Complex analysis
Calculus with complex numbers: residues and contour integrals.
Pen and paper is fine · no calculator needed why?
Opens at level 60.
Lesson and untimed practice
Read the full lesson and try each skill without a clock. About 3 minutes to read.
skills · practice stats
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Roots of unity not tried yet
worked example
What is the sum of the 12th powers of all 12th roots of unity?
Answer: 12
- Each of the 12 roots ω has ω¹² = 1.
- So the sum is 12 × 1 = 12.
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Residues not tried yet
worked example
What is the residue of f(z) = 1/((z − 5)(z + 4)) at z = −4? Give an exact number or fraction.
Answer: -1/9
- z = −4 is a simple pole: f(z) = g(z)/(z + 4) with g(z) = 1/(z − 5).
- The residue is g(−4) = 1/(−4 − 5) = −1/9.
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Contour integrals not tried yet
worked example
The integral of f(z) = (z² + 3z + 4)/z around the circle |z| = 3 (counterclockwise) equals kπi. What is k?
Answer: 8
- The only pole, z = 0, lies inside |z| = 3.
- Its residue is the numerator at z = 0, which is its constant term: 4.
- Residue theorem: 2πi × 4 = 8πi, so k = 8.
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Analytic or not? not tried yet
worked example
Three of these functions of z = x + iy are analytic (complex-differentiable) everywhere. Which one is not?
- conj(z)
- z²
- z² + 3z
- z³
Answer: conj(z)
- conj(z) = x − iy: ∂u/∂x = 1 but ∂v/∂y = −1, so Cauchy–Riemann fails everywhere.
- The other three, z³, z² + 3z and z², are analytic everywhere: polynomials in z, or built from eᶻ.
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