MA2002D-Mathematics IV

Cauchy’s Integral Theorem

National Institute of Technology, Calicut

➢ We have seen that a line integral of a function 𝑓(𝑧) generally depends not only the
endpoints of the path but also on the choice of the path itself.

➢ Sometimes it complicates the situation, so for that if my function 𝑓(𝑧) is analytic in a

domain 𝐷 and 𝐷 is simply connected then integral will not depend on the choice of a path
between given points. This result follows from the Cauchy’s Integral theorem.

➢ Simple closed path: It is a closed path (starting point and end points are same) that does
not intersect or touch itself

e.g. a circle is a simple closed path.

➢ Simply connected domain: It is a domain 𝐷 in a complex plane such that every simple
closed path in 𝐷 enclose only points of 𝐷.
Example: (1) Interior of a circle, ellipse etc.

➢ A domain which is not simply connected is called multiply connected.

e.g. an annulus, 0 < 𝑧 < 1, doubly connected.

➢ A domain 𝐷 is said to be bounded if it lies in some circle about the region, otherwise 𝐷 is
unbounded.

➢ A bounded domain 𝐷 is called 𝑝- fold connected if its boundary consists of 𝑝 closed

connected sets without common points. Thus 𝐷 has 𝑝 − 1 holes, where holes means a
segment or even a single point.
Example:
 Cauchy’s Integral Theorem
Statement: If 𝑓(𝑧) is analytic in a simply connected domain 𝐷, then for every simple closed
path 𝐶 in 𝐷

න 𝒇 𝒛 𝒅𝒛 = 𝟎
𝑪

Proof: ‫ 𝑢(𝐶׬ = 𝑧𝑑 𝑧 𝑓 𝐶׬‬+ 𝑖𝑣)(𝑑𝑥 + 𝑖 𝑑𝑦)

= ‫ 𝑥𝑑 𝑢 𝐶׬‬− 𝑣 𝑑𝑦 + 𝑖 ‫ 𝑦𝑑 𝑢(𝐶׬‬+ 𝑣 𝑑𝑥) … … . . (1)

[ Green’s Theorem: 𝑅 ⊂ ℂ bounded with boundary 𝐶. Let 𝑓 𝑥, 𝑦 , 𝑔(𝑥, 𝑦) be continuous
𝜕𝑓 𝜕𝑔
and have continuous partial derivatives , everywhere in 𝑅, then
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑥

𝜕𝑔 𝜕𝑓
ඵ − 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦 = න (𝑓 𝑑𝑥 + 𝑔 𝑑𝑦) ]
𝑅 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝐶

Since 𝑓 is analytic, its derivative, 𝑓 ′ 𝑧 exists. If 𝑓 ′ 𝑧 is continuous then 𝑢, 𝑣 will have

continuous partial derivatives.

′ 𝜕𝑢 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑢
i.e. 𝑓 𝑧 = + 𝑖 𝜕𝑥 = − 𝑖 𝜕𝑦 (by C-R equations)
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
By Green’s Theorem,

𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑢
න 𝑢 𝑑𝑥 − 𝑣 𝑑𝑦 = ඵ − − 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦
𝐶 𝑅 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦

𝜕𝑣 𝜕𝑣
= ‫(𝑅׭‬− 𝜕𝑥 + ) 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦 = 0 … … . . 2
𝜕𝑥

Similarly, ‫ 𝑦𝑑 𝑢 𝐶׬‬+ 𝑣 𝑑𝑥 = 0 … … … . (3)

Substitute (2) and (3) in (1), we get

න 𝑓 𝑧 𝑑𝑧 = 0.
𝐶

Note: A simple closed path is called contour and an integral over such a path is called
contour integral.
Example: ‫ = 𝑧𝑑 𝑧 𝑒 𝐶׬‬0 , for any closed path (here 𝑒 𝑧 is analytic everywhere)

Analyticity is sufficient but not necessary:

𝑑𝑧
‫ 𝑧 𝐶׬‬2 = 0, where 𝐶: 𝑧 = 1, unit circle

1
This result does not follow from Cauchy’s Integral theorem as 𝑓 𝑧 = 𝑧 2 is not analytic at

𝑧 = 0.

Here the condition that 𝑓 is analytic in 𝐷 is sufficient rather than necessary for CIT to be true.
Simple connectedness is essential:

𝑑𝑧 1 3
‫𝑧 𝐶׬‬ = 2𝜋𝑖, 𝐶: 𝑧 = 1, 𝐶 lies in the annulus < 𝑧 < , where 𝑓(𝑧) is analytic but this
2 2

domain is not simply connected so CIT cannot be applied.

Hence the condition that the domain 𝐷 be simply connected is essential.

Independence of path :

If 𝑓(𝑧) is analytic in a simply connected domain 𝐷, then the integral of 𝑓 𝑧 is independent

of path in 𝐷.
By Cauchy’s Integral theorem, we have

න 𝑓 𝑧 𝑑𝑧 = 0
𝐶

න 𝑓 𝑧 𝑑𝑧 + න 𝑓 𝑧 𝑑𝑧 = 0
𝐶1 𝐶2

න 𝑓 𝑧 𝑑𝑧 = − න 𝑓 𝑧 𝑑𝑧
𝐶1 𝐶2

⇒ ‫𝑧𝑑 𝑧 𝑓 𝐶׬ = 𝑧𝑑 𝑧 𝑓 𝐶׬‬, by reversing the sense of integration along 𝐶2

1 2
Proposition: If 𝑓 is analytic in 𝐷 which is subset of ℂ and 𝐶1 and 𝐶2 are paths in 𝐷, joining
two points in 𝐷 and having no further points in common, then

න 𝑓 𝑧 𝑑𝑧 = න 𝑓 𝑧 𝑑𝑧
𝐶1 𝐶2

Cauchy’s Goursat Theorem

Statement: If a function 𝑓 is analytic at all points interior to and on a simple closed contour
𝐶, then

න 𝑓 𝑧 𝑑𝑧 = 0
𝐶
Cauchy’s Theorem for Multiply connected

Statement: Let (a) 𝐶 be a simple closed contour taken in counter clockwise direction.

(b) 𝐶𝑘 , 𝑘 = 1,2, … , 𝑛 denote finite number of simple closed contours described in clockwise
direction which are inside 𝐶 and have no points in common

If 𝑓 is analytic throughout the closed region consists of all points within and on 𝐶 except for
the points interior to 𝐶𝑘 , then

න 𝑓 𝑧 𝑑𝑧 + ෍ න 𝑓 𝑧 𝑑𝑧 = 0
𝐶 𝑘=1 𝐶𝑘
A corollary of the above theorem is the following which is called the principle of
deformation of paths

Corollary: Let 𝐶1 and 𝐶2 be anticlockwise oriented simple closed contours, where 𝐶1 is in

the interior to 𝐶2 . If a function 𝑓 is analytic in the closed region consisting of these contours
and all points between them, then

න 𝑓 𝑧 𝑑𝑧 = න 𝑓 𝑧 𝑑𝑧.
𝐶1 𝐶2

𝑧2
Problem: Show that ‫ = 𝑧𝑑 𝑧 𝑓 𝐶׬‬0, where 𝐶: z = 1 and 𝑓 𝑧 = 𝑧−3

Solution: We see that 𝑓 𝑧 is not analytic at 𝑧 = 3, which is outside of the contour

So by CIT, ‫ = 𝑧𝑑 𝑧 𝑓 𝐶׬‬0.
Problem: Let 𝐶1 be the anticlockwise oriented boundary of the square with corners ±1 ± 𝑖.
And let 𝐶2 be anticlockwise oriented circle 𝑧 = 4.

1
Show that ‫ 𝑧𝑑 𝑧 𝑓 𝐶׬ = 𝑧𝑑 𝑧 𝑓 𝐶׬‬for 𝑓 𝑧 =
1 2 3𝑧 2 +1

Solution: (a) The only points where the function is not analytic is at 𝑧 = ±𝑖/ 3 and the
absolute value of the points is 1/√3, which is in the interior of the square.

So the function is analytic in the region between 𝐶1 and 𝐶2 . Therefore by the principle of
deformation of paths the result follows.