ECE 6382

Fall 2021
David R. Jackson

Notes 4
Functions of a Complex
Variable as Mappings

Notes are adapted from D. R. Wilton, Dept. of ECE

1
 A Function of a Complex Variable as a Mapping

 A function of a complex variable, w  f  z  , is usually viewed

as a mapping from the complex z plane to the complex w plane.

y z v w
w  f z
w w  u  iv
x  x  iy
z
x u

For example, w  z 3

2
 Simple Mappings: Translations
 Translation :
w  A z
where A is a complex constant.

y z v w
w
A
z w
z
z
x u
A

 The mapping translates every point in the z plane

by the "vector" A .

3
 Simple Mappings: Rotations

Rotation :
i   
we z  e i i
re 
i
 re
where  is a real constant.

y z w
v
i
wez

z  z
x u
w

 The mapping rotates every point in

the z plane through an angle  .
4
 Simple Mappings: Dilations
 Dilation (stretching) : Note:

w  az  a rei    (ar )ei

u  ax, v  ay
du  a dx

where a is a real constant. dv  a dy

y z w v
wz
a
w
z
x u

 The mapping magnifies the magnitude z of a point z

in the complex plane by a factor a .

5
 A General Linear Transformation (Mapping) is a
Combination of Translation, Rotation, and Dilation
 Linear transformation :
rotation
    

dilation
i   Arg B 
w  A  Bz  A  B ei Arg B rei  A  Br e
translation
where A,B are complex constants .

y z w v
w  A  Bz
Bz
z Arg B
x u
A
w

Shapes do not change under a linear transformation!

6
 Simple Mappings: Inversions
 Inversion :
1 1 1
 i  e i
The magnitude becomes the reciprocal, and
w the phase angle becomes the negative.
z re r

Im
z  x iy
r
1

Re
 w 1/ z

 Points outside the unit circle get mapped to the inside of the unit circle.
 Points inside the unit circle get mapped to the outside of the unit circle.

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 Simple Mappings: Inversions
 Inversion :
1 1 1
w  i  e i
z re r
Im Im
z
z  x0  iy

1
1 Re
x0 Re 1z
1z

Inverson : a straight line maps to a circle Inversion: circle - preserving property

Inversions have a “circle preserving” property, i.e., circles always map to circles
(straight lines are a special case where the radius of the circle is infinity.

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 Circle Property of Inversion Mapping
1
w (This maps circles into circles.)
z
1 1 u v
z  x  iy   x , y 
w u  iv u2  v2 u2  v2

Consider a circle:  x  x0 2   y  y0 2  a 2

This is in the form x 2  y 2  a1x  a2 y  a3  0

Hence
2 2
 u   v   u   v 

 2 2  2 2  a1 2 2
 a2 2 2
 a3  0
u v  u v  u v  u v 

J. W. Brown and R. V. Churchill, Complex Variables and Applications, 9th Ed., McGraw-Hill, 2013.
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Circle Property of Inversion Mapping (cont.)
2 2
 u   v   u   v 

 2 2  2 2  a1 2 2
 a2 2 2
 a3  0
u v  u v  u v  u v 

Multiply by u2 + v2:

 u2   v2 
 2 2    2 2   a1  u   a 2   v   a3 u 2
 v2
0
u v  u v 

or
 
1  a1  u   a2  v   a3 u 2  v 2  0

This is in the form of a circle:

u  u0 2  v  v0 2  b2
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 Simple Mappings: Inversions (cont.)
1 1 1
 Geometrical construction of the inversion : w   i  e i
z re r

w v

 u
z
y w v
z 1 z
w w
z

x 1 
u
w
Shapes are not preserved!

Note the circular boundaries for the region!

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A General Bilinear Transformation (Mapping) Is a Succession
of Translations, Rotations, Dilations, and Inversions
A  Bz
 Bilinear (Fractional or Mobius) transformation : w 
C  Dz
where A ,B,C ,D are complex constants.

 Note that if D  0,
A  Bz A  BC D  B D C  Dz  A  BC D
w    B D
C  Dz C  Dz C  Dz

If we let f  z   C  Dz, (translation, dilation, rota tion)

1
and g    (inversion, dilation, rotation)

then the Mobius transformation may be written as
A  Bz
w  B D   A  BC D  g  f  z 
C  Dz
This is a sequence of : linear transformation; inversion; dilation and rotation; translation.

 Since each transformation preserves circles, bilinear transformations also

have the circle - preserving property : circles in the z plane are mapped into circles in
the w plane (with straight lines thought of as circles of infinite radius).

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Bilinear Transformation Example: The Smith Chart
Z d 
 Let z  r  jx  where Z    R  d   jX  d  is the impedance at z  - d on a
Z0
transmission line of characteristic impedance Z 0 , and   d  is the generalized
reflection coefficient :
Z d   Z0 z d  1 z 1
 d    or simply  
Z d   Z0 z d   1 z 1

r  R / Z0
x  X / Z0 x Im 
z 1 
 
z z 1

r Re 

Horizontal and vertical ines (contant reactance and resistance) are mapped into circles.

For an interpretation of Möbius transformations as projections on a sphere, see

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX3VmDgiFnY.
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 The Squaring Transformation
w  f  z   z 2  r 2 ei 2

0 ,0      20 , 20  2 

y  z,  z   w v
z w
0  
0  
z w
x u
z 0 20  2 2 0

2 0 20  2

 The transformation maps half the z - plane into the entire w - plane.
 The entire z - plane covers the w - plane twice.
 The transformation is said to be many - to - one (in this case, two - to - one).

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 Another Representation of the Squaring
Transformation
w  f  z   z 2  r 2 ei 2
2
y z
180 o

270o 3 90o
9
2

Im
4
1
1
360o
x
-360o 1 2 3 0o
Re

-270o -90o
-180o

Constant amplitude and phase contours of w  f  z   z 2

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 The Square Root Transformation
i   2 k
w  f z  z 1/ 2
 re 2 , k  0,1

y Note: The value of z1/2 on one branch is the

negative of the value on the other branch. v
z w
z
Second
branch w
x u
    
k 1
w
Principal branch Re  0
    
k 0
 We say that there are two “branches” (i.e., values) of the square root function.
 Note that for a given branch (e.g., the principal branch), the square root function is not
continuous on the negative real axis. (There is a “branch cut” there.)

 The transformation is said to be one - to - two

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 The Square Root Transformation (cont.)
i   22 k
w  f z  z 1/ 2
 re , k  0,1

y The principal branch is the

v
z choice in MATLAB and most
programming languages!
w
z
x
w
u

Principal branch
     Re  0
k 0
1 1
1  i
The principal square root is denoted as z 1 i
i
2
Note: Re z  0 i 
1 i
2 17
 The Square Root Transformation (cont.)

w  f z  z 1/ 2
 r e


1 / 2 i 2  k  , k  0,1,     
y y
45o 225o
67.5o 3 22.5o 247.5o 3 202.5o
3 3
2 2
2 2
1 1
1 1
90o 270o
x x
-90o 1 2 3 0o 90o 1 2 3 180o

-67.5o -45o -22.5o 112.5o 135o 157.5o

Principal branch, k = 0 Other branch, k = 1

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 Constant u and v Contours are Orthogonal
 Consider contours in the z plane on which the real quantities u  x, y  and v  x, y 
are constant.
y v  constant v
u
z w
v
u  constant
x u
w  u  iv  f  z  (analytic)

 The directions normal to these contours are along the gradient direction :
u u
u  xˆ  ˆy
x y
v v
v  xˆ  ˆy
x y

 The gradients, and therefore the contours, are orthogonal (perpendicular) by the C. R. conditions :
C.R.
cond's
 u u   v v   u u   u u  u u u u
u  v   xˆ  ˆy    xˆ  ˆy    x xˆ  y ˆy     xˆ  ˆy     0
 x y   x y     y x  y x y x

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Constant u and v Contours are Orthogonal (cont.)

Example: w  z 2
2
 
w   x  iy   x 2  y 2  i  2 xy 

u  x, y   x 2  y 2
so
v  x, y   2 xy
Also, recall that
y v  constant: xy  c2
2u  x, y   0
2v  x, y   0
u  constant: x 2  y 2  c1

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 Mappings of Analytic Functions are Conformal
(Angle-Preserving)
 Consider a pair of intersecting paths C 1, C 2 in the z plane mapped
onto the w  u  iv plane.

y v
w  f z w
z 
1
z2
z0
z1 f   z0   0 
w1
w0
C1 2
 w2
C2 
x u

 w 1  f   z0   z 1    
 arg w 1  arg f   z0   arg z 1 , z 1 along C1 from z0
w 2  f   z0  z 2  arg  w 2   arg f   z0   arg  z 2  , z 2 along C2 from z0
 arg  w 2   arg  w 1   arg  z 2   arg  z 1 

This assumes that f  is

not zero.
Hence  
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 Constant u and v Contours are Orthogonal
(Revisited)
y v  constant v
z w  f z w
u  constant
x u

Since the contours u = constant and v = constant are (obviously)

orthogonal in the w plane, they must remain orthogonal in the z plane.

dz
Assumption : 0
dw

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Constant |w| and arg(w) Contours are also Orthogonal

 If w  Re i  the constant R and  contours are (obviously) orthogonal in the w plane.

 If z  f 1  w  is a mapping back to the z plane,

the mapping preserves the orthogonality.

dz
Assumption : 0
dw

y   constant v
w
z
R  constant
x u

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 The Logarithm Function

w  ln  z 

i   2 k 
z  z ei  z e 

 ln  z   ln z  i   2 k  , k  0,1,2 , 

There are an infinite number of branches (values) for the ln function!

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 Arbitrary Powers of Complex Numbers

a
wz (a may be complex)

Use
z  eln z  z  z ei  z ei   2 k 

aln z  ai   2 k 
a
z  e  ln z a
 ealn z  e e
aln z ia i 2 ak
e e

This has an infinite number of branches unless ak = integer for some

value of k, i.e, a is real and rational:
p
a  p,q are integers 
q

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 Arbitrary Powers of Complex Numbers (cont.)
Example : f  z   z 2 / 3 a  2 / 3
2 2 2 
 ln z i   i 2  k 
z2 / 3   e 3 e 3 e 3 
 
 
2 2
2 ln z i 
k 0 k 0  z2 / 3  e 3 e3
3
2 2 2
2 2 ln z i  i  2 
k 1 k  z2 / 3  e 3 e3 e 3
3 3
2 2 4
2 4 ln z i  i  2 
k 2 k  z2 / 3  e 3 e3 e 3
3 3
2
2 2/ 3 ln z i 2  i 2 2 2
ln z 2
i  starts
k 3 k2  z  e 3 e
3 e  e 3 e3 
3 repeating!
2 8 2
k 4 k   2   repeats!
3 3 3
 For z p/q the repetition period is k = q (if p and q have
no common factors). For irrational powers, the
repetition period is infinite; i.e., values never repeat!
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