Physics 451 Fall 2004

Homework Assignment #9 — Solutions

Textbook problems: Ch. 6: 6.1.3, 6.1.7, 6.2.5, 6.2.6, 6.3.3, 6.4.3, 6.4.4

Chapter 6

6.1.3 Prove algebraically that

|z1 | − |z2 | ≤ |z1 + z2 | ≤ |z1 | + |z2 |

Interpret this result in terms of vectors. Prove that

p
|z − 1| < | z 2 − 1| < |z + 1|, for <(z) > 0

We start by evaluating |z1 + z2 |2

|z1 + z2 |2 = (z1 + z2 )(z1∗ + z2∗ ) = |z1 |2 + |z2 |2 + z1 z2∗ + z1∗ z2

(1)
= |z1 |2 + |z2 |2 + (z1 z2∗ ) + (z1 z2∗ )∗ = |z1 |2 + |z2 |2 + 2<(z1 z2∗ )

We now put a bound on the real part of z1 z2∗ . First note that, for any complex
quantity ζ, we have |ζ|2 = (<ζ)2 + (=ζ)2 ≥ (<ζ)2 . Taking a square root gives
|ζ| ≥ |<ζ| or −|ζ| ≤ <ζ ≤ |ζ|. For the present case (where ζ = z1 z2∗ ) this gives
−|z1 ||z2 | ≤ <(z1 z2∗ ) ≤ |z1 ||z2 |. Using this inequality in (1), we obtain

|z1 |2 + |z2 |2 − 2|z1 ||z2 | ≤ |z1 + z2 |2 ≤ |z1 |2 + |z2 |2 + 2|z1 ||z2 |

or
(|z1 | − |z2 |)2 ≤ |z1 + z2 |2 ≤ (|z1 | + |z2 |)2
Taking the square root then proves the triangle inequality. The reason this is
called the triangle inequality is that, in terms of vectors, we can think of z1 , z2
and z1 + z2 as the three sides of a triangle

z2
z 1+ z2

z1

Then the third side (|z1 + z2 |) of a triangle can be no longer than the sum of
the lengths of the other two sides (|z1 | + |z2 |) nor shorter than the difference of
lengths (|z1 | − |z2 |).
 Finally, for the second inequality, we start by proving that

|z + 1|2 = |z|2 + 1 + 2<z = (|z|2 + 1 − 2<z) + 4<z = |z − 1|2 + 4<z > |z − 1|2

for <z > 0. This implies that |z + 1| > |z − 1| for <z > 0. The picture here is
that if z is on the right half of the complex plane then it is closer to the point 1
than the point −1.
z

z
z +1

1
z−
Given this result, it is simple to see that

|z − 1|2 < |z − 1||z + 1| < |z + 1|2

or, by taking a square root

p
|z − 1| < | (z − 1)(z + 1)| < |z + 1|

which is what we set out to prove.

6.1.7 Prove that

N −1
X sin(N x/2) x
a) cos nx = cos(N − 1)
n=0
sin x/2 2
N −1
X sin(N x/2) x
b) sin nx = sin(N − 1)
n=0
sin x/2 2

We may solve parts a) and b) simultaneously by taking the complex combination

N
X −1 N
X −1 N
X −1 N
X −1
S= cos nx + i sin nx = (cos nx + i sin nx) = einx
n=0 n=0 n=0 n=0

The real part of S gives part a) and the imaginary part of S gives part b). When
written in this fashion, we see that S is a terminating geometric series with ratio
r = eix . Thus

N −1 1 1 1
X 1 − rN
n 1 − eN ix e 2 N ix (e 2 N ix − e− 2 N ix )
S= r = = = 1 1 1
n=0
1−r 1 − eix e 2 ix (e 2 ix − e− 2 ix )
 We performed the last step in order to ‘balance’ positive and negative exponentials
inside the parentheses. This is so that we may relate both the numerator and
denominator to sin α = (eiα − e−iα )/2i. The result is

1 sin(N x/2)
sin(N x/2)

S = e 2 (N −1)ix = cos 12 (N − 1)x + i sin 12 (N − 1)x
sin x/2 sin x/2

It should now be apparent that the real and imaginary parts are indeed the
solutions to parts a) and b).

6.2.5 Find the analytic function

w(z) = u(x, y) + iv(x, y)

a) if u(x, y) = x3 − 3xy 2

We use the Cauchy-Riemann relations

∂v ∂u
=− = 6xy ⇒ v = 3x2 y + C(y)
∂x ∂y
∂v ∂u
= = 3x2 − 3y 2 ⇒ v = 3x2 y − y 3 + D(x)
∂y ∂x

In order for these two expressions to agree, the functions C(y) and D(x) must
have the form C(y) = −y 3 + c and D(x) = c where c is an arbitrary constant. As
a result, we find that v(x, y) = 3x2 y − y 3 + c, or

w(z) = (x3 − 3xy 2 ) + i(3x2 y − y 3 ) + ic = z 3 + ic

The constant c is unimportant.

b) v(x, y) = e−y sin x As above, we have

∂u ∂v
= = −e−y sin x ⇒ u = e−y cos x + C(y)
∂x ∂y
∂u ∂v
=− = −e−y cos x ⇒ u = e−y cos x + D(x)
∂y ∂x

Thus we must have C(y) = D(x) = c with c a constant. The complex function
w(z) is

w(z) = c + e−y cos x + ie−y sin x = c + e−y (cos x + i sin x) = c + eix−y = c + eiz
6.2.6 If there is some common region in which w1 = u(x, y) + iv(x, y) and w2 = w1∗ =
u(x, y) − iv(x, y) are both analytic, prove that u(x, y) and v(x, y) are constants.

If u + iv and u − iv are both analytic, then they must both satisfy the Cauchy-
Riemann equations. This corresponds to

∂u ∂v ∂u ∂v
= , =−
∂x ∂y ∂y ∂x

(from u + iv) and

∂u ∂v ∂u ∂v
=− , =
∂x ∂y ∂y ∂x
(from u − iv). Clearly this indicates that

∂u ∂u ∂v ∂v
= = 0, = =0
∂x ∂y ∂x ∂y

Since all partial derivatives vanish, u and v can only be constants.

6.3.3 Verify that

Z 1+i
z ∗ dz
0

depends on the path by evaluating the integral for the two paths shown in Fig. 6.10.
y
2 1+ i z

2 1

x
1

We perform this integral as a two-dimensional line integral

Z Z
∗
z dz = (x − iy)(dx + idy)

For path 1, we first integrate along the x-axis (y = 0; dy = 0) and then along the
y-axis (x = 1; dx = 0)
Z 1+i Z 1  Z 1 
∗
z dz = (x − iy) dx + (x − iy) idy
 
0 0 y=0 0 x=1
Z 1 Z 1 1 1
= xdx + (i + y)dy = 21 x2  + (iy + 21 y 2 ) = 1 + i
 
0 0 0 0
 Similarly, for path 2, we find
Z 1+i Z 1  Z 1 
∗
z dz = (x − iy) idy + (x − iy) dx
 
0 0 x=0 0 y=1
Z 1 Z 1 1 1
= ydy + (x − i)dx = 21 y 2  + ( 21 x2 − ix) = 1 − i
 
0 0 0 0

So we see explicitly that the integral depends on the path taken (1 + i 6= 1 − i).

6.4.3 Solve Exercise 6.3.4 [ C dz/(z 2 +z) where C is a circle defined by |z| > 1] by separating
H

the integrand into partial fractions and then applying Cauchy’s integral theorem for
multiply connected regions.

Note that, by applying Cauchy’s integral formula to a constant function f (z) = 1,

we may derive the useful expression
I
dz
= 2πi (2)
C z − z0

provided point z0 is contained inside the contour C (it is zero otherwise). Then,
using partial fractions, we see that
I I I   I I
dz dz 1 1 dz dz
2
= = − dz = −
C z +z C z(z + 1) C z z+1 C z z+1
Since C is a circle of radius greater than one, it encompasses both points z0 = 0
and z0 = −1. Thus, using (2), we find
I
dz
2
= 2πi − 2πi = 0
C z +z

Note that, if the radius of C is less than one, we would have encircled only the
pole at z0 = 0. The result would then have been 2πi instead of zero.

6.4.4 Evaluate I
dz
C z2−1
where C is the circle |z| = 2.

Again, we use partial fractions and (2)

I I I  
dz dz 1/2 1/2
2
= = − dz
C z −1 C (z + 1)(z − 1) C z−1 z+1
I I
1 dz 1 dz
= − = πi − πi = 0
2 C z−1 2 C z+1
Here it is important that the contour of radius 2 encircles both points z0 = −1
and z0 = 1.