Solutions for Math 311 Assignment #9

(1) Compute the integrals of the following functions along the curves
C1 = {|z| = 1} and C2 = {|z − 2| = 1}, both oriented counter-
clockwise:
1
(a) ;
2z − z 2
sinh z
(b) .
(2z − z 2 )2
Solution.
(a)
(2 − z)−1
Z Z
dz
2
= dz = 2πi(2 − 0)−1 = πi
|z|=1 2z − z |z|=1 z
(b)
(sinh z)(2 − z)−2
Z Z
sinh z
dz = dz
|z|=1 (2z − z 2 )2 |z|=1 z2

−2 0 
 πi
= 2πi((sinh z)(2 − z) )  =
z=0 2

(2) Show that if f is analytic inside and on a simple closed curve

C and z0 is not on C, then
f (m) (z)
Z Z
f (z)
(n − 1)! n
dz = (m + n − 1)! m+n
dz
C (z − z0 ) C (z − z0 )
for all positive integers m and n.

Proof. If z0 lies outside C, then

f (m) (z)
Z Z
f (z)
n
dz = m+n
dz = 0
C (z − z0 ) C (z − z0 )

by Cauchy Integral Theorem, since f (m) z/(z−z0 )n and f (z)/(z−

z0 )m+n are analytic on and inside C.
If z0 lies inside C, then
f (m) (z)
Z
(m)

(n−1) 
(n − 1)! n
dz = (f (z)) z=z0
= f (m+n−1) (z0 )
C (z − z0 )
and
Z
f (z)
(m + n − 1)! m+n
dz = f (m+n−1) (z0 )
C (z − z0 )
1
2

by Cauchy Integral Formula. Therefore,

f (m) (z)
Z Z
f (z)
(n − 1)! n
dz = (m + n − 1)! m+n
dz.
C (z − z0 ) C (z − z0 )

(3) Let f (z) be an entire function. Show that f (z) is a constant if

|f (z)| ≤ ln(|z| + 1) for all z ∈ C.

Proof. For every z0 ∈ C, we have

Z
0 1 f (z)
f (z0 ) = dz
2πi |z−z0 |=R (z − z0 )2
for all R > 0. Since
 
 f (z)  ln(|z| + 1) ln(R + |z0 | + 1)
 (z − z0 )2  ≤ ≤
 
R 2 R2
for |z − z0 | = R,
 
 ln(R + |z0 |) + 1
Z
1 f (z)
|f 0 (z0 )| = 

dz ≤ .
2πi |z−z0 |=R (z − z0 )2  R
And since
ln(R + |z0 | + 1) 1
lim = lim = 0,
R→∞ R R→∞ R + |z0 | + 1

by L’Hospital, we conclude that |f 0 (z0 )| = 0 and hence f 0 (z0 ) =

0 for every z0 ∈ C. Therefore, f (z) is a constant. 

(4) Compute the integral

Z ∞
xdx
.
0 x3 + 1

Solution. Consider the contour integral of z/(z 3 + 1) along

LR = [0, R], CR = {z = Reit : 0 ≤ t ≤ 2π/3} and MR =
{te2πi/3 : 0 ≤ t ≤ R}. By CIT,
Z Z Z Z
zdz zdz zdz zdz
3
+ 3
− 3
= 3
LR z + 1 CR z + 1 MR z + 1 |z−eπi/3 |=1/2 z + 1
 3

By CIF,
Z
zdz 2πi exp(πi/3)
=
|z−eπi/3 |=1/2 z3+1 (exp(πi/3) + 1)(exp(πi/3) − exp(−πi/3))
2π exp(πi/3)
= √ .
(exp(πi/3) + 1) 3
For z lying on CR ,
 
 z  R
 z 3 + 1  ≤ R3 − 1
 

and hence Z 
 zdz  2πR

3
≤

CR z +1  3(R3 − 1)
It follows that
Z
zdz
lim =0
R→∞ CR z3 +1
And Z Z R
zdz xdx
3
= exp(4πi/3) 3
MR z + 1 0 x +1
Therefore, we have
Z ∞
xdx 2π exp(πi/3)
(1 − exp(4πi/3)) 3
= √
0 x +1 (exp(πi/3) + 1) 3
and hence Z ∞
xdx 2π
= √ .
0 x3 + 1 3 3

(5) Compute the integral

Z ∞
cos x
dx.
0 x4 + 1

Solution. Since cos x/(x4 + 1) is even,

Z ∞
1 ∞ cos x
Z
cos x
dx = dx.
0 x4 + 1 2 −∞ x4 + 1
Actually, we have
Z ∞
1 ∞ eix
Z
cos x
dx = dx
0 x4 + 1 2 −∞ x4 + 1
since eix = cos x + i sin x.
4

Consider the contour integral of eiz /(z 4 + 1) along the path

LR = [−R, R] and CR = {|z| = R, Im(z) ≥ 0}, oriented coun-
terclockwise. By CIT, we have
eiz eiz
Z Z
4
dz + 4
dz
LR z + 1 CR z + 1
eiz eiz
Z Z
= 4
dz + 4
dz
|z−eπi/4 |=1/2 z + 1 |z−e3πi/4 |=1/2 z + 1

By CIF,
√ √
eiz 2πiei( 2+i 2)/2
Z
dz =
|z−eπi/4 |=1/2 z4 + 1 (eπi/4 − e3πi/4 )(eπi/4 − e−πi/4 )(eπi/4 − e−3πi/4 )
√ √
π(1 − i) exp((− 2 + i 2)/2)
= √
2 2
and similarly,
√ √
eiz π(1 + i) exp((− 2 − i 2)/2)
Z
dz = √
|z−e3πi/4 |=1/2 z4 + 1 2 2
Therefore,
√
Z
eiz
Z
eiz πe− 2/2 √ √
dz + dz = √ (cos( 2/2) + sin( 2/2)).
LR z4 + 1 CR
4
z +1 2
For z lying on CR , y = Im(z) ≥ 0 and hence |eiz | = e−y ≤ 1.
Hence
 iz 
 e  1
 z 4 + 1  ≤ R4 − 1
 

and it follows that

iz
Z 
 e  ≤ πR


4
dz  R4 − 1
CR z + 1


Since
πR
lim = 0,
R→∞ R4 −1
we conclude that
eiz
Z
lim dz = 0.
R→∞ CR z4 + 1
 5

Therefore,
Z ∞
1 ∞ eix
Z
cos x
dx = dx
0 x4 + 1 2 −∞ x4 + 1
eiz
Z
1
= lim dz
2 R→∞ LR z 4 + 1
√
πe− 2/2 √ √
= √ (cos( 2/2) + sin( 2/2)).
2 2

(6) Compute the integral

Z π
dx
.
−π 2 − (cos x + sin x)

Solution. Let z = eix . Then dz = ieix dx, dx = −idz/z and

hence
Z π Z π
dx dx
=
−π 2 − (cos x + sin x) 2 − (e + e )/2 − (eix − e−ix )/(2i)
ix −ix
Z−π
−idz
= 2 2
|z|=1 2z − (z + 1)/2 − (z − 1)/(2i)
Z
dz
= (i − 1) 2
|z|=1 z − 2(1 + i)z + i
Z
dz
= (i − 1)
|z|=1 (z − z1 )(z − z2 )
2πi(i − 1) √
= = 2π
z2 − z1
√ √ √
where√z1 = (1 + 2/2) + (1 + 2/2)i and z2 = (1 − 2/2) +
(1 − 2/2)i.

(7) Let f (z) be a complex polynomial of degree at least 2 and R

be a positive number such that f (z) 6= 0 for all |z| ≥ R. Show
that Z
dz
= 0.
|z|=R f (z)

Proof. Let f (z) = a0 + a1 z + ... + an z n , where an 6= 0 and

n = deg f . Since f (z) 6= 0 for |z| ≥ R, 1/f (z) is analytic in
|z| ≥ R. Hence
Z Z
dz dz
=
|z|=R f (z) |z|=r f (z)
6

for all r ≥ R by Cauchy Integral Theorem.

Since

|f (z)| ≥ |an ||z|n − |an−1 ||z|n−1 − ... − |a0 |

we have
 
 1  1
 f (z)  ≤ |an |rn − |an−1 |rn−1 − ... − |a0 |
 

for |z| = r sufficiently large. It follows that

Z 
 dz  2πr
 ≤

|z|=r f (z)  |an |rn − |an−1 |rn−1 − ... − |a0 |

And since n ≥ 2,

2πr
lim
r→∞ |an |rn
− |an−1 |rn−1 − ... − |a0 |
2π
= lim n−1
=0
r→∞ n|an |r − (n − 1)|an−1 |rn−1 − ... − |a1 |

by L’Hospital. Hence
Z Z
dz dz
= lim = 0.
|z|=R f (z) r→∞ |z|=r f (z)

(8) Let f (z) be an entire function satisfying

|f (z1 + z2 )| ≤ |f (z1 )| + |f (z2 )|

for all complex numbers z1 and z2 . Show that f (z) is a polyno-

mial of degree at most 1.
 7

Proof. We have
n
X n
X
f (zk ) = f (z1 ) + f (z2 ) + f (zk )
k=1 k=3
n
X
= f (z1 + z2 ) + f (zk )
k=3
n
X
= f (z1 + z2 ) + f (z3 ) + f (zk )
k=4
n
X
= f (z1 + z2 + z3 ) + f (zk )
k=4
n
!
X
= ... = f (z1 + z2 + ... + zn ) = f xk .
k=1

Therefore,
n n
!
X X
f (zk ) = f (z1 )+f (z2 )+...+f (zn ) = f (z1 +z2 +...+zn ) = f xk
k=1 k=1

for all complex numbers z1 , z2 , ..., zn . Particularly, this holds for z1 =

z2 = ... = zn = z/n:
z 
nf = f (z)
n
for all z ∈ C and all positive integer n. Let M be the maximum of
|f (z)| for |z| = 1. Then
  z 
|f (z)| = n f  ≤ nM
 
n
for all z satisfying |z| = n.
By CIF,
Z
00 1 f (z)
f (z0 ) = dz
πi |z|=n (z − z0 )3
for |z0 | < n. Since
 
 f (z)  |f (z)| nM
 (z − z0 )3  = |z − z0 |3 ≤ (n − |z0 |)3
 

for |z| = n and |z0 | < n,

2
 Z 
1 f (z)  ≤ 2n M .


3
dz  (n − |z0 |)3
|z|=n (z − z0 )
 πi
8

And since
2n2 M 2M/n
lim = lim = 0,
n→∞ (n − |z0 |)3 n→∞ (1 − |z0 |/n)3

we conclude that f 00 (z0 ) = 0 for all z0 . Therefore, f 0 (z) ≡ a is a

constant and f (z) = az + b is a polynomial of degree at most 1.