Math 311 Winter 2018

Professor Felipce Goncalves

Homework 4

Justin Stevens
Monday, February 19th, 2018

Problem 1. Let a be a non-zero complex number. Compute the contour integral

Z
z a dz
C

where C is the semi-circle |z| = 1 going from 1 to −1 and z a is taken as the principal branch
(or value) of the power.

Solution. We can parametize the curve by z = eit where 0 ≤ t ≤ π. Using the principlal
branch for power,
f (z(t)) = z a = eaLog(z) = eait ,
since Log(z) = log |eit | + iArg(eit ) = it. We then see that z 0 (t) = ieit , therefore,

f (z(t))z 0 (t) = ie(a+1)it .

We can verify that this is piecewise continuous, therefore, the contour integral exists:
Z Z π
a
z dz = ie(a+1)it
C
0 (a+1)it 
e π
=i
i(a + 1) 0


1  (a+1)iπ 
= e −1 .
a+1