Math 185 - Spring 2015 - Homework 3 - Solution sketches

Problem 1. Show that the relation “is homotopic to” is an equivalence relation. That is,
(i) any curve is homotopic to itself,
(ii) if γ0 is homotopic to γ1 , then γ1 is homotopic to γ0 ,
(ii) if γ0 is homotopic to γ1 and γ1 is homotopic to γ2 , then γ0 is homotopic to γ2 .
(i) If t 7→ γ(t) parametrizes a curve then (s, t) 7→ γ(t) is is a homotopy between the curve and
itself.
(ii) if (s, t) 7→ γ(s, t) (for s, t ∈ [0, 1]) witnesses the homotopy between γ0 and γ1 , then (s, t) 7→
γ(1 − s, t) witnesses the homotopy between γ1 and γ0 .
(iii) if (s, t) 7→ γ(s, t) (for s, t ∈ [0, 1]) witnesses the homotopy between γ0 and γ1 and (s, t) 7→
γ̃(s, t) (for s, t ∈ [0, 1]) witnesses the homotopy between γ1 and γ2 , then the function

γ(2s, t) s ∈ [0, 1/2]
(s, t) 7→
γ̃(2s − 1, t) s ∈ (1/2, 1]
witnesses the homotopy between γ0 and γ2 .
Problem 2. Let r, R > 0 and z0 , z1 ∈ C. Construct a continuous F : [0, 1] × [0, 1] → C such that
• the function t 7→ F (0, t) is a parametrization of ∂Br (z0 ),
• the function t 7→ F (1, t) is a parametrization of ∂BR (z1 ),
• for each s ∈ (0, 1) the function t 7→ F (s, t) parametrizes a closed curve in C.

One can check that F (s, t) = (1 − s)z0 + sz1 + [(1 − s)r + sR]e2πiθ satisfies all the requirements.
Problem 3. Prove this stronger version of the Cauchy integral formula: let Ω ⊂ C be open and
f : Ω → C be holomorphic. If z0 ∈ Ω and B is any ball containing z0 such that B ⊂ Ω, then
Z
1 f (z)
f (z0 ) = dz.
2πi ∂B z − z0
1
R f (z)
We know that f (z0 ) = 2πi ∂Br (z0 ) z−z0 dz for all sufficiently small r > 0 by the Cauchy integral
formula proved in class. In particular we can take r small enough that Br (z0 ) ⊂ B. Now we
argue as in class, joining ∂B to ∂Br (z0 ) by two vertical lines and applying Cauchy’s theorem to
the appropriate closed curves. Rearranging the results yields that the integrals over the two circles
are the same, which proves the result.
Problem 4. Let K ⊂ C be compact and f : K → C be continuous. Suppose that f (z) 6= 0 for all
z ∈ K. Show that
there exists δ>0 such that for all z ∈ K |f (z)| ≥ δ.

Suppose not. Then for all n there exists zn ∈ K such that |f (zn )| ≤ n1 . By compactness, zn
converges along a subsequence to some z ∈ K. By continuity f (z) = 0, a contradiction.
Problem 5. Let Ω ⊂ C be open and suppose {fn }∞ n=1 is a sequence of holomorphic functions on
Ω that converge uniformly to f : Ω → C. Show that for δ > 0 we have that fn0 → f 0 uniformly on
the set
Kδ := {z ∈ Ω : Bδ (z) ⊂ Ω}.

Define the sequence of holomorphic functions Fn = fn − f and let ε > 0. By uniform convergence
we may find N such that |Fn (z)| ≤ δε for all z ∈ Ω and all n ≥ N . Now for all z ∈ Kδ we have
Bδ (z) ⊂ Ω so that we can apply the Cauchy inequalities on ∂Bδ (z). We find that for n ≥ N and
1
2

z ∈ Kδ ,
1 δε
|Fn0 (z)| ≤ sup |Fn (w)| < = ε.
δ w∈∂Bδ (z) δ
We conclude Fn0 → 0 uniformly on Kδ ; that is, fn0 → f 0 uniformly on Kδ .
Problem 6. Let Ω ⊂ C be open. Suppose F : [0, 1] × Ω → C is continuous and satisfies
for all s ∈ [0, 1] z 7→ F (s, z) is holomorphic on Ω.
the function
R1
Show that the function f : Ω → C defined by f (z) = 0 F (s, z) ds is holomorphic on Ω.
k
For any n define the points sk = n for k = 0, . . . , n and the intervals Ik = [sk−1 , sk ] for k =
1, . . . , n.
Consider the Riemann sum
n
X n Z
X
1
fn (z) := n F (sk , z) = F (sk , z) ds.
k=1 k=1 Ik

Note that as each fn is the finite sum of holomorphic functions we have that each fn is holomor-
phic. We will show that fn → f locally uniformly, which implies that f is holomorphic.
To this end let K ⊂ Ω be compact and let ε > 0. As F is continuous and [0, 1] × K is compact,
we have that F is uniformly continuous on [0, 1] × K. Thus there exists δ > 0 such that
sup |F (s, z) − F (s̃, z)| < ε whenever |s − s̃| < δ.
z∈K
1
Choosing n > δ (so that |s − sk | < δ for s ∈ Ik ) we find that for any z ∈ K we have
Z 1 n Z
X 
 
|f (z) − fn (z)| =  F (s, z) ds − F (sk , z) ds
0 k=1 Ik

 n
X Z 

=  [F (s, z) − F (sk , z)] ds
k=1 Ik
n
XZ
≤ |F (s, z) − F (sk , z)| ds
k=1 Ik
Xn Z Z 1
< ε ds ≤ ε ds < ε,
k=1 Ik 0

which gives the result.

Problem 7. Can every continuous function on the set {z ∈ C : |z| ≤ 1} be approximated uniformly
by polynomials? If so, prove it. If not, give a counterexample.
No, because the uniform limit of holomorphic functions is holomorphic, but not every continuous
function is holomorphic (e.g. f (z) = z̄).
Problem 8. Suppose f : C → C is entire and satisfies |f (z)| ≤ C(1 + |z|)n for some C > 0 and
some integer n (for all z ∈ C). Show that f is a polynomial of degree at most n.
By the Cauchy inequalities we have that for any R > 0 and k > 0,
1 C(1 + |R|)n
|f (n+k) (0)| ≤ sup |f (z)| ≤ →0 as R → ∞.
Rn+k |z|=R Rn+k
 3

Thus f (n+k) (0) = 0 for all k > 0. Examining the power series expansion for f at zero (valid on all
(k)
ak z k , and recalling that ak = f k!(0) we conclude that f is a polynomial of
P
of C), say f (z) =
degree at most n.
Problem 9. Suppose f : C → C is entire.
(i) Show that if f (z) = 0 for uncountably many z ∈ C then f ≡ 0.
(ii) Suppose that for each z0 ∈ C at least one coefficient in the power series expansion at z0 is
zero. Prove that f is a polynomial.
(i) As any uncountable set has a limit point, this result follows from the “uniqueness theorem”
from class.
(ii) As there are uncountably many points in C but only countably many positive integers, we
conclude that for some n the coefficient an in the power series expansion of f is zero for uncountably
many z ∈ C. This means that the function z 7→ f (n) (z) is zero for uncountably many z ∈ C. By
part (i) this means that f (n) ≡ 0, which implies that f is a polynomial.