12/13/2020

COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

Def: A point z0 is called a singular point of a function f if f fails
to be analytic at z0 but is analytic at some point in every
neighborhood of z0 .

Def: A singular point z0 is said to be isolated if, in addition, there is

a deleted neighborhood 0  z  z0   of z0 throughout which f is
analytic.

Ex: The function

z 1

z z2  1
3

has the three isolated singular points z = 0 and z = ±i.
Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
University of Sharjah

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 12/13/2020

COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

Ex: The origin is a singular point of the principal branch
Logz  ln r  i  r  0,      
of the logarithmic function.
It is not an isolated singular point since every
deleted ε neighborhood of it contains points on
the negative real axis and the branch is not even
defined there.
Ex: The function
1
sin  z 
has the singular points z = 0 and z = 1/n (n = ±1,±2, . . .),
all lying on the segment of the real axis from z = −1 to z = 1.
Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
Each singular point except z = 0 is isolated. University of Sharjah

COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

The singular point z = 0 is not isolated because every deleted ε
neighborhood of the origin contains other singular points of the
function.

Residues:
1
Def: The complex number b1 , which is the coefficient of
z  z0
in the Laurent series representation

b b2 bn
f  z    an  z  z0   1 
n
 ...   ...
n 0 z  z0  z  z  2
z  z 
n
0 0

Is called the residue of f at the isolated singular point z0 , and we

shall often write Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
University of Sharjah

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 12/13/2020

COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

b1  Re s f  z 
z  z0

We already learned from chapter 5 that

1 f  z
bn  
2 i C  z  z  n1
dz , n  1,2,...
0

where C is any positively oriented simple closed contour around z0

that lies in the punctured disk 0  z  z0  R2 .
When n = 1, this expression for bn becomes

 f  z  dz  2 ib .
C
1

Hence, we have
 f  z  dz  2 i Re s f  z .
C
z  z0 Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
University of Sharjah

COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

Theorem (Cauchy’s Residue Theorem): Let C be a simple close
contour described in the positive sense, if a function f is analytic
inside and on C except a finite number of singular points
zk ,  k  1,2,..., n  , inside C, then


 f  z  dz  2 i  Re s f  z  .
C k 1 z  zk

Ex: Consider the integral

1
z
2
sin   dz
C z
where C is the positively oriented unit circle |z| = 1. Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
University of Sharjah

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 12/13/2020

COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

Since the integrand is analytic everywhere in the finite plane except
at z = 0, it has a Laurent series representation that is valid when 0 <
|z| < ∞.
To determine that residue, we recall the Maclaurin series
representation
z 3 z 5 z7
sin z  z     .... z 
3! 5! 7!
and use it to write
1 1 1 1 1
sin        ...
 z  z 3! z 5! z 7! z
3 5 7

and
1 1 1 1
z 2 sin    z     ... 0 z 
z 3! z 5! z 7! z 5
3
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University of Sharjah

COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

The coefficient of 1/z here is    the desired residue.
1
Consequently  3! 
1  1  1 i
C z sin  z  dz  2 i   3!   2 i   6    3 .
2

 e dz when C is the same oriented circle |z| = 1

2
1 z
Ex: Evaluate
C

Sol: the Maclaurin series representation for e z is

 
1 zn z z2 z3
e z   z n    1     ...
n 0 n ! n 0 n ! 1 2! 3!
one can write the Laurent series expansion Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
University of Sharjah

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 12/13/2020

COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

1
1 1 1
e  1
z2
 4  6  ...
2
0  z  .
z 1! z 2! z 3!
The residue of the integrand at its isolated singular point z = 0 is,
therefore, zero b1  0. Then

 e dz  2 ib1  2 i  0   0
2
1 z

5z  2
Ex: Evaluate  z  z  1dz where C is the
C

circle |z| = 2, described counter clockwise.

Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
University of Sharjah

COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

Hint: The integrand has the two isolated singularities z = 0 and z =
1, both of which are interior to C. We can find the residues B1 at z =
0 and B2 at z = 1 with the aid of the Maclaurin series

1
  zn ,
1  z n 0
 z  1 .

dz
Ex: Evaluate  z  z  1
C
4
where C is the

positively oriented circle |z − 2| = 1

ez
Ex: Evaluate   z  1 dz
C
2
around the circle |z| = 3 in the
Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
positive sense University of Sharjah

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COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

The Three Types of Isolated Singular Points:
The theory of residues is based on the fact that if f has an isolated
singular point at z0 , then f (z) has a Laurent series representation

b1 b2 bn
f  z    an  z  z0  
n
  ...   ...
n 0 z  z0  z  z  2
 z  z0 
n
0

in a punctured disk 0  z  z0  R2. The portion

b1 b2 bn
  ...   ...
z  z0  z  z  2
 0
z  z
n
0

of the series, involving negative powers of  z  z0  , is called the

principal part (P.P.) of f at z0 . We now use the principal part to
identify the isolated singular point z0 as one of three Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
special types. University of Sharjah

COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

Case 1: If the principal part (P.P.) of f at z0 contains at least one
nonzero term but the number of such terms is only finite, then there
exists a positive integer m (m ≥ 1) such that
bm  0 and bm1  bm2    0

That is Laurent series takes the form


b b2 bm
f  z    an  z  z0   1 
n
 ... 
n 0 z  z0  z  z 
2
 z  z0 
m
0

where bm  0 . In this case, the isolated singular point z0 is called a

pole of order m. A pole of order m = 1 is usually referred to as a
simple pole.
Ex: Observe that the function z  2 z  3
2

z2
Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
University of Sharjah

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 12/13/2020

COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

z2  2z  3 z  z  2   3 3 3
  z  2   z  2 
z2 z2 z2 z2
 0  z  2   
has a simple pole (m = 1) at z0 = 2. Its residue b1 there is 3.

Ex: From the representation

f z  2
1 1 1
 2.
1
 2.
1 1

 2 1  z  z2  z3 
z 1  z  z 1  z z 1    z  z


1 1
  1 z 
z2 z
 0  z  1
f has a pole of order m = 2 at the origin and b1  Re s f  z   1
z  z0
Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
University of Sharjah

COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

Ex: The function
sinh z 1 1 z 3 z 5 z7  1 1 z2 z3
 sinh z   z          
z4 z4 z4  3! 5! 7! 3
 z z 3! 5! 7!
has a pole of order m = 3 at z0 = 0, with residue b1 = 1/6.

Case 2: If every coefficient in the principal part is zero (P.P.=0), so

that

f  z    an  z  z0   a0  a1  z  z0   a2  z  z0   a3  z  z0  
n 2 3

n 0

0  z  z0  R2 .
z0 is known as a removable singular point.
Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
University of Sharjah

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COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

Ex: The point z0  0 is a removable singular point of the function
1  cos z
f  z 
z2
Because,
1  cos z 1 1   z2 z4 z6 
f z  2
 2 
1  cos z  2  1   1  2!  4!  6!   

z z z   
1 z2 z4 z6  1 z2 z4
  1  1       2!  4!  6! 
z2  2! 4! 6! 
0  z  .

When the value f (0) = 1/2 is assigned, f becomes entire.

Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
University of Sharjah

COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

Case 3: If an infinite number of the coefficients bn in the principal
part (P.P.) are nonzero, z0 is said to be an essential singular point of
f.
1z
Ex: e
1 z 
n n
  
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
e 1z
       1    ...
n 0 n !  z 
n
n 0 n! n 0 n ! z z 2! z 3! z 3
2

From this we see that e 1 z has an essential singular point at z0 = 0,

where the residue b1 is unity.
This example can be used to illustrate an important result known
as Picard’s theorem.
EXERCISES:
z2
1. ze 1 z 2. Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
1 z University of Sharjah

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COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

Residues and Poles:
Theorem: An isolated singular point z0 of a function f is a pole of
order m if and only if f (z) can be written in the form
 z
f  z 
 z  z0 
m

where φ(z) is analytic and nonzero at z0 . Moreover,

Re s f  z     z  if m1
z  z0

and
Re s f  z  
  z0  ,
m1

if m  2.
z  z0  m  1 !
Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
University of Sharjah

COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

EX: The function
z 1
f z 
z2  9
has an isolated singular point at z = 3i and can be written as
z 1 1 z 1  z
f z   .  ,
 z  3i  z  3i   z  3i   z  3i   z  3i 
z 1
where   z  
 z  3i 
Since φ(z) is analytic at z = 3i and   3i   0, that point is a simple
pole of the function f and the residue there is
3i  1  i 3  i
B1    3i   .  .
6i i 6 Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
University of Sharjah

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COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

The point z = −3i is also a simple pole of f ,
1 z 1   z z 1
f z  .  , where   z  
 z  3i   z  3i   z  3i   z  3i 
with residue
3i  1 i 3  i
B2    3i   .  .
6i i 6
z3  2z
Ex: If f  z   then we can write the function f(z) as
z  i
3

3 
. z 3  2 z     z   z 3  2 z.
1
f z 
z  i
Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
The function φ(z) is entire, and φ(i) = i ≠ 0. University of Sharjah

COMPLEX ANALYSIS

Residues and Poles:

Hence f has a pole of order 3 at z = i, with residue

B1 
  z   6z ,
m1

at z  i  B1 
6i
3i.
 m  1 ! 2! 2!

Ex: Suppose that

 log z 
3

f z 
z2  1
where the branch
Logz  ln r  i  r  0,      
of the logarithmic function is to be used. Find the residue of f at
the singularity z = i. Prepared by Dr. F.G.A
‫تم والحمدهلل‬ University of Sharjah

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