Worked examples — Contour integration, Cauchy Theorem and

Cauchy integral formula

Example 1
Z
Evaluate y dz along C: x = t − 1, y = et−1 , 2 ≤ t ≤ 3.
C
From the parametric equations of C we first find that dx = dt and dy = et−1 dt. Then
appropriate substitutions yield the following:
Z Z
y dz = y(dx + i dy)
C C
Z 3
= et−1 (dt + iet−1 dt)
2
Z 3
= (et−1 + ie2t−2 ) dt
2
i
= e2 − e + (e4 − e2 ).
2

Example 2
If C is the curve y = x3 − 3x2 + 4x − 1 joining points (1, 1) and (2, 3), find the value of
Z
(12z 2 − 4iz) dz.
C

Method 1 . The integral is independent of the path joining (1, 1) and (2, 3). Hence any path can
be chosen. In particular, let us choose the straight line paths from (1, 1) to (2, 1) and then from
(2, 1) to (2, 3).
Case 1 Along the path from (1, 1) to (2, 1), y = 1, dy = 0 so that z = x + iy = x + i, dz = dx.
Then the integral equals
Z 2 ¯2
¯
{12(x + i) − 4i(x + i)} dx = {4(x + i) − 2i(x + i) }¯¯ = 20 + 30i.
2 3 2
1 1

Case 2 Along the path from (2, 1) to (2, 3), x = 2, dx = 0 so that z = x + iy = 2 + iy, dz = idy.
Then the integral equals
Z 3 ¯3
¯
{12(2 + iy) − 4i(2 + iy)}i dy = {4(2 + iy) − 2i(2 + iy) }¯¯ = −176 + 8i.
2 3 2
1 1

Then adding, the required value = (20 + 30i) + (−176 + 8i) = −156 + 38i.
Method 2 . The given integral equals
Z 2+3i ¯2+3i
¯
(12z − 4iz) dz = (4z − 2iz )¯¯
2 3 2
= −156 + 38i.
1+i 1+i

It is clear that Method 2 is easier.

1
Example 3 Bounding a path integral Find an upper bound for
¯Z ¯
¯ 1 ¯
¯ e z dz ¯¯,
¯
C1 (0)

where C1 (0) is the positive oriented unit circle.

Solution ¯Z ¯
¯ 1 ¯
¯
Since the length of C1 (0) is 2π, it follows that ¯ e dz ¯¯ ≤ 2πM , where M is an upper bound
z

C1 (0)
¯ ¯
¯ 1¯
of ¯¯e z ¯¯ for z on the unit circle. To find M we proceed as follows. For z on C1 (0), write z = eit
where 0 ≤ t ≤ 2π. Then

1
= e−it = cos t − i sin t,
z

and so, for z =it ,

=1
¯ ¯ z }| {
¯ 1¯
¯e z ¯= |ecos t−i sin t | = |ecos t | |e−i sin t | = ecos t ≤ e1 = e.
¯ ¯
¯Z ¯
¯ 1 ¯
(In setting |e | = 1 we have used |e | = 1 for any real w.) Thus ¯¯
−i sin t iw
e z dz ¯¯ ≤ 2πe. We can
C1 (0)
Z
1
evaluate the integral and obtain e z dz = 2πi. Thus the bound that we obtained is correct
C1 (0)
but not best possible, since |2πi| = 2π is the best upper bound.
¯Z ¯
¯ ¯
¯
Example 4 Find an upper bound for ¯ e /(z + 1) dz ¯¯, where Γ is the circle |z| = 2 traversed
z 2
Γ
once in the counterclockwise direction.

Solution
First observe that the path of integration has length ` = 4π. Next we seek an upper bound M for
the function ez /(z 2 + 1) when |z| = 2. Writing z = x + iy we have
p
|ez | = |ex+iy | = ex ≤ e2 , for |z| = x2 + y 2 = 2,

and by the triangle inequality

|z 2 + 1| ≥ |z|2 − 1 = 4 − 1 = 3, for |z| = 2.

Hence, |ez /(z 2 + 1)| ≤ e2 /3 for |z| = 2, and so by the theorem

¯Z ¯
¯ e z ¯ e2
¯ ¯
¯ z 2 + 1 dz ¯≤ 3 · 4π.
Γ

Example 5 Find the maximum value of |z 2 + 3z − 1| in the disk |z| ≤ 1.

2
Solution
The triangle inequality immediately gives us

|z 2 + 3z − 1| ≤ |z 2 | + 3|z| + 1 ≤ 5 (for |z| ≤ 1).

However, the maximum is actually smaller than this, as the following analysis shows.
The maximum of |z 2 + 3z − 1| must occur on the boundary of the disk (|z| = 1). The latter
can be parameterized z = eit , 0 ≤ t ≤ 2π; whence

|z 2 + 3z − 1|2 = (ei2t + 3eit − 1)(e−i2t + 3e−it − 1).

Expanding
√ and gathering terms reduces this to (11 − 2 cos 2t). Thus the maximum of |z 2 + 3z − 1|
is 13, which occurs at z = ±i.