60 2.
Complex Line Integrals
You are invited to convince yourself intuitively that these general forms
are in fact valid! Again, these discussions serve, for now, as an invitation to
the subject. A more rigorous treatment is given in Chapter 11.
Exercises
1. Let f be holomorphic on an open set U which is the interior of a disc
or a rectangle. Let 'Y : [0, 1] --+ U be a C 1 curve satisfying 'Y(O) = 'Y(1)
(i.e. 'Y is a closed curve). Prove that
i f(z) dz = 0.
[Hint: Recall that f has a holomorphic antiderivative.]
2. Let f be holomorphic on an open set U which is the interior of a disc
or a rectangle. Let p, q E U. Let 'Yj : [a, b] --+ U, j = 1, 2, be C 1 curves
such that 'Yj(a) = p, 'Yj(b) = q, j = 1, 2. Show that
1 fdz = 1 fdz.
~1 ~2
3. Let U ~ C be an open disc with center 0. Let f be holomorphic on U.
If z E U, then define 'Yz to be the path
"fz(t) = tz , 0:::; t:::; 1.
Define
F(z) = 1 f(() d(.
~z
Prove that F is a holomorphic antiderivative for f.
4. Compute the following complex line integrals:
(a) 1 ~ dz where 'Y is the unit circle [center (0, 0)] with counter-
~z
i
clockwise orientation;
(b) z+ z 2zdz where 'Y is the unit square [side 2, center (0,0)] with
clockwise orientation;
(c) 1 ~ dz where 'Y is the triangle with vertices 1 + Oi, 0 + i, 0 - i,
~8+z
and 'Y is equipped with counterclockwise orientation;
(d) 1 ~ dz where 'Y is the rectangle with vertices ±3±i with clock-
~8+z
wise orientation.
5. Evaluate §I' zj dz, for every integer value of j, where 'Y is a circle with
counterclockwise orientation and whose interior contains 0.
Exercises 61
6. If U ~ JR 2 is an open set, then a vector field on U is an ordered pair
of continuous functions o:(z) = (u(z),v(z)) on U. We can think of o: as
assigning to each z E U the vector (u ( z), v ( z)) (hence the name). We
define the line integral of 0: along a C 1 path 'Y : [a, b] ----> u by the formula
i o: = 1b (u('Y(t)), v('Y(t))) · 'Y'(t) dt.
Here the · denotes the dot product of vectors. Notice that this is a
direct generalization of Proposition 2.1.4, where o:(z) was taken to be
grad f (z). You have seen integrals like (*) in your multi variable calculus
course.
Define
o:1(z) = (x,y),
0:2 (z) = (x2, y2) ,
o:3(z) = (y 2 ,x),
2
o:4(z) = ( -x, -y).
Let 'Yl (t) = 4e 2rrit, 'Y2 (t) = e- 2rrit, 0 :::; t :::; 1. Note that 'Yl, 'Y2 bound an
annulus. Calculate
1 O:j +1 O:j, j = 1,2,3,4.
hl h2
Assume that each O:j represents the velocity of a fluid flow and give a
physical interpretation for the value of this sum of integrals, j = 1, 2, 3, 4.
7. Derive a formula for the partial sum SN of the geometric series L~o o:J,
where o: is a fixed complex number not equal to 1. In case lo:l < 1, derive
a formula for the sum of the full series.
8. Suppose that the function F possesses a complex derivative at P. Prove
directly from the definition that the quantities f) F I ax' (1I i) (f) F I ay)'
oFI az all exist at P and are equal.
9. Assume that F : U ----> C is C 1 on an open set U ~ C.
(a) Let P E U. Assume that F is angle preserving at P in the sense of
statement (2.2.3.2). Prove that F'(P) exists.
(b) Let P E U. Assume that F "stretches equally in all directions at P"
in the sense of statement (2.2.3.1). Prove that either F'(P) exists
or (F)'(P) exists.
10. Prove that if U ~ C is open, and if f : U ---+ C has a complex derivative
at each point of U, then f is continuous at each point of U.
11. Prove that if F is holomorphic in a neighborhood of P E C, then F
reverses angles at P (part of the problem here is to formulate the result-
refer to Theorem 2.2.3).
62 Exercises
12. Formulate and prove a converse to Theorem 2.2.3. [Hint: Refer to the
discussion in the text.] (Cf. Exercise 9.)
13. In analogy with calculus, formulate and prove a sum, a product, a quo-
tient, and a chain rule for the complex derivative.
14. Iff and g are C 1 complex-valued functions on an open set U, iff' and
g' exist on U, and if f'(z) = g'(z) for all z E U, then how are f and g
related?
15. Let u be real-valued and C 1 on an open disc U with center 0. Assume
that u is harmonic on U \ {0}. Prove that u is the real part of a holo-
morphic function on U.
16. Let U ~ C be an open disc with center 0. Suppose that both f and g
are holomorphic functions on U \ {0}. If 8f /8z = 8g/8z on U \ {0},
then prove that f and g differ by a constant.
17. Give an example to show that Lemma 2.3.1 is false ifF is not assumed
to be continuous at p.
18. Compute each of the following complex line integrals:
(a) i (~ 1 d( where 1 describes the circle of radius 3 with center 0
and counterclockwise orientation;
(b) i (( + 4)(~ _ 1 + i) d( where 1 describes the circle ofradius 1 with
(c) i (:
center 0 and counterclockwise orientation;
2 d( where 1 is a circle, centered at 0, with radius 5, oriented
(d) i (((
clockwise;
+ 4) d( where 1 is the circle of radius 2 and center 0 with
(e) i(
clockwise orientation;
d( where 1 is the circle of radius 1 and center 0 with counter-
clockwise orientation;
(f) i (( ~(~)~ ~ S) d( where 1 is the circle with center 2+i and radius
3 with clockwise orientation.
19. Suppose that U ~Cis an open set. Let FE C 0 (U). Suppose that for
every D(z, r) ~ U and 1 the curve surrounding this disc (with counter-
clockwise orientation) and all w E D(z, r) it holds that
F(w) =~ j F(() d(.
21rz fr (- w
Prove that F is holomorphic.
Exercises 63
Figure 2.10
20. Prove that the Cauchy integral formula (Theorem 2.4.2) is valid if we
assume only that FE C0 (D) (here, of course, Dis some disc), and F is
holomorphic on D.
21. Let f be a continuous function on {z : lzl = 1}. Define, with '"'f = the
unit circle traversed counterclockwise,
f(z) if lzl = 1
{
F(z) = ~ 1 f(() d( if lzl < 1.
27rt h (- z
Is F continuous on D(O, 1)? [Hint: Consider f(z) = z.]
* 22.Let FE C(D(O, 1)) and holomorphic on D(O, 1). Suppose that IF(z)l ~
1 when lzl = 1. Prove that IF(z)l ~ 1 for z E D(O, 1).
23. Let f(z) = z 2 • Calculate that the integral off around the circle 8D(2, 1)
given by
la27r /(2 + ei8) dO
is not zero. Yet the Cauchy integral theorem asserts that
1 f(()d( = 0.
kD(2,1)
Give an explanation.
24. Use the Cauchy integral theorem to prove that if '"'/1, '"'12 are the two
contours depicted in Figure 2.10, ifF is holomorphic in a neighborhood
of D, and if P is as in the figure, then
1 F(() d( = 1 F(() d(.
h1(-P h2(-P
64 Exercises
1 y
1
X
Figure 2.11
25. (a) Let 'Y be the boundary curve of the unit disc, equipped with coun-
terclockwise orientation. Give an example of a C 1 function f on a
neighborhood of D(O, 1) such that
i f(()d( = 0,
but such that f is not holomorphic on any open set.
(b) Suppose that f is a continuous function on the disc D(O, 1) and
satisfies
1 f(()d( = 0
Jav(o,r)
for all 0 < r < 1. Must f be holomorphic on D(O, 1)?
26. Let 'Y be the curve describing the boundary of the unit box (see Figure
2.11), with counterclockwise orientation. Calculate explicitly that
i zkdz = 0
if k is an integer unequal to -1. [Hint: Calculating these integrals from
first principles is liable to be messy. Look for an antiderivative, or think
about using a different curve. See also the hint for Exercise 31.]
27. Do Exercise 26 with 'Y replaced by the triangle in Figure 2.12.
28. Calculate explicitly the integrals
1 z 3 dz
fav{si,2) '
1 (z- i) 2 dz.
!av(6+i,3)
Exercises 65
0+i
-1- i 1- i
Figure 2.12
29. Calculate
_1 1 _1_d(
27ri fav(o,I) ( + 2 '
_1 1 _1_d(
27ri !av(o,2) ( + 1
explicitly.
30. Calculate the integrals in Exercise 28 with the aid of the Cauchy integral
formula and Cauchy integral theorem.
31. Let f be holomorphic on C \ {0}. Let s1, s2 > 0. Prove that if '"Yl and "/2
are counterclockwise oriented squares of center 0 and side length s1 and s2,
respectively, then
_21. 1 f(() d( = _21. 1 !(() d(.
7l"Z !rl 7l"Z !r2
(Note: We are not assuming that the sides of these squares are parallel
to the coordinate axes!) [Hint: The function f has a holomorphic anti-
derivative on {z = x + iy: y > 0} and {z = x + iy: y < 0}. Use these
to evaluate the integrals over the top and bottom halves of the given
curves.]
32. Let 'Y be the counterclockwise oriented unit square in C (with center
at 0) and let J.L be the counterclockwise oriented unit circle. If F is
holomorphic on C \ { 0}, then prove that
_21. 1 F(() d( = _21. 1 F(() d(.
7rZ !r 7l"Z ~
[See the hint from Exercise 31.]
66 Exercises
33. Prove that the sum used in Definition 2.6.2 to define the integral over a
piecewise C 1 curve is independent of the choice of a3 and k.
34. Prove Lemma 2.6.3.
35. Give a detailed proof of Lemma 2.6.4.
36. Calculate
_1 1 1 d(
27ri h ((- 1)((- 2i) '
where 1 is the circle with center 0, radius 4, and counterclockwise ori-
entation.
37. Calculate
1 1 (2 +(
27ri h ((- 2i)(( + 3) d('
where 1 is the circle with center 1, radius 5, and counterclockwise ori-
entation.
38. Verify that
11 d( 11 d(
27ri hl ((- 1)(( + 1) = 27ri h2 ((- 1)(( + 1)'
where 1 1 is 8D(1, 1) equipped with counterclockwise orientation and
1 2 is 8D( -1, 1) equipped with clockwise orientation. Notice that these
curves cannot be continuously deformed to one another through U =
C\ { -1, 1}, the domain on which 1/(( -1)(( + 1) is holomorphic (at least
you should be able to see this intuitively). Discuss why this example
does not contradict the Cauchy integral formula as discussed in this
chapter.
39. Let 1 be the unit circle equipped with clockwise orientation. For each
real number ..\, give an example of a nonconstant holomorphic function
F on the annulus {z: 1/2 < lzl < 2} such that
-21 .
7!"'/, h1 F(z)dz = ..\.
40. Let 1 1 be the curve 8D(O, 1) and let 1 2 be the curve 8D(O, 3), both
equipped with counterclockwise orientation. Note that the two curves
taken together form the boundary of an annulus. Compute
(a) ~ 1 (2 + 5( d(- ~ 1 (2 + 5( d( '
27rt h2 ( - 2 2n h 1 ( - 2
(b) _1 1 (2 - 2 d( - _1 1 (2 - 2 d(
27ri h2 ( 27ri hl ( '
1 1 (3 - 3( - 6 1 1 (3 - 3( - 6
(c) 27ri h2 ( ( ( + 2)(( + 4) d(- 27ri h
1 ( ( ( + 2)(( + 4) d(
