Finding Laurent Series and Residues for Complex Functions

In summary, a Laurent series is a type of power series used in complex analysis to represent functions with singularities. It differs from a Taylor series by including both positive and negative powers of the variable. The coefficients of a Laurent series can be found using the Cauchy integral formula. The residue of a function, which is the coefficient of the term with a power of -1 in the Laurent series, is used to calculate the value of a complex function at a singularity. Singularities can significantly affect the Laurent series of a function, with removable singularities resulting in finitely many negative powers and non-removable singularities resulting in infinitely many negative powers. A function can have multiple Laurent series representations if it has multiple singularities,
  • #1
Incand
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Homework Statement


Find four terns of the Laurent series for the given function about ##z_0=0##. Also, give the residue of the function at the point.
a) ##\frac{1}{e^z-1}##
b) ##\frac{1}{1-\cos z}##

Homework Equations


The residue of the function at ##z_0## is coefficient before the ##1/(z-z_0)## term in the Laurent expansion.

The definition of the coefficients for ##f(z)## (possibly of use)
##a_k = \frac{1}{2\pi i} \int_{|w-z_0|=s} \frac{f(w)}{(w-z_0)^{k+1}}dw, \; \; \; k=0,\pm 1, \dots##

Theorem:
If ##F## and ##G## are analytic functions on the disc ##\{z:|z-z_0|<r_0\}## with ##g(z_0)=0## but ##G'(z_0) \ne 0##. Then
##\text{Res}\left( \frac{F}{G}; z_0\right) = \frac{F(z_0)}{G'(z_0)}##.

The Attempt at a Solution


Starting with a) using the definition seems very impractical so there's probably an easier way to find the coefficient but I'm not sure how. It seems computing the residue is easier using the theorem above. ##\text{Res}\left(\frac{1}{e^x-1};0\right) = \frac{1}{e^0} = 1## and hence one term of the Laurent expansion is ##\frac{1}{z}##.

As for how to actually get the Laurent series I have no idea. I tried to match the coefficients by putting ##g(z) = \frac{a_{-1}}{z} + a_0 + a_1z + a_2z^2+\dots## since we have a pole of order ##1##. We can then write
##g(z)(e^x-1) = 1## and we know the expansion of ##e^x## so we have
##\left( a_{-1} + \sum_0^\infty a_kz^k \right) \left( \sum_1^\infty \frac{z^k}{k!} \right) = 1##. But that doesn't seem to help me at all.
 
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  • #2
Incand said:

Homework Statement


Find four terns of the Laurent series for the given function about ##z_0=0##. Also, give the residue of the function at the point.
a) ##\frac{1}{e^z-1}##
b) ##\frac{1}{1-\cos z}##

Homework Equations


The residue of the function at ##z_0## is coefficient before the ##1/(z-z_0)## term in the Laurent expansion.

The definition of the coefficients for ##f(z)## (possibly of use)
##a_k = \frac{1}{2\pi i} \int_{|w-z_0|=s} \frac{f(w)}{(w-z_0)^{k+1}}dw, \; \; \; k=0,\pm 1, \dots##

Theorem:
If ##F## and ##G## are analytic functions on the disc ##\{z:|z-z_0|<r_0\}## with ##g(z_0)=0## but ##G'(z_0) \ne 0##. Then
##\text{Res}\left( \frac{F}{G}; z_0\right) = \frac{F(z_0)}{G'(z_0)}##.

The Attempt at a Solution


Starting with a) using the definition seems very impractical so there's probably an easier way to find the coefficient but I'm not sure how. It seems computing the residue is easier using the theorem above. ##\text{Res}\left(\frac{1}{e^x-1};0\right) = \frac{1}{e^0} = 1## and hence one term of the Laurent expansion is ##\frac{1}{z}##.

As for how to actually get the Laurent series I have no idea. I tried to match the coefficients by putting ##g(z) = \frac{a_{-1}}{z} + a_0 + a_1z + a_2z^2+\dots## since we have a pole of order ##1##. We can then write
##g(z)(e^x-1) = 1## and we know the expansion of ##e^x## so we have
##\left( a_{-1} + \sum_0^\infty a_kz^k \right) \left( \sum_1^\infty \frac{z^k}{k!} \right) = 1##. But that doesn't seem to help me at all.
Looks good, at first sight.
You have ##g(z) = \frac{1}{z} + a_0 + a_1z + a_2z^2+\dots##
Then ##g(z)(e^z-1)=1## gives ##(\frac{1}{z} + a_0 + a_1z + a_2z^2+\dots)(z+\frac{z²}{2}+\frac{z³}{6}+ \frac{z^4}{24}+\dots)=1##.
That should be enough to find 4 terms of the Laurent series (the terms up to ##z²##).
 
Last edited:
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  • #3
Thanks! That was easier than I expected, seems I gave up on the finish line.
Posting the rest of the solution in case anyone is curious:
Matching coefficients:
z: ##1/2 +a_0 = 0 \Longrightarrow a_0 = -1/2##
z^2: ##1/6+a_0/2+a_1 = 0 \Longrightarrow a_1 = 1/12##
z^3: ##1/24+a_0/6+a_1/2+a_2 = 0 \Longrightarrow a_2 = 0##.

I believe I'm able to do b) myself now!
 
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1. What is a Laurent series and how is it different from a Taylor series?

A Laurent series is a type of power series expansion used in complex analysis to represent functions with singularities. It is similar to a Taylor series, but includes both positive and negative powers of the variable, making it valid for a larger domain. A Taylor series, on the other hand, only includes positive powers and is valid for a smaller domain around a point.

2. How do you find the coefficients of a Laurent series?

The coefficients of a Laurent series can be found by using the formula cn = (1/2πi) ∮C f(z)(z-a)-n-1 dz, where C is a contour encircling the point a and f(z) is the function being expanded. This formula is known as the Cauchy integral formula for the coefficients.

3. What is the residue of a function and how is it related to the Laurent series?

The residue of a function is the coefficient of the term with a power of -1 in the Laurent series of that function. It is used to calculate the value of a complex function at a singularity. The residue is equal to the limit of the function as the variable approaches the singularity, multiplied by the power of -1 in the Laurent series.

4. How do singularities affect the Laurent series of a function?

Singularities, which are points where a function is not defined or behaves in a non-analytic way, can have a significant impact on the Laurent series of a function. If a singularity is a removable singularity, meaning the function can be extended to be analytic at that point, then the Laurent series will only have finitely many negative powers. However, if the singularity is not removable, then the Laurent series will have infinitely many negative powers.

5. Can a function have more than one Laurent series representation?

Yes, a function can have multiple Laurent series representations. This can occur when the function has multiple singularities, as the Laurent series will be centered around each singularity. In these cases, the Laurent series will only converge in a specific annulus around each singularity, and the different representations may not agree in the overlapping regions.

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