Math 113 (Spring 2009) Yum-Tong Siu

Homework Assigned on February 17, 2009

due February 24, 2009
Problem 1 (from Stein & Shakarchi, p.67, #14). Let R > 1 and z0 C with
|z0 | = 1. Let h(z) be a holomorphic function on { |z| < R } with h (z0 ) 6= 0.
Let m be a positive integer and
f (z) =
Show that if

h(z)
.
(z z0 )m

an z n

n=0

denotes the power series expansion of f on { |z| < 1 }, then

an
= z0 .
n an+1
lim

Solution of Problem 1. First of all, we express f (z) in the form

m
X
k=1

Ak
(z z0 )k

+ g(z)

with A1 , , Am C, where Am = h (z0 ) 6= 0 and g(z) is a power series

P

n
n=0 bn z with radius of convergence at least equal to R so that for any
|z0 | < r < R we can find a positive number B such that
|bn |

B
rn

for all nonnegative integer n. By using the binomial expansion of

differentiating the geometric series
n+k1 n+k1
=
, we have
k1
n

1
zz0

1
(zz0 )k

in z (k 1)-times) and noting that

m
X
(n + k 1)(n + k 2) (n + 2)(n + 1)
an = bn +
(1)k Ak
.
n+k
(k

1)!
(z
)
0
k=1

In the computation of the limit

an
,
n an+1
lim

(or

Math 113 (Spring 2009) Yum-Tong Siu

since Am = h (z0 ) 6= 0 and 1r < z10 and |bn | rBn , the dominant term from
an is
(n + m 1)(n + m 2) (n + 2)(n + 1)
(1)m Am
(m 1)! (z0 )n+m
and we get
(1)m Am (n+m1)(n+m2)(n+2)(n+1)
an
(m1)!(z0 )n+m
= lim
lim
= z0 .
n
n an+1
(1)m Am (n+m)(n+m1)(n+3)(n+2)
(m1)!(z )n+1+m
0

The dominant term from an means that an minus the dominant term and
then divided by the dominant term would have limit zero when n .
Problem 2 (from Stein & Shakarchi, p.67, #15). Suppose f is a nowhere
vanishing continuous function on the closure D of the open unit disk D and
f is holomorphic in D. Prove that if
|f (z)| = 1 whenver |z| = 1,
then f is constant.
Hint: Extend f to all of C by
f (z) =

1
1
z

whenever |z| > 1, and argue as in the Schwarz reflection principle.

Solution of Problem 2. Define

f (z) for |z| 1

g(z) =

for |z| 1.
11
f ( z )
This is well defined, because when |z| = 1, we have
1
=z
z
and
f

1
1 =
z

1
f (z)

= f (z)

Math 113 (Spring 2009) Yum-Tong Siu

due to the assumption that |f (z)| = 1 for |z| = 1. The function g(z) is
continuous on all of C and is holomorphic outside the boundary of D, because
f is holomorphic on D and continuous on D and g(z) locally on C D is a
convergent series from its definition. By the continuity of g(z) on D, for any
bounded solid triangle G in C whose boundary is T and any 0 < < 1, if we
denote by T the boundary of G { 1 < |z| < 1 + }, then
Z
Z
lim
g(z)dz =
g(z)dz.
0

By the holomorphicity of g on C D, we have

Z
g(z)dz = 0 for 0 < < 1.
T

Hence

Z
g(z)dz = 0.
T

By Moreras theorem g(z) is holomorphic on all of C. Since f (z) is uniformly

bounded on D, it follows that g(z) is uniformly bounded on all of C and must
be constant by Liouvilles theorem. Hence f is constant.
Remark. An alternative way of proving the constancy of f (z) is to apply
1
the maximum modulus principle to f (z) on D and then to f (z)
to show that
|f (z)| 1 on D. The local constancy of the real part of a holomorphic
function implies its local constancy. This alternative proof works even when
D is replaced by any bounded connected open subset of D, because only the
maximum modulus principle is used and not the Schwarz reflection principle.
Problem 3 (from Stein & Shakarchi, p.67-68, Problem 1). For a function f
defined on the open unit disk D, a point w of the boundary C of D is said to
be regular for f if there is an open neighborhood U of w and a holomorphic
function g on U , so that f = g on D U . A function f defined on D cannot
be continued analytically past the unit disk if no point of C is regular for f .
(a) Let
f (z) =

z2

for |z| < 1.

n=0

Notice that the radius of convergence of the above series is 1. Show that f
,
cannot be continued analytically past the unit disk. Hint: Suppose
= 2p
2k

i
i

as
where p and k are positive integers. Let z = re ; then f re
r 1.

Math 113 (Spring 2009) Yum-Tong Siu

(b) Fix 0 < < 1. Show that the holomorphic function f defined by
f (z) =

2n z 2

for |z| < 1

n=0

extends continuously to the unit circle, but cannot be analytically continued

past the unit circle. Hint: Use Eulers formula ei = cos + i sin and
the Weierstrass continuous nowhere differentiable function reproduced below
from Fourier Analysis by Stein & Shakarchi, pp.113-118.
2p

Solution of Problem 3. (a) For positive integers k, p N let zp,k = ei 2k .

Then, since
nk
ei2p2
= 1 for n N and n k,
it follows that for 0 < r < 1
f (rzk,p ) =

k1
X

2n i2p2nk

r e

n=0

r2n ,

n=k

which becomes unbounded as r 1. Since the set of points

{zk,p }p,kN
is dense in the unit circle { |z| = 1 }, it follows that f (z) cannot be extended
analytically past any point of the unit circle.
(b) According to Theorem 3.1 of the book Fourier Analysis by Stein &
Shakarchi whose pages 113 118 are reproduced below, for 0 < < 1 the
function

X
n
g(x) =
2n ei2 x
n=0

for x R is continuous but nowhere differentiable on R. The function

f (z) =

2n z 2

for |z| < 1

n=0

is continuous on D = { |z| 1 }, because

X
n 2n X
2 z
2n <
n=0

n=0

Math 113 (Spring 2009) Yum-Tong Siu

for |z| 1 due to > 0. Since f ei = g () for R and since g () is
nowhere differentiable as a function of R, it follows that no extension of
f (z) can be complex-differentiable at any point z on the unit circle. Thus
f (z) cannot be analytically continued past the unit circle.

Math 113 (Spring 2009) Yum-Tong Siu

Math 113 (Spring 2009) Yum-Tong Siu

Math 113 (Spring 2009) Yum-Tong Siu

Math 113 (Spring 2009) Yum-Tong Siu

Math 113 (Spring 2009) Yum-Tong Siu

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Math 113 (Spring 2009) Yum-Tong Siu

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