Extended Complex Plane C

Let S
2
denote the unit sphere {(x, y, z) R
2
, x
2
+y
2
+z
2
= 1} and let N and S
denote respectively the points (0,0,1) and (0,0,-1). then there is a bijection C(or
R
2
) onto S
2
-N dened as follows Identifying C with the so called equatorial
P
P
N
plane z=0, we let represent the complex number z=x+iy ,ie, P is the point
(x,y,0) in R
3
. Join PN and let it meet S
2
in P

. P

may be taken in the form

tP +(1 t)N where 0 t since P lies on the line NP ,ie, the coordinates of
P will be given by (tx, ty, (1 t)). Since P

lies in S
2
, we have
t
2
x
2
+t
2
y
2
+(1 t)
2
=1 ie t
2
[x
2
+y
2
+1]=2t
The selection t=0 corresponds to the point N. Thus coordinates of P

is given
by
P=(tx, ty, 1 t) =
_
2x
| z |
2
+1
,
2y
| z |
2
+1
,
| z |
2
1
| z |
2
+1
_
where t=
2
x
2
+ y
2
+ 1
=
2
| z |
2
+1
Next, we note that as P ,ie, if P represents z and |z|, the correspond-
ing point P

. This motivates the following bijective map :C S

2
where is a symbol / C.
If P P

for points of C as dened earlier, N. This clearly is a bijection

and helps us to transport the metric in S
2
to C {} ,ie, the metric d

by
d
y
(z
1
, z
2
)=(z
1
z
2
) where z
1
,z
2
C

. C

will be called the extended com-

plex plane and is called the point at . Note that we have added only one
point a .
The metric d

First we assume z, z

C. Let the corresponding points on S

2
be P, P

with
coordinates (x
1
, x
2
, x
3
) and (x

1
, x

2
, x

3
).
Then d

(z, z

)
2
1
=(length of the line segment PP

)
2
=(x
1
x

1
)
2
+(x
2
x

2
)
2
+(x
3
x

3
)
2
=2 - 2(x
1
x

1
+x
2
x

2
+x
3
x

3
) since x
2
1
+x
2
2
+x
2
3
=1 and x
2
1
+x
2
2
+x
2
3
=1
Further x
1
=
z Re z
| z |
2
+1
=
z + z
| z |
2
+1
, x
2
=
z z
| z |
2
+1
etc.
x
1
x

1
+ x
2
x

2
+ x
3
x

3
=
(z + z)(z

+

z

) (z z)(z

) + (| z |
2
+1)(| z

|
2
+1)
(| z |
2
+1)(| z

|
2
+1)
=
| z |
2
| z

|
2
| z |
2
| z

|
2
+2( zz

+ z

) + 1
(| z |
2
+1)(| z

|
2
+1)
d

(z, z

)
2
= 2
_
1
| z |
2
| z

|
2
| z |
2
| z

|
2
+2( zz

+ z

) + 1
(| z |
2
+1)(| z

|
2
+1)
_
=
4 [| z |
2
+ | z

|
2
zz

]
(| z |
2
+1)(| z

|
2
+1)
=
4 | z z

|
2
(| z |
2
+1)(| z

|
2
+1)
d

(z, z

)=
2 | z z

|
_
(| z |
2
+1)(| z

|
2
+1)
Arguing similarly, d

(z, )
2
=(distance between the points (tx, ty, 1t) and (0,0,1))
2
in our earlier notation.
=t
2
x
2
+ t
2
y
2
+ t
2
=t
2
(x
2
+ y
2
+1)
=
4
x
2
+ y
2
+ 1
d

(z, )=
2
sqrt| z |
2
+1
Further as S
2
is compact, the topology induced on C

by the identication
via is also compact. In fact, S
2
can be identied as the one point compacti-
cation of C by the above process.
Further, the topology induced on C by d

(ie the topology it inherits as a sub-

space of C

)is the usual Euclidean topology.(This takes some proving).

Anyhow, how does the topology on C

behaves at .
B
d
(, r) = {z : d

(z, ) < r} {} r suciently small

ie
_
z :
2
_
| z |
2
+1)
< 2
_
{}
ie
_
z :| z |
2
>
4
r
2
1
_
{}
ie, any open ball centered at is the complement of a large open ball in C.
2