Math 113 (Spring 2019) Yum-Tong Siu 1

Homework Assigned on March 5, 2019

due March 12, 2019
(More problems to be assigned on March 7
also due March 12)

Please submit the PDF file of your homework

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Problem 1 (Poisson Integral Formula from Mean Value Property and Biholomor-
phic Map of Open Unit Disk – from Stein & Shakarchi, p.109, #2). A harmonic
function h on an open subset Ω of C means that the second-order partial derivatives
of h are continuous and h satisfies the Laplace equation

∂2h ∂2h
+ 2 ≡0
∂x2 ∂y

on Ω. Let u be a harmonic function in the open unit disk D = {z ∈ C  |z| < 1}


which is continuous on the topological closure D of D. Prove the Poisson integral

formula Z 2π
1 1 − |z0 |2
u(z0 ) = u(eiθ )dθ
2π θ=0 |eiθ − z0 |2
for z0 ∈ D by using the following two steps.
(i) Verify the mean value property of u (which is the Poisson integral formula for
z0 = 0)
Z 2π
1
u(0) = u(eiθ )dθ
2π θ=0

by using a holomorphic function fr (z) on Dr (0) = {z ∈ C  |z| < r} whose real


part is u on Dr (0) for 0 < r < 1.

(ii) Apply (i) to u0 (z) = u(T (z)) with a change of variables in the integral, where
T : D → D is a biholomorphic map of D defined by
z0 − z
T (z) = .
1 − z0 z
Math 113 (Spring 2019) Yum-Tong Siu 2

Problem 2 (Koebe-Bieberbach 14 Theorem for Normalized Univalent Functions on

Open Unit Disk – from Stein & Shakarchi, p.108, #1). The Koebe-Bieberbach 41
theorem for normalized univalent functions on the open unit disk

D = {z ∈ C  |z| < 1}


states that if f : D → C is an injective holomorphic map with f (0) = 0 and

f 0 (0) = 1, then the image of f contains Dr (0) = {z ∈ C  |z| < r} with r = 14 .


Prove the Koebe-Bieberbach 14 theorem for normalized univalent functions on

the open unit disk by following the four steps outlined below.
(a) (Grönwall’s Area Theorem). If
∞
1 X
h(z) = + cn z n
z
n=0

is holomorphic and injective on {0 < |z| < 1}, then

∞
X
n|cn |2 ≤ 1.
n=1

Hint: The injectivity of h implies that for 0 < ρ < 1 the image of the clockwise
circle {|z| = ρ} is mapped by h to a counterclockwise simple closed curve Cρ in C
(because of the behavior of h near z = 0). Compute the area of the domain Ωρ in
C enclosed by Cρ by
Z Z Z
i i i
dw ∧ dw̄ = wdw̄ = − h(z)dh(z).
w∈Ωρ 2 w∈Cρ 2 |z|=ρ 2

Use the fact that the area of Ωρ is nonnegative and pass to limit as ρ → 1.
(b) (Second Coefficient Estimate of Bieberbach’s Conjecture). Let f (z) be a uni-
valent (i.e., injective holomorphic) function on D with f (0) = 0 and f 0 (0) = 1.
Let
∞
X
f (z) = z + an z n
n=1

be the power series expansion of f (z) on D. Prove that |a2 | ≤ 2 by applying (a)
1
to g(z) where g(z) is a univalent function on D with g(0) = 0 and g 0 (0) = 1 and
g(z)2 = f (z 2 ).
1 1
Hint: On 0 < |z| < 1 one has the expansion g(z) = z − 12 a2 z + · · · .
Math 113 (Spring 2019) Yum-Tong Siu 3

Remark. The statement |an | ≤ n for all n ≥ 2 is known as the Bieberbach conjecture
which was confirmed by Louis de Branges in 1985.
(c) If h(z) = z1 + ∞ n
P
n=0 cn z is holomorphic and injective on {0 < |z| < 1} and
avoids the values z1 and z2 , prove that |z1 − z2 | ≤ 4.
Hint: For each of the two cases of j = 1 and j = 2, apply the second coefficient
1
estimate of Bieberbach’s conjecture to the power series expansion of h(z)−z j
on D.
1
(d) Complete the proof of the the Koebe-Bieberbach 4 theorem for normalized
univalent functions on the open unit disk.
1 1
Hint: If f avoids w, then f avoids 0 and w.

Problem 3 (Examples of Application of Argument Principle). (a) Verify that

there are no roots of the quartic equation

z 4 + z 3 + 4z 2 + 2z + 3 = 0

in the open first quadrant by showing that there is zero accumulated change of
the argument of the holomorphic function f (z) = z 4 + z 3 + 4z 2 + 2z + 3 along the
boundary of the intersection

ΩR = { z ∈ C  Re z > 0 and Im z > 0 and |z| < R }


of the open first quadrant and the open disk of radius R when R > 0 is sufficiently
large.
(b) By using the fact that all the coefficients of z 4 + z 3 + 4z 2 + 2z + 3 are real,
show that there are no roots of

z 4 + z 3 + 4z 2 + 2z + 3 = 0

in the open fourth quadrant and that there are precisely two roots in each of the
two other open quadrants.
Hint: There are no real roots of

z 4 + z 3 + 4z 2 + 2z + 3 = 0,

because the polynomial x4 − x3 + 4x2 − 2x + 3 in x obtained by setting z = −x

can be rewritten as the sum x2 (x2 − x + 4) + (−2x + 3) of two positive terms for
0 < x < 1 and as the sum x3 (x − 1) + (2x(2x − 1) + 3) of two positive terms for
x > 1.