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Notes For 110.311 - Complex Analysis: 1 Contour Integration

This document summarizes key points from a lecture on contour integration and hints at Cauchy's integral theorem: 1) Contour integrals over closed paths of analytic functions yield zero. Non-analytic functions like Im(z) may yield non-zero integrals. 2) Cauchy's theorem states that contour integrals of analytic functions over closed paths in their domain of analyticity are zero. 3) The independence of path theorem says contour integrals depend only on the initial and final points of the contour if the contour lies in the domain of analyticity. Antiderivatives along different paths within a contour may differ by a constant.

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92 views4 pages

Notes For 110.311 - Complex Analysis: 1 Contour Integration

This document summarizes key points from a lecture on contour integration and hints at Cauchy's integral theorem: 1) Contour integrals over closed paths of analytic functions yield zero. Non-analytic functions like Im(z) may yield non-zero integrals. 2) Cauchy's theorem states that contour integrals of analytic functions over closed paths in their domain of analyticity are zero. 3) The independence of path theorem says contour integrals depend only on the initial and final points of the contour if the contour lies in the domain of analyticity. Antiderivatives along different paths within a contour may differ by a constant.

Uploaded by

Joe Bloe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Notes for 110.

311 Complex Analysis


10th Lecture
6 October 2015
Abstract
We continue our discussion on contour integration in this lecture and begin hinting at Cauchys integral
theorem.

1
1.1

Contour Integration
Introduction

In the last lecture before the midterm we discussed the basics of contour integration, namely that for some
R
Rb
function f (z) and contour , f (z) dz = a f (z(t)) z 0 (t) dt, and if an entire contour comprises 1 , . . . n ,
R
Pn R
then f (z) dz = i=1 i f (z) dz.
R
Example 1: z 2 dz, = |z 1| = 1, twice around the circle, counterclockwise
Firstly it is clear that |z 1| = 1 signifies a circle of radius 1 centered at 1. As we wish to go twice around
this circle counterclockwise, then the parametrization for this contour is
: z(t) = 1 + eit ,

0 t 4,

z 0 (t) = ieit .

We now integrate:
Z

z 2 dt =

1 + eit

2

ieit dt

0
4

i eit + 2e2it + e3it

dt

 4

e3it
it
2it
=i e +e +
,
3
0
R 2
but each exponential has the same value at 4 and 0, so z dz = 0.
R
Example 2: z 2 dz, where is the right half of the circle |z| = 3, negatively oriented
Referring to Figure 1, we see that comprises two contours 1 , 2 , with parametrizations

t , z 0 (t) = 3ieit
2
2
3 t 3, z 0 (t) = i

1 : z(t) = 3eit ,
2 : z(t) = it,

We then find that


Z

z dz =

Z
=

9e2it 3ieit

dt

27ie3it dt

= 9e

2

3
3
2 i 9e 2 i
= 9e

3it

= 18i.
1

For 2 ,
Z

z 2 dt =


t2 i dt

3
it3
=
= 9i 9i
3 3
= 18i.
3i
1

3i

Figure 1: Contours 1 and 2 for Example 2.


Thus this contour
integral evaluates to 18i 18i = 0, just as in the first example. Whats going on here?
R
Weve found zH2 dz over two different closed contours and each integral yielded zero. What we could say
thus far is that z 2 dt = 0 for any closed contour. This is not a coincidence, but a small part of a larger
picture, as well see later.
R
Example 3: Im z dz, = |z 1| = 1
We have
: z(t) = 1 + eit , 0 t 2, z 0 (t) = ieit ,
and Im z(t) = sin t =

eit eit
,
2i

so
Z

Z
Im z dz =

eit eit it
ie dt
2i

e2it 1
dt
2
0
 2it
 2
2
e
t
=
=

4i
2
2
Z

= .
Clearly something is going on now with Im z, we get a nonzero answer over a closed contour.
R z
Example 4: z1
dz, = |z 1| = 1
The parametrization is
: z(t) = 1 + eit , 0 t 2, z 0 (t) = ieit ,
so

z
z1

1+eit
eit

= eit + 1 and
Z

z
dz =
z1


eit + 1 ieit dt

i + ieit

dt


 2
= it + eit = 2i + 1 (0 + 1)
0

= 2i.
2

R
We begin to see whats at work here. In Example 3 Im z dz gave a nonzero answer; here too we achieve
z
z
a nonzero answer. Note that Im z and z1
are not entire functions: Im z is nowhere analytic and z1
is
2
not analytic at z = 1. For Examples 1 and 2, we used the same analytic function z over two different
contours
and acquired a contour integral equal to zero each time. We can now ask, Under what conditions
R
is f (z) dz = 0 true?
Theorem 1 (Fundamental Theorem of Calculus in C). If D is a domain and f (z) has antiderivative F (z)
on D, i.e. F 0 (z) = f (z), z D, then any contour in D with starting point z0 and ending point z1
satisfies
Z
f (z) dz = F (z1 ) F (z0 ).

In particular, if is a closed contour then


Proof. From calculus,
P R
i i f (z) dz.

f (z) dz =

Rb
a

f (z) dz = 0.
0

F (z(t))z (t) dt =

Rb

d
F (z(t))
a dt

b

R
P
dt = F (z(t)) , and for = i i , f (z) dz =
a

The theorem above essentially states that analytic functions over closed contours have integrals that evaluate
to zero, while functions not analytic at a certain point may not have integrals that evaluate to zero over the
same contour.

1.2

Hinting at Cauchys Theorem

We begin with an example.


R
z
Example 5: {|z4|=1} z1
dz = 0
The contour in this example is the circle of radius 1 centered at 4; to show this integral equates to zero,
z
1
we write z1
= 1 + z1
, so its antiderivative is z + Log(z 1). This function is analytic over the domain
z
C \ (, 1] and the circle {|z 4| = 1} is within this domain, so f (z) = z1
is analytic over this contour
and thus the theorem says this curve is zero.
R
z
dz is not zero as the circle {|z 1| = 1} is not in the domain of analyticity as indicated in the
{|z1|=1} z1
example above (intersects ray of this domain at z = 0; see Figure 2). The theorem does not apply as the
domain of any branch of Log z(t) does not contain this circle.
|z 1| = 1

Figure 2: The intersection between the circle {|z 1| = 1} and the ray (, 1].
Example 6:

R z
Consider z1
dz where =

1 : z(t) = 4 + eit , 0 t
. The antiderivative of f (z)
2 : z(t) = t2 1 + i(t + 2), 2 t 0
in the domain C \ (, 1] is z + Log(z 1); begins at z = 5 = 4 + ei0 and finishes at z = 1 + 2i =
02 1 + i(0 + 2), which doesnt intersect the ray (, 1]; Figure 3 shows this contour. The integral is then
1+2i

(z + Log(z 1))
= 6 + 2i + Log(2 + 2i) Log(4)
5

3
= 6 + 2i + Log(2 2) +
i Log(4)
4
1
3
= Log 2 +
i 6 + 2i.
2
4
3

Figure 3: Contour for Example 6; the red ray indicates the ray (, 1].

Example 7:
R
Let |za| = r be any circle centered at a and positively oriented. Find {|za|=r} (za)n dz n z; if n 6= 1,
R
n+1
is an antiderivative on {z 6= a}, which contains the circle. Thus {|za|=r} (z a)n dz = 0.
then (za)
n+1
R
R
R
For the integral {|za|=r} (z a)1 dz, this integral becomes 1 + 2 , where 1 is the semicircle to the
right from a ri to a + ri and 2 is the semicircle to the left from a + ri to a ri.1 lies in the domain
1
; then
D1 = {z a 6 (, 0]} on which Log(z a) is an antiderivative of za
Z
1

1
dz = Log(ri) Log(ri)
za
= Log |ri| + i Arg(ri) Log | ri| i Arg(ri)
 
=i
= i.
2
2

To find the second integral, we need to evaluate along another branch of Log(za) on domain {za 6 [0, )};
see Figure 4 for a visual explanation.
We thus find this second part to be i due to symmetry, and thus the
R
1
entire contour integral is {|za|=r} za
dz = 2i.

ri
1
a
2
ri
Figure 4: Contours used in Example 7; the corresponding colors denote the ray to be avoided during
integration.

1.3

The Independence of Path

Theorem 2. For some function f (z) and domain D, the following are equivalent:
1. f has antiderivative on D
R
2. f (z) dz = 0 closed contours in D
R
3. f (z) dz depends only on the initial and final point of as long as D.
The antiderivative along any path taken in a given contour is not unique, and the antiderivatives along
certain paths must differ by a constant.

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