WRITTEN HOMEWORK #2 SOLUTIONS

(1) Rigorously prove that an open disc in C is an open set. That is, if is an open disc, and z is an arbitrary point of , show that there exists some r > 0 such that Dr (z ) . Solution. Let z = DR (z0 ) be any point in the open disc centered at z0 of radius R. We want to show that there exists a small r > 0 such that the open disc Dr (z ) is entirely contained inside . Let r = R |z z0 |; notice that since |z z0 | < R, r > 0 is true. Given any w Dr (z ) in the small disc centered at z , we have |z w| < r. Apply the triangle inequality to w z0 = (w z ) + (z z0 ) to obtain |w z0 | |w z | + |z0 z | < r + |z0 z | = R. Since w is an arbitrary point of Dr (z ), this shows that Dr (z ) , as desired. (2) Show that the union of a collection (possibly innite in size) of open sets of C is still open in C. On the other hand, show that the intersection of a collection of open sets in C is not necessarily open, by providing an explicit counterexample. Solution. Suppose X , A form a collection of open sets. Let X be their union. Given any z X , we must have z X for some . Since X is open, we can nd an open disc D centered at z contained in X . But since X X , this means D X as well, so z is an interior point of X . Since z is arbitrary, X is open. (Why do we use to index instead of numbers? We are not told that the collection of open sets is countable in size. However, this is a minor point.) There are lots of possible solutions for the intersection part, although many of them will have the same avor. Here is one such solution: let Xn = D1/n (0) be an open disc of radius 1/n centered at 0, and let n 1 range over positive integers. Then each Xn is obviously an open set (rigorously proven in the previous exercise!), and their intersection is just the set consisting of the single point 0. Indeed, given any z = 0, since |z | > 0, there will be some value of n such that |z | > 1/n, and then z / D1/n (0) = Xn . But the set {0} is not open. (3) For each of the following complex functions f : C, indicate whether f is holomorphic on , not holomorphic on but dierentiable on when considered as as a real function f : R2 (where we think of as a subset of R2 ), or not dierentiable on when considered as a real function. Make sure to justify your answers; you can use standard properties in the text or discussed in class freely.
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WRITTEN HOMEWORK #2 SOLUTIONS

(a) f (z ) = p(z )/q (z ), where p(z ), q (z ) are polynomials with complex coecients, and q (z ) is not identically 0, is the set of all complex numbers z where q (z ) = 0. (b) f (z ) = Re z, = C. (c) f (z ) = |z |, = C. (d) f (z ) = |z |2 , = C. Solution. (a) Use the fact that polynomials are entire (holomorphic on all of C) together with the fact that quotients of holomorphic functions are holomorphic, as long as the denominators are non-zero, to conclude that p(z )/q (z ) is holomorphic on the indicated . (Of course, based on theorems discussed in class, this implies that f is real dierentiable on as well.) (b) As a real function, f (z ) = Re z is given by f (x, y ) = (x, 0), since f (x + yi) = x + 0 i. Since ux = 1, uy = 0, vx = 0, vy = 0, the rst order partials exist and are continuous on all of R2 , so f is real dierentiable on . However, ux = vy at any point of , so f does not satisfy CauchyRiemann anywhere and therefore is not holomorphic at any point of . (c) As a real function, f (z ) = |z | is given by f (x, y ) = ( x2 + y 2 , 0). We claim this function is not real dierentiable at (0, 0), so is not real dierentiable on all of . Indeed, notice that fx (0, 0) does not exist, because f (0 + h, 0) f (0, 0) lim = lim h0 h0 h h2 0 |h| = lim h0 h h

does not exist. If f were real dierentiable at (0, 0), then fx would exist there, but we have shown that fx does not exist at (0, 0); therefore f is not real dierentiable there. (d) As a real function, f (z ) = |z |2 is given by f (x, y ) = (x2 + y 2 , 0). Since ux = 2x, uy = 2y, vx = 0, vy = 0, the rst order partials exist and are continuous everywhere, so f is real dierentiable on . However, the Cauchy-Riemann equations are only satised at the point (0, 0), so f is not holomorphic at any point of except 0. (4) Stein and Shakarchi, Chapter 1.4, page 28, Exercise #13. This exercise is the rst glimpse of the rigidity of holomorphic functions we spoke about in the introduction. (Namely, knowing only partial information about a function often allows us to conclude much more about that function.) Solution. In each of the three parts, we will use the basic strategy of showing that the partials ux , uy , vx , vy are all equal to 0 on all of . We will then use this to prove that f is constant on . However, notice that as stated the problem is not quite correct you need to know that is an open connected set, not just an open set! (Indeed, the problem is wrong if you permit to not be connected. Can you think of a counterexample?) So we will assume is an open connected set from now on.

WRITTEN HOMEWORK #2 SOLUTIONS

Suppose we have shown that ux , uy , vx , vy = 0 on . From single-variable calculus and the denition of partial derivatives, this means that f will be constant on vertical and horizontal line segments contained in . Given any two points z1 , z2 , recall the property that since is open and connected, there exists a path connecting z1 , z2 contained entirely inside which consists solely of horizontal and vertical line segments. This means that f (z1 ) = f (z2 ). Since f is arbitrary, this implies that f is constant on all of . For each of the three parts of the problem, we will now show that all the rst order partials are equal to 0 on . (a) Suppose Re f is constant, say equal to c on all of . Since f is holomorphic on , f satises Cauchy-Riemann on all of . On the other hand, since u(x, y ) = Re f = c, we also have ux = 0, uy = 0. Therefore vy = ux = 0, vx = uy = 0. (b) The idea is identical to the previous part, except now we start with vx = 0, vy = 0. (c) Suppose |f | is constant. Then obviously |f | = u2 + v 2 is constant on as well; say u2 + v 2 = c on all of . Take the partial derivative of this equation with respect to x to obtain 2uux + 2vvx = 0 on . Similarly, taking partial derivatives with respect to y gives 2uuy + 2vvy = 0. Notice we can rewrite this as u, v ux , vx = 0, u, v uy , vy = 0. If u = v = 0 at any point of , then |f | = 0 at that point, and since we assumed |f | was constant, |f | = 0 at all of . But this is only possible if f = 0 on all of , so f is constant in this case. Therefore, from now on we will assume that (u, v ) = (0, 0) at every point of . Apply Cauchy-Riemann to see that u, v uy , vy = u, v vx , ux = 0. Since u, v is not the zero vector, and both vx , ux , ux , vx are orthogonal to u, v , we must have ux , vx , vx , ux are scalar multiples of each other. Suppose, for example, that ux , vx = vx , ux , for some real . Plug in vx = ux into ux = (vx ) to obtain ux = 2 ux , or alternatively (1 + 2 )ux = 0. Since 1 + 2 = 0, this means ux = 0 on . Since vx = ux , we also have vx = 0, and then Cauchy-Riemann implies uy , vy = 0 on all of as well.