Complex Analysis and Operator Theory Complex Analysis

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11785-018-0836-z and Operator Theory

Distortion Theorems Associated with Schwarzian Derivative

for Harmonic Mappings

Rodrigo Hernández1 · Osvaldo Venegas2

Received: 25 September 2017 / Accepted: 17 August 2018

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2018

Abstract
Let f be a complex-valued harmonic mapping defined in the unit disc D. The theorems
of Chuaqui and Osgood (J Lond Math Soc 2:289–298, 1993), which assert that the
bounds of the size of the hyperbolic norm of the Schwarzian derivative for an analytic
function f imply certain bounds for distortion and growth of f , are extended to the
harmonic case.

Keywords Schwarzian derivative · Harmonic mappings · Distortion theorems

Mathematics Subject Classification Primary 30C55 · 31A05; Secondary 30C45

1 Introduction

Let f be an analytic and locally univalent function defined in the unit disc D. Its
Schwarzian derivative, which is defined as S f = ( f  / f  ) − 21 ( f  / f  )2 , has been
widely studied from various, geometrical and analytical, points of view. For example,
in [2] its is proven that bounds over the size of the hyperbolic norm of S f imply bounds
over the growth and distortion of normalized functions. More precisely, the following
theorem is demonstrated.

Communicated by Daniel Aron Alpay.

The authors were partially supported by Fondecyt Grant # 1150284.

B Osvaldo Venegas
ovenegas@uct.cl
Rodrigo Hernández
rodrigo.hernandez@uai.cl

1 Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Av. Padre Hurtado 750, Viña del
Mar, Chile
2 Departamento de Ciencias Matemáticas y Físicas, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Católica de
Temuco, Av. Rudecindo Ortega 02950, Temuco, Chile
 R. Hernández, O. Venegas

Theorem A Let f be a locally univalent analytic function defined in D with the nor-
malizations f (0) = 0, f  (0) = 1 and f  (0) = 0.
(i) If |S f (z)|(1 − |z|2 )2 ≤ 2 then

n(|z|) ≤ | f (z)| ≤ N (|z|),

n  (|z|) ≤ | f  (z)| ≤ N  (|z|).

(ii) If |S f (z)|(1 − |z|2 )2 ≤ 2λ with 0 < λ < 1 then

A(|z|; −λ) ≤ | f (z)| ≤ A(|z|; λ),

A (|z|; −λ) ≤ | f  (z)| ≤ A (|z|; λ).

Here, the functions n and N are defined by

√ √
1 (1 + z) 2 − (1 − z) 2 1 1+z
n(z) = √ √ √ , N (z) = log ,
2 (1 + z) + (1 − z)
2 2 2 1−z
√ √
1 (1 + z) 1−λ − (1 − z) 1−λ
and for 0 < λ < 1, A(z; λ) = √ √ √ .
1 − λ (1 + z) 1−λ + (1 − z) 1−λ
Starting from the fact that S(M ◦ f ) = S f for every Möbius transformation M(z) =
(az + b)/(cz + d) with ad − bc = 0, any function f can be normalized as in
Theorem A. The function f equals the quotient of two linearly independent solutions
of u  + pu = 0 with S f = 2 p, where u = ( f  )−1/2 is always a solution. It is reasonable
to expect that bounds over | p| imply bounds for this solution. The observation that
bounds over the size of the derivative imply bounds over the growth of f motivated
us to write this note on how bounds over the Schwarzian derivative for harmonic
mappings, which are defined for f = h + g, where h and g are analytic, allow to
establish bounds over the distortion and growth of such functions. The reader can
have a broader understanding of the theory of harmonic mappings in the excellent
book [4].
In other words, the main goal of this work is to prove the equivalence of Theorem A
for complex harmonic mappings, even when a differential equation that allows to
prescribe S f is unknown, which indeed is a limiting factor we can draw considering
−1/4
a differential equation that satisfies u = J f where J f is the Jacobian of f which
doesn’t vanish if f is locally univalent (see [6]) and played the role that would make
it ( f  )−1/2 in the analytic case. However, this result is far from being optimal.

1.1 The Schwarzian Derivative for Harmonic Mappings

A planar harmonic mapping is a complex-valued harmonic function f defined on a

domain  ⊂ C. When  is simply connected, the mapping has a canonical decom-
position f = h + g, where h and g are analytic in . Since the Jacobian of f is given
by J f = |h  |2 − |g  |2 , it is locally univalent and orientation-preserving if and only if
Distortion Theorems Associated with Schwarzian Derivative…

|g  | < |h  |, or equivalently h  (z) = 0 and the dilatation ω = g  /h  has the property

|ω(z)| < 1 in .
The following definition for the Schwarzian derivative S f of a complex-valued
locally univalent harmonic orientation preserving mapping f was presented in [5]:

   2
ω h    3 ω ω
S f = Sh + ω − ω − , (1.1)
1 − |ω|2 h 2 1 − |ω|2

where Sh is the classical Schwarzian derivative of h. In this sense, we define the

pre-Schwarzian derivative of f by

h  ω ω̄ ∂
Pf = 
− = log J f .
h 1 − |ω| 2 ∂z

Moreover, we can rewrite the Schwarzian derivative defined by equation (1.1) in terms
of the pre-Schwarzian derivative as in the classical scenario given by

∂ 1
Sf = P f − (P f )2 . (1.2)
∂z 2

In this note, we will consider complex harmonic functions f = h + g that are

orientation preserving and locally univalent in the unit disc. Our purpose is to be able
to establish upper and lower bounds over the growth of the Jacobian of f as a measure
of distortion of the same function f . We additionally obtain bounds over the growth,
just as they are obtained by Chuaqui and Osgood [2].

2 Results

In this section we will show the proofs of how the bounds over the Jacobian of functions
are induced by the hyperbolic norm of the Schwarzian derivative using the comparison
techniques of solutions of ordinary differential equations as in the analytic case (see
[2]). We divide our results into upper and lower bounds because the upper bounds
obtained improve those obtained in [8] deduced from the order of any linear invariant
family. We will begin this analysis with the first of them.

2.1 Upper Bounds of |Jf (z)|

We know that upper bounds can be obtained in terms of the order of the linearly
invariant family named Fλ , which consists of the locally univalent functions that
preserve orientation and are normalized so that |S f (z)|(1 − |z|2 )2 ≤ λ, widely studied
in [3]. In this case however, the ones obtained through the use of comparison theorems
are better than mentioned above, in some directions. This is the focus of this section.
We used instead the usual techniques for comparison of differential equation solu-
tions, which we can summarize in the following Lemma:
 R. Hernández, O. Venegas

Lemma 2.1 Let f = h + g : D → C be a locally univalent and orientation preserving

−1
harmonic mapping and θ ∈ [0, 2π ). Then u(t) = J f 4 (z(t)), with z(t) = teiθ ,
t ∈ [0, 1) satisfies
 
1   1  2 |ω |2
u  = − Re S f e2iθ − I m P f eiθ − u. (2.1)
2 2 (1 − |ω|2 )2

Proof We calculate

1 −5 
u  (t) = − J f 4 (z(t)) (J f )z z  + (J f )z z 
4

1 −1 ∂
= − J f 4 (z(t)) · 2Re log J f eiθ
4 ∂z
1
= − Re{P f (z(t))eiθ }u(t).
2

Then

1  2 1
u  = Re P f (z(t))eiθ u(t) − Re{(P f )z e2iθ + (P f )z e−iθ eiθ }u(t).
4 2

Using Eq. (1.2), we have

 
1   1   1 1
u  = − Re S f e2iθ − Re P 2f e2iθ + Re{P f eiθ }2 − Re{(P f )z } u.
2 4 4 2

h  ω ω
Since Re{z 2 } = Re{z}2 − I m{z}2 , P f = − , and
h 1 − |ω|2

 2
∂ |ω |
Pf = − ,
∂z 1 − |ω|2

we obtain
 
 1   1  
iθ 2 1 |ω |2
u = − Re S f e 2iθ
+ I m Pf e + u.
2 4 2 (1 − |ω|2 )2

The proof is completed. 

Corollary 2.2 Let f = h + g : D → C be a locally univalent and orientation preserv-

ing harmonic mapping such that

|S f (z)|(1 − |z|2 )2 ≤ 2λ. (2.2)

 Distortion Theorems Associated with Schwarzian Derivative…

−1
Then u(t) = J f 4 (z(t)), with z(t) = teiθ , and t ∈ [0, 1) satisfies

λ
u  + u ≥ 0.
(1 − t 2 )2

Lemma 2.3 For any δ > 0, the real function

    
1 k0 k0
ϕδ (t) = 1− (1 − t) + 1 +
2δ
(1 + t) 2δ
(2.3)
2 2δ 2δ

vanishes in (0, 1) if and only if k0 < −2δ.

Proof Since ϕδ (t) = 0 for some t ∈ (0, 1) if and only if
 2δ
1+t 1 − k0 /2δ k0 − 2δ
=− = ,
1−t 1 + k0 /2δ k0 + 2δ

which occurs if and only if (k0 − 2δ)/(k0 + 2δ) ≥ 1, that is, when k0 < −2δ. 

Theorem 2.4 Let f = h + g : D → C be a locally univalent and orientation preserv-

ing harmonic mapping, normalized such that h(0) = g(0) = 0, h  (0) = 1, g  (0) = 0
and satisfying (2.2). For any λ < 1 and z = |z|eiθ ∈ D we have that:
√ 1
(i) If Re{h  (0)eiθ } < 2 1 − λ, then |J f (z)| ≤ √ .
(1 − |z| )√ 1−λ (ϕδ (|z|))4
2 2−2

√ (1 + |z|)2 1−λ−2
(ii) If Re{h  (0)eiθ } = 2 1 − λ, then |J f (z)| ≤ √ .
(1 − |z|)2+2 1−λ
√ (1 + |z|)2α−2
(iii) If Re{h  (0)eiθ } > 2 1 − λ, then |J f (z)| ≤ , where α is the
(1 − |z|)2α+2
order of the linear invariant family F2λ . In [3] the authors proved that α =

λ + 1 + 21 supω∈Adm |ω (0)|2 , where Adm = {ω : f = h + g ∈ F2λ , ω =
g  /h  }.
Remark 2.5 In the first two cases, the bound of the Jacobian is better for |z| → 1− than
those that can be obtained through the construction of the affine and linearly invariant
family F2λ . In the third case, the bounds of the Jacobian can be found in [8]. Here
the order of any linearly invariant family F, α, is the supremum of |h  (0)|/2 over
f = h + g ∈ F (see [7]), which is slightly different that was used in [8] named α.
Actually, it is proved that α − 1/2 ≤ α ≤ α, therefore the bound that we obtain can
be improved using this order.
Proof From the initial conditions of f and u(t) = |J f (z(t))| it follows that u(0) = 1
and u  (0) = −1/2Re{h  (0)eiθ }, let call this quantity k0 . Using the classical results
of comparison (for instance see Lemma 1 in [2]), we obtain that u ≥ v up to the first
zero of v, where v is the solution to the initial condition problem

λ
v  + v = 0, v(0) = 1, v  (0) = k0 .
(1 − t 2 )2
 R. Hernández, O. Venegas

We know that the solution of this equation is given by

    2δ 
1−t δ 1+t
v(t) = 1 − t 2 B+A , (2.4)
1+t 1−t
√
where 2 A = (1 + k0 /2δ), 2B = (1 − k0 /2δ), and 2δ = 1 − λ. Then v(t) =
1
(1 − t 2 ) 2 −δ ϕδ (t), defined by (2.3).
Case (i) Since in this case k0 > −2δ, by Lemma 2.3 we have that ϕδ (t) = 0
1
in [0, 1]. Therefore |J f (z)|−1/4 ≥ (1 − |z|2 ) 2 −δ ϕδ (|z|), which implies the corre-
sponding result. √
Case (ii) Now Re{h  (0)eiθ } = 2 1 − λ, or equivalently k0 = −2δ. It fol-
√ that A = 0 and B δ= 1, hence the solution in (2.4) is given by v(t) =
lows
1 − t 2 ((1 − t)/(1 + t)) . Therefore

 δ
  1
 J f (z(t))− 4 ≥ 1 − t 2 1 − t ,
1+t
 2√1−λ
 
 J f (z(t)) ≤ (1 − t 2 )−2 1 + t .
1−t

That is,
√
 
 J f (z) ≤ (1 + |z|) √
2 1−λ−2
.
(1 − |z|)2+2 1−λ

Case (iii) In this case, the same arguments doesn’t work because v(t) = 0, hence
ϕδ (t) = 0 for some t ∈ (0, 1). Therefore, the bounds that appear were obtained in
[7]. 

Theorem 2.6 Let f = h + g : D → C be a locally univalent and orientation preserv-

ing harmonic mapping, such that |S f (z)|(1−|z|2 )2 ≤ 2. Then for each z = |z|eiθ ∈ D
we have that
1
(i) If Re{h  (0)eiθ } < 0, then |J f (z)| ≤   4 .
k 0 1 + |z|
(1 − |z|2 )2 1 + log
2 1 − |z|
 1
(ii) If Re{h (0)e } = 0, then |J f (z)| ≤
iθ .
(1 − |z|2√)2
(1 + |z|) 10−2
(iii) If Re{h  (0)eiθ } > 0, then |J f (z)| ≤ √ .
(1 − |z|) 10+2
Here 2k0 = −Re{h  (0)eiθ }.
Proof Using Corollary 2.2, but now with λ = 1 we have u ≥ v up until the first zero of
v, where it is solution to v  +1/(1−t 2 )2 v = 0 with initial conditions v(0) = u(0) = 1
and v  (0) = u  (0) = k0 = −1/2Re{h  (0)eiθ }. In the first case, k0 > 0, then
Distortion Theorems Associated with Schwarzian Derivative…

  
k0 1+t
v(t) = 1 − t2 1 + log ,
2 1−t

does not vanish in [0, 1). Since u(t)−4 = |J f (z(t))|√≤ v(t)−4 we obtain the result.
Now, if Re{h  (0)eiθ } = 0 it follows that v(t) = 1 − t 2 and the corresponding
bound of |J f (z)|. Again, in the last case, where k0 < 0, which implies that v(t) = 0
for some t ∈ (0, 1) so this argument doesn’t
√ improve the bound was obtained in [8].
But, we note that the order of F2 is α = 5/2. See Corollary 1 in [3]. Again one can
improve this last bound using the order defined in [8]. 

One particular case turns out to reflect the extension character of the results obtained
in [2] for the analytical case of the harmonic mappings case. That is the aim of the
next subsection.

2.1.1 Case when h (0) = 0

Using the Eq. (2.4) with k0 = 0 and A = B = 1/2 we have that

 δ  δ 
1 1+t 1−t
u(t) ≥ v(t) = 1 − t2 + = (A (t; λ))−1/2 ,
2 1−t 1+t

where A(t; λ) is defined in Theorem A, just like it occurs in the analytical case
described by authors in [2]. Since J f = u −4 we obtain that

|J f (z)| ≤ (A (|z|; λ))2 , (2.5)

and therefore |h  (z)|2 ≤ (A (|z|; λ))2 /(1 − |ω(z)|2 ) ≤ (A (|z|; λ))2 /(1 − |z|2 ), then

A (|z|; λ)
|h  (z)| ≤ .
1 − |z|2

By this way we can obtain an upper bound for the growth of f . For every λ < 3/4,
which means that 4δ > 1, we have that
 |z|  |z|
| f (z)| ≤ (|h  (ζ )| + |g  (ζ )|) |dζ | = |h  (ζ )|(1 + |ω(ζ )|) |dζ |
0 0
 |z| 
1 + |ζ |
≤ A (|ζ |; λ) |dζ |
0 1 − |ζ |
 |z|
4(1 + t)2δ−1/2
= dt
0 (1 − t) 3/2−2δ [(1 + t)2δ + (1 − t)2δ ]2
√
√  |z| 1 2 2  
≤ 2 dt = (1 − |z|) 2δ−1/2
− 1 .
0 (1 − t)3/2−2δ 1 − 4δ
 R. Hernández, O. Venegas

If λ = 3/4 we have that 4δ = 1 and

 |z|  
1 1
| f (z)| ≤ dt = log .
0 1−t 1 − |z|

Now, for 3/4 < λ < 1, which is 4δ < 1, we have that

 |z| 2  
| f (z)| ≤ (1 − t)2δ−3/2 = (1 − |z|)2δ−1/2 − 1 .
0 1 − 4δ

In this last two cases, the right side of the inequality goes to infinity when |z| goes to 1.
This phenomenon is quite different in the analytic case (Theorem A), but the nature of
this extension can be understood when f turns out to be a quasiconformal mapping,
which is presented in the following subsection. √
In the case when λ = 1, we have δ = 0, and therefore v(t) = 1 − t 2 , which
implies that

1
|J f (z)| ≤ .
(1 − |z|2 )2

Then, |h  |2 ≤ 1/(1 − |z|2 )3 , or |h  | ≤ 1/(1 − |z|2 )3/2 . Just like the previous case, we
can conclude that

|z|
| f (z)| ≤ .
1 − |z|2

2.1.2 Quasiconformal Case

A complex harmonic function f = h + g that is orientation preserving is a qua-

siconformal mapping if and only if its dilatation ω = g  /h  satisfies that ω ∞ =
supz |ω(z)| < 1, for which analytical functions can be found, for instance. The reader
can find more information on quasiconformal mappings in [1]. On the other hand it is
easy to realise that J f = |h  |2 − |g  |2 = |h  |2 (1 − |ω|2 ) ≥ |h  |2 (1 − ω 2∞ ), which
brings us to

J f (z)
|h  (z)|2 ≤ .
(1 − ω 2∞ )

Using Eq. (2.5) we can obtain

A (|z|, λ)
|h  (z)| ≤ ,
1 − ω 2∞
Distortion Theorems Associated with Schwarzian Derivative…

such as in the analytic case, but now a correction factor associated to this particular
case appears. Moreover, we have that

 
|z| 1 + ω ∞

| f (z)| ≤ (1 + ω ∞ ) |h (t z)|dt ≤ A(|z|; λ).
0 1 − ω ∞

From here we can appreciate that the analytical case can be obtained in the last inequal-
ity by considering ω ≡ 0.
For λ = 1, the Theorem 2.6 part (ii), guarantees that J f (z) ≤ (1−|z|2 )−2 = N  (z)2
and using the previously techniques, we can conclude that
    
1 + ω ∞ |z| dt 1 + ω ∞ 1 1 + |z|
| f (z)| ≤ = log .
1 − ω ∞ 0 1 − t2 1 − ω ∞ 2 1 − |z|

This is equivalent to the analytical case except for a correction factor that accounts
for the quasiconformal nature of these functions. These results can be summarized as
follow:

Theorem 2.7 Let f = h + g be a quasiconformal harmonic mapping, orientation

preserving and locally univalent in D, normalized as h(0) = g(0) = 0, h  (0) = 1,
g  (0) = 0, and h  (0) = 0. For each z ∈ D we have that:
(i) If |S f (z)|(1 − |z|2 )2 ≤ 2, then

 1 + ω ∞
|J f (z)| 1/2
≤ N (|z|), and | f (z)| ≤ N (|z|).
1 − ω ∞

(ii) If |S f (z)|(1 − |z|2 )2 ≤ 2λ, then


1 + ω ∞
|J f (z)|1/2 ≤ A (|z|; λ), and | f (z)| ≤ A(|z|; λ).
1 − ω ∞

2.2 Lower Bounds of |Jf (z)|

In this case, the results obtained are complementary to those already existing in terms of
lower bounds for |J f | determined by the order of the linearly invariant family defined
by all normalized locally univalent and orientation preserving harmonic mappings
in the unit disc such that |S f (z)|(1 − |z|2 )2 ≤ 2λ. The importance of this section,
however, lies in the power to apply the techniques developed for analytical functions
to harmonic mappings, where the theorems of comparison of ordinary differential
equations are a fundamental piece.
Just as in the previously mentioned theorem, we will first prove a fundamental
lemma for our purposes. It is not difficult however to see that from Eq. (2.1) we have
that
 R. Hernández, O. Venegas

 
1 1 |ω |2 cλ
u  ≤ |S f | + |P f |2 u≤ u,
2 2 (1 − |ω|2 )2 (1 − t 2 )2

where  
1 1 |ω |2
cλ = sup |S f | + |P f |2 + (1 − |z|2 )2 < ∞. (2.6)
z∈D 2 2 (1 − |ω| 2 )2

Indeed, sup{|P f |(1−|z|2 ) : z ∈ D} is finite for functions f that satisfy Eq. (2.2). Using
the previously described comparison techniques we can assure that u ≤ v whenever

cλ
u  − u ≤ 0,
(1 − t 2 )2
cλ
v  − v = 0,
(1 − t 2 )2

with u(0) = v(0) = 1 and u  (0) = v  (0). A direct calculation shows us that two
linearly independent solutions to v  − cλ (1 − t 2 )−2 v = 0 are:

  1 √1+cλ  − 1 √1+cλ
1+t 2 1+t 2
v0 (t) = 1 − t2 and v1 (t) = 1 − t2 ,
1−t 1−t
√
where 2δ = 1 + cλ . This way, the problem of initial conditions v(0) = 1, v  (0) = k0 ,
has
√       
1 − t2 k0 1+t δ k0 1 + t −δ
v(t) = 1+ + 1−
2 2δ 1−t 2δ 1−t

as a solution. Note that the fact that u ≤ v implies that v(t) can not vanish in (0, 1),
so k0 > −2δ for any z ∈ D. It allows to establish the follow proposition.

Proposition 2.8 Let f = h + g : D → C be locally univalent, orientation preserving

so that |S f (z)|(1 − |z|2 )2 ≤ 2λ with h(0) = g(0) = 0, h  (0) = 1, g  (0) = 0. Then

(1 − |z|2 )4δ−2
J f (z) ≥ ,
ϕδ (|z|)4
√
where ϕδ is defined by (2.3) and 2δ = 1 + cλ .

Corollary 2.9 Let f be as in the previous proposition. If h  (0) = 0 then

J f (z) ≥ A(|z|; −cλ ),

where cλ is defined by (2.6).

Distortion Theorems Associated with Schwarzian Derivative…

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