann sphere correspond to circles and lines in the complex plane. Great circles correspond to lines of the form α(z^-1) + βz = 0.

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Lân Võ Thành
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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3.

1 Stereographic Projection and the Riemann Sphere


Definition 52 Let S 2 denote the unit sphere x2 +y 2 +z 2 = 1 in R3 and let N = (0, 0, 1) denote
the "north pole" of S 2 . Given a point M S 2 , other than N, then the line connecting N and
M intersects the xy-plane at a point P . Then stereographic projection is the map
: S 2 {N} C : M 7 P.

Proposition 53 The map is given by


(a, b, c) =
The inverse map is given by
1 (x + iy) =

a + ib
.
1c

(2x, 2y, x2 + y 2 1)
.
1 + x2 + y 2

Proof. Say M = (a, b, c). Then the line connecting M and N can be written parametrically
as
r (t) = (0, 0, 1) + t (a, b, c 1) .
This intersects the xy-plane when 1 + t (z 1) = 0, i.e. when t = (1 z)1 . Hence

a
b
1
=
,
P =r
1c
1c 1c

which is identified with

32

a + ib
C.
1c
MBIUS TRANSFORMATIONS AND THE EXTENDED COMPLEX PLANE

On the other hand, if (a, b, c) = x + iy then


a + ib
= x + iy and a2 + b2 + c2 = 1.
1c
Hence (a ib) / (1 c) = x iy and so

a + ib
1 c2
1+c
a ib
a2 + b2
2
2
2
x +y =
=
=
= 1 +
,
2
2 =
1c
1c
1c
1c
(1 c)
(1 c)
giving

2
=1c
1 + x2 + y 2

and
c=

x2 + y 2 1
.
x2 + y 2 + 1

Then

2 (x + iy)
x2 + y 2 + 1
and we may compare real and imaginary parts for the result.
a + ib =

Definition 54 If we identify, via stereographic projection, points in the complex plane with
points in S 2 {N} and further identify with N then we have a bijection between the extended
and S 2 . Under this identification S 2 is known as the Riemann sphere.
complex plane C
then the antipodal point M corresponds to 1/
Corollary 55 If M corresponds to z C
z.
Proof. Say M = (a, b, c) which corresponds to z = (a + ib) / (1 c). Then M corresponds
to
a ib
w=
.
1+c
Then
a2 b2
c2 1
(a ib) (a ib)
=
=
= 1.
w
z=
(1 c) (1 + c)
1 c2
1 c2
Theorem 56 Circlines in the complex plane correspond to circles on the Riemann sphere and
vice-versa.
Proof. Consider the plane with equation Aa + Bb + Cc = D. This plane will intersect with
S 2 in a circle if A2 + B 2 + C 2 > D2 . Recall that the point corresponding to z = x + iy is
(a, b, c) =

(2x, 2y, x2 + y 2 1)
1 + x2 + y 2

which lies in the plane Aa + Bb + Cc = D if and only if

2Ax + 2By + C x2 + y 2 1 = D 1 + x2 + y 2 .
STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION AND THE RIEMANN SPHERE

33

This can be rewritten as

(C D) x2 + y 2 + 2Ax + 2By + (C D) = 0.

This is the equation of a circle in C if C 6= D. The centre is (A/ (D C) , B/ (D C)) and


the radius is

A2 + B 2 + C 2 D2
.
C D
Furthermore all circles can be written in this form we can see this by setting C D = 1 and
letting A, B, C + D vary arbitrarily. On the other hand if C = D then we have the equation
Ax + By = C
which is the equation of a line and moreover any line can be written in this form. Note that
C = D if and only if N = (0, 0, 1) lies in the plane. So under stereographic projection lines in
the complex plane correspond to circles on S 2 which pass through the north pole.
Corollary 57 The great circles on S 2 correspond to circlines of the form
+ z = 0.
(z
z 1) + z

Proof. The plane makes a great circle on S 2 if and only if the plane contains the origin
i.e. if and only if D = 0. The corresponding x + iy satisfy the equation

2Ax + 2By + C x2 + y 2 1 = 0
If we set = C and = A + iB then the result follows.

Proposition 58 Stereographic projection is conformal (i.e. angle-preserving).


Proof. Without loss of generality we can consider the angle defined by the real axis and an
arbitray line meeting it at the point p R and making an angle . So points on the two lines
can be parametrised as
z = p + t,
z = p + tei ,
where t is real. These points map onto the sphere as

2 (p + t) , 0, (p + t)2 1
2 (p + t cos ) , 2t sin , (p + t cos )2 + t2 sin2 1
r (t) =
,
s (t) =
.
1 + (p + t)2
1 + (p + t cos )2 + t2 sin2
Then
r0 (0) =

(2 (p2 1) , 0, 4p)
,
(1 + p2 )2

s0 (0) =

(2 (p2 1) cos , 2 (1 + p2 ) sin , 4p cos )


.
(p2 + 1)2

So the angle between these tangent vector is given by

2
2
2
4 (p 1) cos + 0 + 16p cos
q
cos = q
4 (p2 1)2 + 16p2 4 (p2 1)2 cos2 + 4 (1 + p2 )2 sin2 + 16p2 cos2
2

4 (p2 + 1) cos
=
{2 (p2 + 1)} {2 (p2 + 1)}
= cos .

Hence stereographic projection is conformal as required.


34

MBIUS TRANSFORMATIONS AND THE EXTENDED COMPLEX PLANE

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