Complex Line Integral

- Open Path Integral

C5L3
  At the end of the lesson the student should be able to:
1. Define the complex line integrals.
2. Know the basic properties of the complex line integral.
Learning Outcomes
3. Evaluate a complex line integral.
4. Use Cauchy’s Integral formula.
 The complex line integrals are written as 
C
f ( z )dz

if the contour C is opened.

Line Integral in the

Complex Plane

C
 Likewise, the complex line
Integral will be written as
C
f ( z )dz
if the contour C is closed.
C
Line Integral in the
Complex Plane
Here, the contour C is the path of integration and can be
represented by the parametric equation
z (t )  x(t )  iy (t ) , a  t  b
where t is parameter.
 1.Linearity – integration is a linear operation
 [k
C
f ( z )  k 2 f 2 ( z )]dz  k1  f1 ( z )dz  k 2  f 2 ( z )dz
1 1
C C

2.Sense reversal over the same path

z z0

 f ( z )dz    f ( z )dz
z0 z

Basic Properties of 3.Partitioning of path

Complex Line  f ( z )dz  
C1
f ( z )dz   f ( z )dz   f ( z )dz   f ( z )dz
C2 C3 C4
Integral C
 Let C be a piecewise smooth path, represented by z  z (t ) ,
where a  t  b . Let f (t ) be a continuous function on C.
Then the complex line integral can be evaluated by the
substitution of
b

Integration by  f ( z )dz   f z (t )z (t )dt

C a

the use of the dz

path where z (t ) 
dt
 1. Represent the path C in the form z(t) where a ≤ t ≤ b.
Steps in 2. Calculate the derivative z (t ) 
dz

Calculating the 3. Substitute z(t) for every z in f(z)

dt

line integral 4. Integrate over t from a to b.

 Calculate the line integral  zdz
C
where the curve C is
1) the parabola y  x from 0 to 1+i.
2

2) Straight line connecting the points 0 to 1+i.

Example 1

Ans:
1) 1+1/3i
2) 1
 Theorem – Independence of Path
If f (z ) is analytic in a simply connected domain D, then
the line integral of f (z ) over an open contour is
independence of path in D.

Let f (z ) be analytic in a simply connected domain D.

Theorem: Then there exists an indefinite integral of f (z ) in the
Indefinite domain D, that is, an analytic function F (z ) such that
Integration of F ' ( z )  f ( z ) in D, and for all paths in D joining two
Analytic Function points z1 and z2 in D we have
z2


D
f ( z )dz  F ( z 2 )  F ( z1 )
z1
z1
z2

Analytic
 Show whether the integrand of the following integrals is analytic or
not. Then evaluate the integral:
1 i
1. 
0
z 2 dz

i
2. 
 i
cos z dz

Example 2 3. 
C
2
z dz where C is a path along y  x 2 connecting the point from 0 to 1  i

Ans:
1.  3  3 i
2 2

2. 2i sinhπ
3. 8  5 i
15 6
 Complex Line Integral Over An Open Contour
 If f(z) is not an analytic function, then the complex line integral is
path dependent. To evaluate the integral of this kind we use
b

C
 f ( z )dz   f z (t )z (t )dt
a
dz
where z (t ) is the parametric equation of the contour and z (t ) 

(The details of the line is necessary) dt
Summary
 If f(z) is an analytic function, then the complex line integral is path
independent. To evaluate z2 the integral of this kind we use
 f ( z )dz  F ( z )  F ( z )
z
2 1

d 1

where dz F ( z )  f ( z )

(The details of the line is not necessary, only end points are
needed)