Module 3: Laurent Series

Dr. T. Phaneendra

January 4, 2019

1 Singularities

Definition 1.1 (Singularity). A singularity of a function w = f ( z) is a point

z0 at which f is not analytic, but is analytic at some point in every neighbor-
hood of z0 .

Definition 1.2 (Isolated singularity). A singularity z0 such that f is ana-

lytic at all points of some deleted neighborhood N ( z0 ) − { z0 } of z0 .

Example 1.1. Let f ( z) = 1/ z for all z ∈ C. Then f is analytic at all points of

the complex plane except at z = 0, and hence z = 0 is an singularity of f .

Example 1.2. The origin z = 0 is an isolated singularity of f ( z) = sin z/ z4 .

Example 1.3. The function f ( z) = 1/( z2 + 1) is analytic at all points of the

complex plane except at z = ± i , and hence z = ± i are isolated singularities.

Example 1.4. For f ( z) = 1/ sin(π/ z), the singularities are z = 0, ±1, ±1/2,
±1/3, ... which lie on the real axis from z = −1 to z = 1. Each z = 1/ n is
an isolated singularity. But z = 0 is not an isolated singularity, since every
deleted neighborhood of it contains infinitely many singularities 1/ n other
than itself.

Example 1.5. The functions f ( z) = | z|2 and g( z) = | z| are nowhere analytic

and hence the criterion of singularity is not satisfied at any point of the
complex plane. Thus they do not have singularities.

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CVPDE (MAT3003) Module 3

2 Laurent Series about an Isolated Singularity

Let f ( z) be analytic in the annulus 0 < r ≤ | z − z0 | ≤ R , where z0 is an isolated

singularity of f . Then the Laurent series of f about z0 is given by

∞ ∞ ∞
a n ( z − z0 ) n = a −n ( z − z0 )−n + a n ( z − z0 ) n
P P P
f ( z) = (2.1)
n=−∞ n=1 n=0
| {z } | {z }
Principal Part Analytic Part

where a0n s are called the coefficients of the series.

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The coefficient a −1 of the first negative power z − z0 in the expansion (2.1)
about is known as the residue of f at z = z0 , and is denoted by Res ( f ; z0 ).
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Example 2.1. Consider f ( z) = z2 (1− z)
for all z. Then z = 0 and 1 are its
isolated singularities. We wish to find a Laurent’s series of f about z = 0 in
the regions R 1 : 0 < | z| < 1 and R 2 : | z| > 1.

(a) On R 1 : 0 < | z| < 1, we see that

∞ ∞
1 1
zn = z n−2 = 1
+ 1z + 1 + z + z2 + · · ·
P P
z2 (1− z)
= z2 z2
n=0 n=0

Note that Res (f ;0) = the coefficient of 1/ z in the Laurent series = 1

(b) On R 2 : | z| > 1, we have ¯ 1z ¯ < 1. Therefore,

¯ ¯

¢−1 ∞ ¡ ¢n ∞ ¡ ¢ n+3
1
= − z13 1 − 1z = − z13 1 1
= − z13 − z14 − z15 − · · ·
¡ P P
z2 (1− z) z = − z
n=0 n=0

Now Res (f ;0) = the coefficient of 1/ z in the Laurent series =0

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Exercise 2.1. What is the Laurent series of f ( z) = (z+1)(z−2) ; about z = 0,
which converges on the domain 1 < | z| < 2?
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Exercise 2.2. Find the Laurent series of f ( z) = z(z+5) ; about the origin,
which converge on the domains 0 < | z| < 5 and | z| > 5

Dr. T. Phaneendra 2 511, A10, SJT

CVPDE (MAT3003) Module 3

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Example 2.2. Consider f ( z) = z2 (1− z)
for all z of previous example. We find
a Laurent’s series of f about z = 1, which is convergent on an appropriate
domain R . Let z − 1 = u. Then

∞ ∞
1
= − (u+11)2 u = − u1 (1 + u)−2 = − u1 (−1)n ( n + 1) u n = (−1)n+1 ( n + 1) u n−1 ,
P P
z2 (1− z)
n=0 n=0

which converges on 0 < | u| < 1. Thus the Laurent series of f about z = 1 is

∞
( n + 1)(−1)n+1 ( z − 1)n−1
P
f ( z) =
n=0

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Example 2.3. Consider f ( z) = z(1− z) for all z. We find a Laurent’s series of
f about z = 1, which is convergent on the domain R : | z − 1| < 1. Let z − 1 = u.
Then
∞ ∞
1
= − (u+11)2 u = − u1 (1 + u)−2 = − u1 (−1)n ( n + 1) u n = (−1)n+1 ( n + 1) u n−1 ,
X P
z2 (1− z)
n=0 n=0

which converges on R : | u| < 1. Thus the Laurent series of f about z = 1 is

∞
( n + 1)(−1)n+1 ( z − 1)n−1
P
f ( z) =
n=0

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Exercise 2.3. What is the Laurent series of f ( z) = z(z+2) about z = −2,
which is convergent on the domain | z + 1| > 1?
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Exercise 2.4. What is the Laurent series of f ( z) = z2 +4
; about z = 2i, which
is valid on the domain | z − 2i| > 3?
z+4
Exercise 2.5. Find the Laurent series of f ( z) = z2 (z2 +3z+2)
; about z = −1,
which is valid on the domain 0 < | z + 1| < 1

3 Laurent Series about a Point of Analyticity in an Annulus

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Example 3.1. Suppose we need the Laurent series of f ( z) = z(1− z) about
z = 2 in the region R : 1 < | z − 2| < 2. Note that R does not contain these

Dr. T. Phaneendra 3 511, A10, SJT

CVPDE (MAT3003) Module 3

singularities. Also, f is analytic at z = 2 which lies in the R . Still, we can

develop a Laurent series as follows:
Let w = z − 2. Then f ( z) = (w+2)(1−1−w) = 2−1w − w1+1 .

¯1¯
¯ < 1 and ¯ w ¯ < 1. Therefore,
¯ ¯
Now, in the region R : 1 < |w| < 2, we see that ¯ w 2
the Laurent series about z = 2 is given by:

∞ ¡ ¢n ∞
1 −1
¢−1 1 ¡ ¡ 1 ¢n
f ( z) = 2−1w − w1+1 = 12 · 1 − w = 12 w 1 P
(−1)n w
¡ ¢ P
2 − w 1+ w 2 −w
n=0 n=0
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
wn n+1 1 n+1 (z−2)n (−1)n+1
P P ¡ ¢ P P
= 2n+1
+ (−1) w = 2n+1
+ (z−2)n+1
n=0 n=0 n=0 n=0

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Exercise 3.1. What is the Laurent series of f ( z) = z(z+2) about z = −1,
which is convergent on the domain 1 < | z − 1| < 3?
z2
Exercise 3.2. Find the Laurent series of f ( z) = z2 −3z+2
; about z = −1, which
are valid on the domains 1 < | z| < 2 and 1 < | z − 3| < 2
z2
Exercise 3.3. Find the Laurent series of f ( z) = z2 −3z+2
; about the origin,
which is valid on the region 1 < | z| < 2.
z
Exercise 3.4. Find the Laurent series of f ( z) = (z−1)(z−3) ; about the origin,
which is valid on the region 1 < | z| < 3.
z−1
Exercise 3.5. Find the Laurent series of f ( z) = z2
, which is valid on the
region | z − 1| > 1.

Dr. T. Phaneendra 4 511, A10, SJT