Functions of complex variables

𝑧 can stand for any one of a set of complex numbers and is called a complex variable.

If to each value which a complex variable z can assume, there corresponds one or more
values of a complex variable w, then we say that w is a function of z

𝑤 = 𝑓(𝑧)

For example the value of a function at 𝑧 = 𝑎 𝑖𝑓 𝑓(𝑎)

If 𝑓(𝑧) = 𝑧 2 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑧 = 2𝑖 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑓(𝑧) = 𝑧 2 = (2𝑖)2 = −4

Types of other common functions

1. Polynomial functions, defined by 𝑤 = 𝑎0 𝑧 𝑛 + 𝑎1 𝑧 𝑛−1 + ⋯ + 𝑎𝑛−1 𝑧 + 𝑎𝑛

2. Exponential functions defined by 𝑒 𝑥+𝑖𝑦 = 𝑒 𝑥 (cos 𝑦 + 𝑖 sin 𝑦)
3. Trigonometric functions
4. Hyperbolic functions defined by
𝑒 𝑧 −𝑒 −𝑧
i. sinh 𝑧 = 2
𝑒 𝑧 +𝑒 −𝑧
ii. cosh 𝑧 = 2
1
iii. sech 𝑧 = cosh 𝑧
1
iv. csch 𝑧 = sinh 𝑧

Derivative of complex functions

The derivative of a complex function of 𝑓(𝑧) 𝑎𝑡 𝑧0 is defined as
𝑑𝑓(𝑧) 𝑓(𝑧0 + ∆𝑧) − 𝑓(𝑧0 )
= 𝑓 𝐼 (𝑍0 ) = lim
𝑑𝑧 ∆𝑍→0 ∆𝑧
Theorems of derivatives
𝒅 𝒅𝒖(𝒙) 𝒅𝒗(𝒙)
1. (𝒖(𝒙) + 𝒗(𝒙)) = +
𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒙
𝒅 𝒅𝒇(𝒙)
2. (𝜸𝒇(𝒙)) = 𝜸 , 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝜸 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕
𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒙
𝒅 𝒅𝒗 𝒅𝒖
3. (𝒖𝒗) = 𝒖 + 𝒗 𝒅𝒙 → 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆
𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒙
𝒅𝒖 𝒅𝒗
𝒅 𝒖 𝒗 −𝒖
4. ( )= 𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒙
→ 𝒒𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆
𝒅𝒙 𝒗 𝒗𝟐
𝒅𝒘 𝒅𝒘 𝒅𝒖
5. = . → 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆
𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒖 𝒅𝒙
𝒅 𝒅𝒖
6. 𝒏
{𝒖 } = 𝒏𝒖𝒏−𝟏 𝒅𝒙
𝒅𝒙
 The Cauchy Riemann equations

If a function 𝑓(𝑧) = 𝑢 + 𝑖𝑣 is complex differentiable, then its real and

imaginary parts satisfy the equations

𝝏𝒗 𝝏𝒖
=−
𝝏𝒙 𝝏𝒚

𝝏𝒖 𝝏𝒗
=
𝝏𝒙 𝝏𝒚

These equations are called CR equations.( students to derive these

equations)
Note
i. The CR equations are necessary for the existence of derivatives of
𝑑𝑓
𝑓(𝑧) 𝑖. 𝑒 𝑖𝑓𝑓 𝐶𝑅 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑑
𝑑𝑧
ii. Conversely, if CR conditions are satisfied and the partial
derivatives of 𝑢(𝑥, 𝑦) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑣(𝑥. 𝑦) are continuous, the derivatives
𝑑𝑓(𝑧)
exists.
𝑑𝑧
𝑑𝑓
iii. Moreover, the complex derivatives 𝑓 𝐼 (𝑧) = is then given by
𝑑𝑧
𝒅𝒇 𝝏𝒖 𝝏𝒗 𝝏𝒗 𝝏𝒖
𝒇𝑰 (𝒛) = = +𝒊 = −𝒊
𝒅𝒛 𝝏𝒙 𝝏𝒙 𝝏𝒚 𝝏𝒚

ANALYTIC FUNCTIONS

If a function 𝑓(𝑧) = 𝑢 + 𝑖𝑣 is differentiable at 𝑧 = 𝑧0 and in some small

region around 𝑧0 , we say that 𝑓(𝑧) is analytic at 𝑧 = 𝑧0.

Analyticity in modern Physics is used in dispersion theory of

elementary particles.

Example

𝒅𝒇(𝑧∗ )
1. If 𝑧 = 𝑥 + 𝑖𝑦 then find
𝒅𝒛
𝒅𝒇(𝑧)
2. If 𝒇(𝒛) = 𝒆𝒙 (𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝒚 + 𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝒚). Find .
𝒅𝒛
𝒅𝒇(𝑧)
3. Let 𝒇(𝒛) = 𝒛𝟐, show that 𝒇(𝒛) is analytic hence find .
𝒅𝒛
 Harmonic functions
Let 𝒇(𝒛) = 𝒖 + 𝒊𝒗 be analytic, and assume that u and v have partial
derivatives of order 2. Then using the CR equations and equality of
mixed partials we have,
𝜕 2𝑢 𝜕 𝜕𝑢 𝜕 𝜕𝑣 𝜕 𝜕𝑣 𝜕 𝜕𝑢 𝜕 2𝑢
= { }= { }= { }=− { }=− 2
𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑦

In other words

𝜕 2𝑢 𝜕 2𝑢
+ =0
𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑦 2
This is the 2nd order partial differential equation and solutions of it are
called harmonic functions. This means that the function u that satisfies
the above equation is said to be harmonic.
𝜕 2𝑢 𝜕 2𝑢
+ = ∇2 = 𝑙𝑎𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟
𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑦 2
Example
1
Show that 𝑢 = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) = is harmonic/ satisfies Laplaces
√𝑥 2 +𝑦2 +𝑧 2
partial differential equation.