Math 450

Worked Problems in Limits and Continuity of Complex

Functions
Pay careful attention to the solution to these problems.

Problem 1:
Find the following limits.

lim ( z 2 4 z + 2 + 5i )

z 2 +i

Solution. This requires substitution of z= 2 + i in the quadratic z 2 4 z + 2 + 5i .

lim ( z 2 4 z + 2 + 5i ) =

z 2 +i

( 2 + i ) 4 ( 2 + i ) + 2 + 5i
( 3 + 4i ) 8 4i + 2 + 5i
2

= 3 8 + 2 + 4i 4i + 5i
= 3 + 5i

Problem 2: Let f ( z=
) 3 z 1 . We prove that lim f ( z )= 2 + 3i .
z 1+ i

Solution: Let > 0 be given. We look for > 0 such that f ( z ) (2 + 3i ) < .

We take any

such that 0 < < / 3 .

Problem 3:

1
=
0
f ( z)

if and only if lim

Prove the Theorem lim f ( z ) =
z z0

z z0

Solution:

1
and the reciprocal of
f ( z)
infinity or 1/0 is 0/1 or 0. Thus we use the reciprocal of epsilon to tie it all together.
Hence, we say
We start the proof by noting that the reciprocal of f ( z ) is

f ( z) >

whenever 0 < z z0 < . This says that the point w = f ( z ) lies in the
1

of whenever z lies in the deleted neighborhood 0 < z z0 < of

z0 . Now. since we have chosen the epsilon well, we now try to change the left side into
the right by taking the reciprocal.

neighborhood w >

The reciprocal of f ( z ) >

is

1
0 < , which is in the form we desire because
f ( z)

this means that

1
lim f ( z ) =
0.
if and only if lim
=
z z0
z z0 f ( z )

Problem 4:

xy 2
x2 y
+i 6

Let f ( z ) = x 2 + 2 y 6
x + y2
0

when z 0
when z = 0

Show that f(z) is not continuous at the point z = 0.

Solution :
Part 1: Approach from the a line y = mx
Solution. Consider the line

through the origin. Substitute

into

xy 3
x3 y
and get:
+
i
x2 + 2 y6
x6 + y 2

f=
( x, mx )
=
=

xy 3
x3 y
i
+
x2 + 2 y6
x6 + y 2
x ( mx )3
x 2 + 2 ( mx )

+i

x 3 ( mx )
x 6 + ( mx ) 2

xm 3 x 3
x 3 (mx )
i
+
x 2 + 2( mx )6
x6 + m2 x 2

m3 x 4
x 4m
i
+
x 2 + 2m 6 x 6
x6 + m2 x 2
m3 x 4
x 2m
=
+i 4
1 + 2m 6 x 4
x + m2
=

We can now calculate the limit for points

lim f ( z ) =
z 0

lim

( x , y )( 0,0 )

, where L is any line y = mx.

f ( x, y )

= lim f ( x, mx )
x 0

m3 x 4
x 2m
= lim
+ i lim 4
x 0 1 + 2 m 6 x 4
x 0 x + m 2
m 3 02
m 02
=
i
+
1 + 2m 6 04
04 + m 2
= 0 + 0i
=0
Part 2: Approach from the curve x = y3 (We could use any line or curve of approach)

Substitute x = y 3 into

xy 2
x2 y
+
i
and get:
x2 + 2 y6
x6 + y 2

xy 3
x3 y
f=
( y , y ) x2 + 2 y6 + i x6 + y 2
3

y3 y3

(y )

3 2

+ 2 y6

(y ) y
+i
(y ) + y
3 3

3 6

y6
y10
+
i
y6 + 2 y6
y18 + y 2

1
y8
+ i 16
y +1
3

We can now calculate the limit for points z in the plane as they approach 0 along the
curve x = y3.

lim f ( z ) =
z 0

lim

( x , y )( 0,0 )

f ( x, y )

= lim f ( y 3 , y )
y 0

y8
1
= lim + i lim 16
y 0 3
y 0 y
+1
1
08
+ i 16
3 0 +1
1
= + 0i
3
1
=
3
=

Since this value is not the same as the limit along lines through the origin that we
obtained in Part 1, we conclude that f ( z ) is not continuous at the point z = 0 .



Problem 5: Let
=
f1 ( z ) z=
e
r cos + i sin ,
3
3
1
3

Arg ( z )
3

1
3

where z = rei , r = z 0, = Arg ( z ), and r > 0, <

Here f1 ( z ) denotes the principal cube root function.
1
3

Show that f1 ( z ) is a branch of the multivalued cube root f ( z ) = z .

Solution :
1

f1 ( z ) = z 3 e

Arg ( z )
3

, so

1 i Arg3( z )
( f1 ( z ) ) = z 3 e

13 i 3
=z e

= z ei Arg ( z )

Arg ( z )
3

=z
This shows that f1 ( z ) is indeed a branch of the cube root function.

1 i


3
3e
Problem 6: Let
=
f1 ( z ) z=
r 3 cos + i sin ,
3
3
Arg ( z )

where z = rei , r = z 0, = Arg ( z ), and r > 0, <

Here f1 ( z ) denotes the principal cube root function.
What is the range of

Solution:
Use polar coordinates z = rei in the z-plane and w = ei in the w-plane.
1 i


3
3e =
Then
=
w f=
z
z
r 3 cos + i sin
(
)
1
3
3
Arg ( z )

maps the point

( r, )

in the xy-plane onto the point

1

3
and we get the equations
=
r=
and

( , ) = r 3 ,

in the uv-plane,
3

3
Using the equations
=
r =
and 3 , we find that the image

of

is

which can be written as ei : > 0 and < .

3
3

1 i


3
3e
Problem 7: Let
=
f1 ( z ) z=
r 3 cos + i sin ,
3
3
Arg ( z )

where z = rei , r = z 0, = Arg ( z ), and r > 0, <

Here f1 ( z ) denotes the principal cube root function.
Where is

continuous ?

Solution:


=
f1 ( z ) z=
e
r cos + i sin ,
3
3
1
3

Arg ( z )
3

1
3

where z = rei , r = z 0, = Arg ( z ), and r > 0, < is continuous for all z except
z = 0 and along the negative x-axis where r > 0 and =
.

is continuous for all z except

and along the negative x-axis where