Complex Variables
Why is it necessary to learn the complex variable theory ?
Useful for certain types of integrals (the residue theorem).
Z
(Examples:)
x4
dx,
1 + x6
Z 2
0
cos
d
1 + sin 2
Useful for 2-D fluid mechanics/solid mechanics problems 1 .
u = v = 0,
w = u + iv.
Real variable theories are subsets of the complex variable theory (the fundamental theorem of algebra 2 ).
With a complex number in the form of
z = a + ib,
where i = 1, divisions and multiplications between two complex numbers are computed as
z1 z2
= (a1 + ib1 )(a2 + ib2 )
= (a1 a2 b1 b2 ) + i(a1 b2 + a2 b1 ),
(1)
and
z1
z2
(a1 +ib1 )(a2 ib2 )
(a2 +ib2 )(a2 ib2 )
a1 a2 +b1 b2
a1 b2
+ i a2 ab21 +b
2 .
a22 +b22
2
2
=
=
(2)
The complex conjugate of z = a + ib is defined as
z = a ib.
It follows
z1 + z2
z1 z2
z1
z2
= z1 + z2 ,
= z1 z2 ,
=
z1
z2 .
Note that
zz = |z|2 .
1
The real part and the imaginary part of any analytic functions (e.g. f (z) = z3 ) satisfy the Laplace equation. For instance,
z3 = (x + iy)3 = x3 3xy2 + i(3x2 y y3 ),
so
u = x3 3xy2 ,
Verify that both u and v satisfy
2 An
algebraic equation of the n-th order has n zeros.
u = 0,
v = 3x2 y y3 .
v = 0.
(3)
Complex Plane
With the introduction of the imaginary number, i, it is possible to associate z = a + ib with a point (a, b) in a 2-D plane.
y
z=a+i b
|z| = a2 + b2
=
zz,
and
(4)
arg z = .
It is noted that
= a + ib
2
2
=
a +b
a
a2 +b2
= |z|(cos + i sin )
= rei ,
+ i 2b 2
a +b
(5)
where Eulers formula
ei = cos + i sin , 3
was used.
On the complex plane, it is possible to visualize the operations among complex numbers as shown in the table below:
z1 z2
z1 z2
addition of vectors
r1 r2 ei(1 +2 )
r1 i(1 2 )
r2 e
z1
z2
Using Eulers formulas,
ei
ei
= cos + i sin ,
= cos i sin ,
(7)
(8)
trigonometric functions can be written as
cos
sin
=
=
ei +ei
2
ei ei
2i
,
.
(9)
ei
=
=
=
)
(i )
1 + (i ) + (i2!) + (i
3! + 4! . . .
2
4
3
5
1 2! + 4! . . . + i 3! + 5! . . .
cos + i sin .
2
(6)
It is seen from the above that sine and cosine functions are the even and odd parts of f ( ) = ei .
Similarly, the hyperbolic sine and cosine functions can be defined as (the even and odd parts of f ( ) = e )
cosh
sinh
=
=
e +e
2
e e
2
,
.
(10)
The following similarity can be immediately verified:
(sin )0 = cos
(cos )0 = sin
cos2 + sin2 = 1
(sinh )0 = cosh
(cosh )0 = sinh
cosh2 sinh2 = 1
Example 1 Evaluate sin i.
sin i
=
=
=
eii eii
2i
e1 e
2i
i
1
2 (e e ).
(11)
Note that this is a pure imaginary number.
Example 2 Evaluate
I
Z
0
ex sin xdx.
= 0 ex eix dx4
R
= h0 e(1+i)x dx i
1
e(1+i)x
= 1+i
1
50
= 1+i
(0 1)
1 1i
= 1+i
1i
1
= 2 + 12 i
= 12 .
(12)
Example 3 Solve sin z = 3 6 .
Let z = x + iy, then,
sin z = sin (x + iy)
1 i(x+iy)
e
ei(x+iy)
=
2i
1
=
cos x(ey ey ) + i sin x(ey + ey ) ,
2i
(13)
cos x(ey ey ) + i sin x(ey + ey ) = 6i,
(16)
(14)
(15)
so
or by comparing the imaginary part and real part of both sides,
cos x(ey ey ) = 0,
sin x(ey + ey ) = 6.
4 ( f )
is the imaginary part of f .
x , e(1+i)x = ex eix 0 since ex 0 and eix = cos x + i sin x is bounded (but indefinite).
6 This equation does not make sense if z is a real number.
5 As
(17)
(18)
If ey ey = 0 in eq.(17), it follows e2y = 1 or y = 0 which implies that sin x = 3 from eq.(18) which is impossible, so
cos x = 0 must be satisfied from eq.(17). Therefore,
n ,
2
(19)
n )(ey + ey ) = 6.
2
(20)
x=
and
sin (
For the right hand side to be positive,
sin (
n ),
2
x=
2n .
2
(21)
ey + ey = 6,
(22)
(ey )2 6ey + 1 = 0,
(23)
y = ln (3 2 2),
(24)
must be positive which implies that
From eq.(20),
or
which can be solved as
so finally
z=
2n + i ln (3 2 2).
2
(25)