Complex Analysis

Homework 2
Due Date: 14/10/2024

Instructions (if any) Instructions: Please show all your work clearly. You may ask the
tutor and discuss questions with other students, but the solution must be written in your
own words. Be sure to cite any sources that helped with your solutions (no points will be
deducted).

Let Log denote the principle branch of logarithm.

1: Let CR be the circle |z| = R (R > 1), described in the counterclockwise direction.
Show that Z  
Logz π + ln R
2
dz ≤ 2π ,
CR z R
and conclude that the integral tends to zero as R → ∞.

Solution: Let CR be the circle of radius R > 1, taken counterclockwise. Let Logz =
ln |z| + iθ be principal branch of logarithm (i.e. −π < θ < π).
We parameterize the curve CR by
z(t) = Reit
where −π < t < π. Thus, using the Lemma in section 47,
Z Z π
Logz Logz(t) 0
2
dz = 2
z (t)dt
CR z −π z(t)
Z π
Logz(t) 0
≤ |z (t)|dt
−π z(t)2
Z π
| ln R + it|
= · Rdt
−π R2
Z π
ln R + |t|
≤ dt
−π R
Z 0 Z π
ln R − t ln R + t
= dt + dt
−π R 0 R
0 π
ln Rt − t2 /2 ln Rt + t2 /2
  
= +
R −π R 0
π ln R + π 2 /2 π ln R + π 2 /2
= +
R R
2π(ln R + π/2)
= .
R
Note that we have obtained a better inequality than what is stated in the problem
Z
Logz 2π(ln R + π/2) 2π(ln R + π)
2
dz ≤ < .
CR z R R

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Complex Analysis

2: (a) Let f and g be holomorphic functions on open sets U and V , respectively. Suppose
the image f (U ) ⊂ V . Then show that the composition g ◦ f : U → C is a holomorphic
function on U , and derive the chain rule for (g ◦ f )0 .
(b) Using a suitable branch of the logarithm, define the holomorphic function
r
1−z
h(z) =
1+z
defined over the domain U = C \ [−1, 1].
(c) Find the derivative h(z) on the open set U .
(d) Show that for all R > 1
Z
dz
√ = 0,
2
CR (1 + z) 1 − z
√
where 1 − z 2 is defined using the same branch of logarithm as in part (b).
Solution: (a) Hints: Since f is holomorphic in U , then for any fixed point z0 ∈ U ,
there exist a ball of radius r such that B(z0 , r) ⊂ U . Then we get a sequence an → 0
as n → ∞ such that z0 + an ∈ B(z0 , r). We have to show

g(f (z0 + an )) − g(f (z0 ))

lim
n→∞ an
exists and equal to g 0 (f (z0 ))f 0 (z0 ). Consider carefully the existence of the limit of the
product

g(f (z0 + an )) − g(f (z0 )) f (z0 + an ) − f (z0 )

f (z0 + an ) − f (z0 ) an

to conclude the result.

(b),(c) We can verify that for z ∈ U , the function 1−z
1+z
6∈ R≥0 . We can choose a branch
of logarithm with branch cut along R≥0 to define a holomorphic function h(z). Then
we directly differentiate h(z).
(d) We consider the fact h0 (z) = h(z)/(1 − z 2 ) is holomorphic in U .

3: Let C be the half unit circle joining 1 + i to 1 − i clockwise. By direct parametrization,

calculate the integral
√
Z
z − 1 dz,
C
where the principal branch of the square root is used for the integrand.
Solution: The unit half circle is centered at 1. We write z − 1 = eit with t going from
π/2 to −π/2. By the definition in class we have
√
 
1
z − 1 = exp Log(z − 1)
2

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Complex Analysis

where Log is the principal branch of the logarithm. We therefore have

√
z − 1 = exp(it/2), dz = ieit dt

and the integral becomes

Z −π/2
√ π/2
Z Z
2
z − 1 dz = it/2 it
e · ie dt = −i e3it/2 dt = − (e3πi/4 − e−3πi/4 )
C π/2 −π/2 3
√
4i 3π 2 2i
= − · sin =− .
3 4 3

4: Assume that f (z) = c `k=1 (z − ak )mk is a polynomial with roots at a1 , . . . , ak with

Q
multiplicities m1 , m2 , . . . , mk . Show that for any closed loop γ avoiding a1 , . . . , ak we
have
Z 0 `
1 f (z) X
dz = mk · n(γ, ak ).
2πi γ f (z) k=1

In particular, if R is sufficiently large, and γ(t) = Reit for 0 ≤ t ≤ 2π, show that

f 0 (z)
Z
1
dz = deg(f ).
2πi γ f (z)

Solution: If h = f g then by direct computation we see that

h0 f 0g + f g0 f 0 g0
= = + .
h fg f g
Applying this repeatedly to
k
Y
f (z) = c (z − a` )m`
`=1

we find
k
f 0 X m`
= .
f `=1
z − a`
Therefore
` k
f 0 (z)
Z Z
1 X 1 dz X
dz = m` · = m` · n(γ, a` ).
2πi γ f (z) k=1
2πi γ z − ak `=1

If f is a polynomial with roots a1 , . . . , a` and R > max(|a` |) we see that letting γ be

the circle |z| = R we have n(γ, a` ) = 1. Thus
k
f 0 (z)
Z
1 X
dz = m` = deg f.
2πi γ f (z) `=1

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Complex Analysis

5: Calculate the following integrals using the local form of Cauchy’s integral formula:

ez
Z
(i) 2
dz
|z|=2 (z − 1)(z − 3)
Z
sin z
(ii) dz
|z|=2 z + i

ez
Z
(iii) 3
dz
|z|=1 (z − 2)

6: (Conway IV.2.2) Prove the following analogue of Leibniz’s rule.

Let G be an open set and let γ be a piecewise C 1 curve in C. Suppose that ϕ :
{γ} × G → C is a continuous function and define g : G → C by
Z
g(z) = ϕ(w, z) dw
γ

∂ϕ
then g is continuous. If ∂z
exists for each (w, z) ∈ {γ} × G and is continuous, then g
is holomorphic and
Z
0 ∂ϕ
g (z) = (w, z) dw.
γ ∂z

Let G be an open set and γ be a C 1 loop in G. Suppose φ : {γ} × G → C is a

continuous function and define g : G → C by
Z
g(z) = φ(w, z)dw.
γ

• g is a continuous function : Let ` = L(γ) be the length of the loop γ. For any
 > 0, we can find δ > 0 such that for any h ∈ ∆(0, δ),

|φ(w, z + h) − φ(w, z)| < ,
`
for all w ∈ γ. Here we are using compactness of γ.
Therefore for any h ∈ ∆(0, δ),
Z  
|g(z + h) − g(z)| = φ(w, z + h) − φ(w, z) dw
γ

< · L(γ) = .
`
∂φ
If ∂z
exists for each (w, z) ∈ {γ} × G and is continuous then

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Complex Analysis

• g is analytic and g 0 (z) = γ ∂φ

R
∂z
(w, z)dw : Using the previous part, we know that
R ∂φ
f (z) := γ ∂z (w, z)dw is a continuous function, therefore it is enough to show that
 
g(z + h) − g(z)
lim − f (z) = 0.
h→0 h
∂φ
Let us denote φ2 = ∂z
(w, z). Given  > 0, there exist δ > 0 such that for |h| < δ
Z 1

φ2 (w, z + th) − φ2 (w, z)dt <
0 `

for all w ∈ γ. Here we are again using the fact that γ and [0, 1] are compact sets
(in particular continuity implies uniform continuity).
d φ(w,z+th)
Note that dt h
= φ2 (w, z + th), thus
1
φ(w, z + h) − φ(w, z)
Z
φ2 (w, z + th) − φ2 (w, z)dt = − φ2 (w, z).
0 h

Therefore, for |h| < δ,

Z  
g(z + h) − g(z) φ(w, z + h) − φ(w, z)
− f (z) = − φ2 (w, z) dw
h γ h

< L(γ) = .
`