MATH20142: COMPLEX ANALYSIS

1. Construction and basic properties of complex numbers Construction. Given ax2 + bx + c = 0 (a, b, c R), solution is b b2 4ac x= . 2a No solution in R if b2 4ac < 0. Euler (1707-1783) introduced the symbol i = 1, so i2 = 1. Then i is a root of x2 + 1 = 0. An expression a+ib (a, b R) is called a complex number. We denote the set of complex numbers by C. We add them according to the rule (a + ib) + (c + id) = (a + c) + i(b + d) and multiply them according to the rule (a + ib)(c + id) = ac + iad + ibc + i2 bd = ac + iad + ibc bd = (ac bd) + i(ad + bc). More formally, we can dene complex numbers as pairs (a, b) of real numbers with addition and multiplication (a, b) + (c, d) = (a + c, b + d), (a, b)(c, d) = (ac bd, ad + bc) and the rule (a, b) = (a, b). To divide complex numbers, we use the trick 1 a ib a ib a ib a b = = 2 = 2 = 2 i 2 . 2 b2 2 2 a + ib (a + ib)(a ib) a i a +b a +b a + b2 If z = x + iy (common to use z for a complex number), x, y R, then we call x the real part of z and y (not iy!!!) the imaginary part of z. We also use the notation x = Rez and y = Imz. We say z is real if Imz = 0 and imaginary if Rez = 0. Exercises. For z, w C, show (1) Re(z w) = Rez Rew (2) Im(z w) = Imz Imw (3) Re(zw) is not always equal to (Rez)(Rew) (4) Im(zw) is not always equal to (Imz)(Imw)
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If z = x + iy, x, y R, then x iy is called the complex conjugate of z, written z. (Used earlier for division.) Exercises. For z, w C, show (1) z w = z w (2) zw = zw z z (3) w = w if w = 0. Note that z + z = 2Rez, z z = 2iImz. Modulus and argument. Let z = x + iy, x, y R. We visualize z as represented by the point (x, y) in the plane. (Picture.) This is called the complex plane or the Argand diagram. Real numbers are represented by points on the horizontal axis and imaginary numbers by points on the vertical axis. The modulus (or absolute value) of z = x + iy C is |z| = x2 + y 2 0.

If z R, this is just the usual absolute value. We have |z| = |z| and zz = (x + iy)(x iy) = x2 + y 2 = |z|2 . The angle in the gure is called the argument of z, = arg z. Also tan = y/x. Note is not uniquely determined: if we replace by + 2n, n Z, then we get the same point. However there is a unique value of such that < . This is called the principal value of arg z. Proposition 1.1. Let z, w C. Then (1) |z| = 0 if and only if z = 0; (2) |zw| = |z||w|; |z| z (3) w = |w| if w = 0; (4) |z + w| |z| + |w| (triangle inequality) 2

Proof. (i) from gure. (ii) |zw|2 = (zw)(zw) = zwzw = (zz)(ww) = |z|2 |w|2 and take square roots. (iii) exercise. (iv) Note z = x + iy = |z| =

x2 + y 2 |x|. Now

|z + w|2 = (z + w)(z + w) = (z + w)(z + w) = zz + ww + zw + wz = |z|2 + |w|2 + zw + zw = |z|2 + |w|2 + 2Re(zw) |z|2 + |w|2 + 2|zw| = |z|2 + |w|2 + 2|z||w| = (|z| + |w|)2 , so |z + w| |z| + |w|. Exercise. Show that |z w| ||z| |w||. by above = |z|2 + |w|2 + 2|z||w| by (ii)