12

Lecture 17

A special class of Conformal Mappings: Mobius
Transformations or Linear Fractional Transformations
A function S(z) of the form ( ) , 0
az b
S z ad bc
cz d
+
= =
+
, is called a
Mobius Transformation.

The complex numbers , , a b c and d are called coefficients of
Mobius Transformation S(z).

The determinant
a b
c d
is called the determinant of Mobius
Transformation S(z).

The constants , , a b c and d do not uniquely determine S(z),
since, for any 0 = ,
( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( )
a z b
S z
c z d


+
=
+
.




13
Properties of Mobius Transformations:

1. The derivative of a Mobius Transformation
( ) , 0
az b
S z ad bc
cz d
+
= =
+
, is nonzero for all
z eC { }, 0
d
if c
c
= and all z eC if 0 c = :
( ) ( )
2 2
( ) ( )
( ) 0
d a cz d c az b ad bc
S z
dz
cz d cz d
+ +
= = =
+ +
,
for z eC { }, 0
d
if c
c
= and z eC if 0 c = .

Thus, every Mobius Transformation is a Conformal Mapping
at every point z eC { }, 0
d
if c
c
= and z eC if 0 c = .




14

2. Composition of any two Mobius transformations is a
Mobius transformation.
It is easily seen that if

1 1
1
1 1
( )
a z b
S z
c z d
+
=
+
and
2 2
2
2 2
( )
a z b
S z
c z d
+
=
+
,
with
1 1 1 1
0 a d b c = and
2 2 2 2
0 a d b c = then their composition
* *
*
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
1 2
2 * *
1 2 1 2 1 2 2
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
a a b c z a b b d a z b
S z S S z
c a d c z c b d c z d
+ + + +
= = =
+ + + +

satisfies
* * * *
0 a d b c = and hence is a Mobius Transformation.
(Hint: Observe that the determinant of
*
( ) S z is the product of
determinants of
1
( ) S z and
2
( ) S z )



15

3. In general,
1 2 2 1
( ) ( ) S S z S S z =
Take, for example,
1 2
( ) 1/ ( ) 1 S z z and S z z = = + .
Then,
1 2 2 1
1 1
1,
1
S S S S
z z
= + =
+
, so that
1 2 2 1
S S S S = .

Exercise. If
1 1 2 2
1 2
1 1 2 2
( ) ( )
a z b a z b
S z and S z
c z d c z d
+ +
= =
+ +
, then
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
1 2
2
1 2 1 2 1 2 2
2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1
2 1
2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1
( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( )
( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( )
a a b c z a b b d
S S z
c a d c z c b d
and
a a b c z a b b d
S S z
c a d c z c b d d
+ + +
=
+ + +
+ + +
=
+ + +

16
4. ( ) , 0
az b
S z ad bc
cz d
+
= =
+
, maps C { } oneone onto
C { } .
Note that ( ) , ( )
a d
S S
c c
= = . Further, for any we C, there is
a unique z e C given by
dw b
z
cw a

=
+
. This proves ( ) S z maps
C { } oneone onto C { } .




17
5. Inverse of a Mobius Transformation is a Mobius
Transformation

The inverse of Mobius Transformation ( )
a z b
S z
c z d
+
=
+
,
0 ad bc = , is ( )
d z b
T z
c z a

=
+
, since ( ) ( ) S T z T S z z = = .
Obviously, ( ) T z is a Mobius Transformation, since its
determinant is same as the determinant of ( ) S z and hence is
nonzero.



18
6. A Mobius Transformation S(z) can have at most 2 fixed
points (i.e. points o such that ( ) s o o = ), unless S(z) z
(i.e. S I ).
2
( ) ( ) 0
az b
S z z cz d a z b
cz d
+
= = + =
+
, which can have atmost
two solutions.



19

7. A Mobius Transformation is uniquely determined by
specifying its value at three distinct points.

Let a, b and c be three distinct points and S be a Mobius
Transformation such that

( ) , ( ) ( ) S a S b and S c o | = = = .

Let T be another Mobius transformation such that
( ) , ( ) ( ) T a T b and T c o | = = = .

Then,
1 1 1
( ) , ( ) ( ) T S a a T S b b and T S c c

= = =
1
T S

has three distinct fixed points.

S T .




20
Elementary Mobius Transformations

The Mobius Transformations
( ) S z z a = + (translation), ( ) S z a z = , 0 a = , (dilation)
( )
i
S z e z
u
= (rotation),
1
( ) S z
z
= (inversion)
are called Elementary Mobius Transformations.

The properties of elementary Mobius Transformations are
selfexplanatory by their names.




21
Proposition: Every Mobius Transformation is a composition
of Translation, Dilation, Rotation and Inversion.
First let c = 0, so that ( )
a b
S z z
d d
= + . Then,
2 1
S S S = , with
2
( )
b
S z z
d
= + and
1
( )
a
S z z
d
= .

Next, let 0 c = and choose

1 2 3 4
2
1
( ) , ( ) , ( ) ( )
d bc ad a
S z z S z S z z and S z z
c z c
c

= + = = = +

Then,
4 3 2 1
S S S S S = , since

4 3 2 1 4 3 2
( ) ( )
d
S S S S z S S S z
c
= +
4 3
1
( / )
S S
z d c
| |
=
|
+
\ .

( )
2
1
.
/
bc ad
z d c
c

=
+


( )
bc ad a
c cz d c

= +
+
( )
( )
( ) ( )
bc ad acz ad c az b
S z
c cz d c cz d
+ + +
= = =
+ +
.




22

Proposition: Each elementary transformation maps a circle
in { } C to a circle in { } C (A circle in { } C is defined to
be a proper circle if it doesnt pass through and its defined to
be a straight line if it passes through ).

Any ordered triplet
1 2 3
( , , ) z z z where , 1,2,3
i
z i eI = , gives an
orientation to the circle I in { } C . For example,
(1, , 1) (1, 1, ) and give opposite orientations to the real line,
while orientations (1,2,3) and (1, , 1) give the same orientation
to the real line.

Mappings of Proper Circle
0
:
r
C z z r = :

Transformation Mapping of Cr
w z a or z w a = + =
C
r
changes to
0
: ,
r
w a z r I = which is a
circle with center
0
a z + and radius r
w = a z,
0
w
a or z
a
= =
C
r
changes to
0 0
:
r
w
z r or w az a r
a
I = = ,
which is a circle with center
0
a z and radius
| | a r .



23
1 1
w or z
z w
= =
Case (i)(
0
z r = , i.e. circle does not pass
through the origin): C
r
changes to
0
1
:
r
z r
w
I =
2
2
0
0
2
1
2Re( ) 0
z
z r
w
w
+ =
( )
2 2
2
0 0 0
( ) 2Re 1 0 w z r z w + =
which is a proper circle.
Case( ii) (
0
z r = , i.e. circle passes through the
origin): C
r
changes to
0
1
:
r
z r
w
I =
0
2
1
2Re( ) 0
z
w
w
=
0
2Re( ) 1, z w which is a straight line =











24
Mapping of a straight line L :
Re( ) , x y or cz o | + = = where z x iy and c i o | = + = + :
Transformation Mapping of C
r
w z a or z w a = + =
L changes to Re( ) cw ca = or
Re( ) Re( ) cw ca = + , which is a straight
line
w = a z,
0
w
a or z
a
= =
L changes to Re( )
cw
a
= or
( )
2
Re acw a = or
2
Re( ) dw a = ,
where d ac = , which is a straight line
1 1
w or z
z w
= =
L changes to
2
Re( ) Re( )
c
or cw w
w
= = , which is a
circle if 0 = and is a straight line if
0 =