Understand Complex Calculus: Diff. & Integ.

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter rhia
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Calculus Complex
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the differences between differentiation and integration in the context of complex calculus compared to real calculus. Participants explore the complexities involved in understanding these concepts, particularly focusing on the integration of complex functions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the differences between real and complex differentiation and integration, expressing difficulty in understanding the integration of complex functions.
  • Another participant notes that the domain is different, explaining that complex differentiation involves treating complex numbers as both a one-dimensional and two-dimensional space, referencing the Cauchy-Riemann equations as a key aspect of complex differentiability.
  • A different viewpoint emphasizes that for a function of a complex variable to be differentiable, the limit must exist from any direction, contrasting this with the requirement for real functions.
  • Some participants argue that while differentiation can be explained as a linear approximation, integration is more complex and should not be solely viewed as calculating area.
  • One participant highlights the importance of the Riemann-Stieltjes integral in complex line integrals, suggesting that many introductory texts overlook the technical details involved.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various viewpoints on the nature of complex differentiation and integration, indicating that there is no consensus on a singular understanding of these concepts. Multiple competing views remain regarding the best approaches to grasp these topics.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions involve assumptions about the continuity and differentiability of functions, as well as the technical requirements for complex integration, which may not be fully resolved in the conversation.

rhia
Messages
37
Reaction score
0
How is it different from the real differentiation and integration?
There are so many details that I am finding it hard to understand.
Is there a better way to understand especially Integration of Complex functions?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Well, the domain is different for a start.

The reason why complex differentiation is special is this:

C is both a "1 parameter space" or it is a 1-d space, whatever, susing C as the groudn field, and it is a 2-d real space.

C = RxR, the set of ordered pairs of real numbers with z = x+iy identified with (x,y)

so when we do lim h tends to 0 of [f(z+h) - f(z)]/h, we can also think in terms of what we want to happen thinking of

f(z) = f(x,y) = u(x,y)+iv(x,y)


there is a whole thread on this in this very subforum. try searching for it.

anyway, it turns out the proper definition for complex differentiation is one where, treating u and v as real valued functions from RxR, we have the cauchy riemann equations satisfied. goolgle for these (include the word wolfram, as ever).
 
One important difference is that the complex plane is two dimensional. In order that a function be differentiable, it must be true that [tex]lim_{x->0} \frac{f(x+h)- f(x)}{h}[/tex] exists. In functions of a real variable, that only means that the two limits "from above" and "from below" must exist. In functions of a complex variable, that means that the limit as you approach from any direction, any line, any curve, must give the same result.
A result of that is that if a function of a complex variable has a continuous derivative it must be infinitely differentiable (actually even more- "analytic").
 
differentiation is easy to explain. A complex valued function ,of a complex variable is equivalent to a function from R^2 to R^2. A derivative is alinear approximation.

If the function is continuiously differentiable in the real sense, then the function is also complex differentiable if and only if the real linear approximation is actually complex linear as well.

integration is alittle more sophisticated. Try to get over thinking of integration as area, and just as adding up something.
 
mathwonk said:
differentiation is easy to explain. A complex valued function ,of a complex variable is equivalent to a function from R^2 to R^2. A derivative is alinear approximation.

If the function is continuiously differentiable in the real sense, then the function is also complex differentiable if and only if the real linear approximation is actually complex linear as well.

integration is alittle more sophisticated. Try to get over thinking of integration as area, and just as adding up something.

It's the Riemann-Stieltjes integral that's needed for complex line integrals (just as it's needed for the ordinary line integrals of vector analysis). On a contour, at a given point z*, we're multiplying the complex number f(z*) by the complex number z**-z* (where z** is a point close to z*: z** = z*+delta z); we sum over all these products over the contour, and then look at the limit as z**-z* tends uniformly to zero, for all z*,z**.

I've seen many introductory books gloss over these small technical problems, and treat the complex integral as an exact analogue of our chum the Riemann integral.
 
hey mathwonk and hallsofivy u are both good, send a private 2 me u both
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K
  • · Replies 49 ·
2
Replies
49
Views
9K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
3K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 0 ·
Replies
0
Views
3K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
4K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K