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Lesson 17. Logarithmic Function

The document discusses logarithmic functions and their properties for complex numbers. It defines the natural logarithm ln(z) as the inverse of the exponential function ez. The logarithm ln(z) is multi-valued since ez is not one-to-one, while its principal value Ln(z) is single-valued. It also discusses that the logarithm is the inverse of exponentiation, and logarithmic and exponential functions satisfy properties like ln(ab) = ln(a) + ln(b) for complex numbers a and b not equal to 0.

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Aneek M. Noor
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© © All Rights Reserved
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79 views

Lesson 17. Logarithmic Function

The document discusses logarithmic functions and their properties for complex numbers. It defines the natural logarithm ln(z) as the inverse of the exponential function ez. The logarithm ln(z) is multi-valued since ez is not one-to-one, while its principal value Ln(z) is single-valued. It also discusses that the logarithm is the inverse of exponentiation, and logarithmic and exponential functions satisfy properties like ln(ab) = ln(a) + ln(b) for complex numbers a and b not equal to 0.

Uploaded by

Aneek M. Noor
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lesson 17.

Logarithmic function

The natural logarithm ln z is defined, as in calculus, as


the inverse function of ez . However, ex is one-to-one on
−∞ < x < ∞, so its inverse ln x is single valued. Since
ez is not one-to-one (every non-zero point is covered
infinitely many times) its inverse ln z is multi-valued.

w = ln z ⇔ ew = z ̸= 0, so that eln z = z.
Writing z = reiθ = eln r eiθ we see that

w = ln z = ln r + iθ = ln |z| + i arg z.
As arg z is multi-valued, so is ln z. The principal value
of ln z is defined as

Ln z = ln r + iArg z.
1
√ π
Example. Ln(1 + i) = ln 2 + i ,
4
√ π
ln(1 + i) = ln 2 + i( + 2kπ), k = 0, ±1, ±2, . . .
4

Since ln(ew ) = w + 2kπi and ew1 ew2 = ew1+w2 , we have

ln(ew1 ew2 ) = w1 + w2 + 2kπi = ln(ew1 ) + ln(ew2 ),


i.e.,

ln(ab) = ln a + ln b for a ̸= 0 and b ̸= 0,


meaning that both sides represent the same infinite set
of numbers. Similarly,
( )
a
ln = ln a − ln b for a ̸= 0 and b ̸= 0.
b

2
If a domain D in C \ {0} does not contain a loop around
0, we can choose a branch of ln z in D, i.e., a single-
valued continuous function f (z) in D such that ef (z) = z
1
for all z ∈ D. Then f (z) is analytic in D, and f ′(z) = ,
( )′ z
since ef (z) = ef (z)f ′(z) = zf ′(z) = z ′ = 1. Thus we
1
can write (ln z)′ = as in calculus. Note that (ln z)′ is
z
a single-valued function, although ln z is multi-valued.

3
Powers: For complex numbers c and z ̸= 0, we define
z c = ec ln z . In general, this is multi-valued.

i i ln i i( π2 i+2kπi) − π2 −2kπ
Example. i = e =e =e
for k = 0, ±1, ±2, . . .. Note that all values are real.

A confusing convention: xc for real x > 0 usually


means, as in calculus, ec ln x where ln x = Ln x is a real
number (the principal value of ln x).

Warning: (z a)b = z ab fails for complex numbers.


a b b ln(z a) b ln(e a ln z )
(z ) = e =e = eab ln z+2kbπi = z abe2kbπi
for k = 0, ±1, ±2, . . .
Thus (z a)b ̸= z ab (even as (two)a sets!) when b is not an
integer. Similarly, (z a)b ̸= z b .
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Complex functions as mappings. Take w = f (z).
What kind of a mapping of the complex plane to itself
is this?

We’ve already discussed it for f (z) = ez . It maps verti-


cal lines to circles and horizontal lines to rays.

Example. For f (z) = eiαz, the mapping is rotation by


α about the origin.

Example. Let f (z) = z n where n > 0 is an integer. For


z = r(cos θ + i sin θ), r maps to rn and θ is multiplied
by n, thus the whole complex plane is covered n times.
Circles centered at 0 map to circles, and rays with one
end at 0 to rays.
5
1
Example. Let f (z) = for z ̸= 0. For z = r(cos θ +
z
1
i sin θ), r maps to and θ to −θ. The mapping is
r
combination of an inversion in the unit circle and a
reflection about the x-axis.

Example. Let f (z) = z a where a ̸= 0 is real (and


z ̸= 0 for a < 0). If a is not an integer, this is multi-
valued (infinitely-valued if a is irrational). To define
a single-valued branch, we take the principal value of
arg z (making a “cut” along the negative x-axis). Then
r maps to ra and θ to aθ. For 0 < a < 1, the unit disk
maps to the sector 0 < θ < 2πa of the unit disk.

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z−i
Example. Let f (z) = . Then,
z+i

z − i
= 1 ⇒ |z − i|2 = |z + i|2 ⇒

z+i

x2+(y−1)2 = x2+(y+1)2 ⇒ y 2−2y+1 = y 2+2y+1 ⇒ y = 0.


Thus f maps the real axis to the unit circle (and the
upper half-plane to the unit disk).

z + 1z
Example. Let f = (Zhukovsky’s function).
2
If z = eiα then w = f (z) = cos α is real, −1 ≤ w ≤ 1,
thus f maps the unit circle to the segment [−1, 1] of the
real axis (covering each point of (−1, 1) twice). The
complement to the unit disk maps to the complement
of the segment [−1, 1] one-to-one.
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