Analysis Complex Variables and Applications by Brown and Churchill

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"Complex Variables and Applications" by Brown and Churchill is a well-structured introductory textbook that effectively serves physics and engineering students. It covers essential topics such as residues, conformal mappings, and analytic functions, providing clear explanations and organized content. While it is rigorous enough for math majors, it may lack deeper insights into the beauty of complex analysis. Users recommend it as a primary text for introductory courses, but suggest supplementary materials like "Visual Complex Analysis" for a broader understanding. Overall, it is praised for its clarity, minimal errors, and suitability for self-study.

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Table of Contents:
Code:
[LIST]
[*] Preface 
[*] Complex Numbers
[LIST]
[*] Sums and Products
[*] Basic Algebraic Properties
[*] Further Properties
[*] Vectors and Moduli
[*] Complex Conjugates
[*] Exponential Form
[*] Products and Powers in Exponential Form
[*] Arguments of Products and Quotients
[*] Roots of Complex Numbers
[*] Examples
[*] Regions in the Complex Plane
[/LIST]
[*] Analytic Functions 
[LIST]
[*] Functions of a Complex Variable
[*] Mappings
[*] Mappings by the Exponential Function
[*] Limits
[*] Theorems on Limits
[*] Limits Involving the Point at Infinity
[*] Continuity
[*] Derivatives
[*] Differentiation Formulas
[*] Cauchy-Riemann Equations
[*] Sufficient Conditions for Differentiability 
[*] Polar Coordinates
[*] Analytic Functions
[*] Examples
[*] Harmonic Functions
[*] Uniquely Determined Analytic Functions
[*] Reflection Principle
[/LIST]
[*] Elementary Functions
[LIST]
[*] The Exponential Function
[*] The Logarithmic Function
[*] Branches and Derivatives of Logarithms
[*] Some Identities Involving Logarithms
[*] Complex Exponents
[*] Trigonometric Functions
[*] Hyperbolic Functions
[*] Inverse Trigonometric and Hyperbolic Functions
[/LIST]
[*] Integrals
[LIST]
[*] Derivatives of Functions w(t)
[*] Definite Integrals of Functions w(t)
[*] Contours
[*] Contour Integrals
[*] Some Examples
[*] Examples with Branch Cuts
[*] Upper Bounds for Moduli of Contour Integrals 
[*] Antiderivatives
[*] Proof of the Theorem
[*] Cauchy-Goursat Theorem
[*] Proof of the Theorem
[*] Simply Connected Domains
[*] Multiply Connected Domains
[*] Cauchy Integral Formula
[*] An Extension of the Cauchy Integral Formula
[*] Some Consequences of the Extension
[*] Liouville's Theorem and the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra
[*] Maximum Modulus Principle
[/LIST]
[*] Series
[LIST]
[*] Convergence of Sequences
[*] Convergence of Series
[*] Taylor Series
[*] Proof of Taylor's Theorem
[*] Examples
[*] Laurent Series
[*] Proof of Laurent's Theorem
[*] Examples
[*] Absolute and Uniform Convergence of Power Series
[*] Continuity of Sums of Power Series
[*] Integration and Differentiation of Power Series
[*] Uniqueness of Series Representations
[*] Multiplication and Division of Power Series
[/LIST]
[*] Residues and Poles
[LIST]
[*] Isolated Singular Points
[*] Residues
[*] Cauchy's Residue Theorem
[*] Residue at Infinity
[*] The Three Types of Isolated Singular Points
[*] Residues at Poles
[*] Examples
[*] Zeros of Analytic Functions
[*] Zeros and Poles
[*] Behavior of Functions Near Isolated Singular Points
[/LIST]
[*] Applications of Residues
[LIST]
[*] Evaluation of Improper Integrals
[*] Example
[*] Improper Integrals from Fourier Analysis
[*] Jordan's Lemma
[*] Indented Paths
[*] An Indentation Around a Branch Point
[*] Integration Along a Branch Cut
[*] Definite Integrals Involving Sines and Cosines
[*] Argument Principle
[*] Rouché's Theorem
[*] Inverse Laplace Transforms
[*] Examples
[/LIST]
[*] Mapping by Elementary Functions
[LIST]
[*] Linear Transformations
[*] The Transformation w = 1/z
[*] Mappings by 1/z
[*] Linear Fractional Transformations
[*] An Implicit Form
[*] Mappings of the Upper Half Plane
[*] The Transformation w = sin z 
[*] Mappings by z^2 and Branches of z^{1/2}
[*] Square Roots of Polynomials
[*] Riemann Surfaces
[*] Surfaces for Related Functions
[/LIST]
[*] Conformal Mapping
[LIST]
[*] Preservation of Angles
[*] Scale Factors
[*] Local Inverses
[*] Harmonic Conjugates
[*] Transformations of Harmonic Functions
[*] Transformations of Boundary Conditions
[/LIST]
[*] Applications of Conformal Mapping
[LIST]
[*] Steady Temperatures
[*] Steady Temperatures in a Half Plane
[*] A Related Problem
[*] Temperatures in a Quadrant
[*] Electrostatic Potential
[*] Potential in a Cylindrical Space
[*] Two-Dimensional Fluid Flow
[*] The Stream Function
[*] Flows Around a Corner and Around a Cylinder
[/LIST]
[*] The Schwarz--Christoffel Transformation
[LIST]
[*] Mapping the Real Axis Onto a Polygon
[*] Schwarz--Christoffel Transformation
[*] Triangles and Rectangles
[*] Degenerate Polygons
[*] Fluid Flow in a Channel Through a Slit
[*] Flow in a Channel With an Offset
[*] Electrostatic Potential About an Edge of a Conducting Plate
[/LIST]
[*] Integral Formulas of the Poisson Type
[LIST]
[*] Poisson Integral Formula
[*] Dirichlet Problem for a Disk
[*] Related Boundary Value Problems
[*] Schwarz Integral Formula
[*] Dirichlet Problem for a Half Plane
[*] Neumann Problems
[/LIST]
[*] Appendixes
[LIST]
[*] Bibliography
[*] Table of Transformations of Regions
[/LIST]
[*] Index 
[/LIST]
 
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Solid user-friendly intro book on complex variables, sort of a rough equivalent to linear algebra done right.
 
I'd highly recommend for a physics or chemistry student who wants a better grasp of residues and conformal mappings, but which is not too mathematically intense.
 
This is a decent introductory book, geared well toward physicists and engineers but rigorous enough to not offend a math-major. It is clearly written and organized, making it decent as a reference book.

However, it doesn't give much insight into the beauty of the subject. This is a common required textbook for intro courses, so I recommend also getting Visual Complex Analysis as an interesting supplementary text.

There is also a solid free textbook here:
http://www.math.uiuc.edu/~r-ash/CV.html

I am familliar with the author's abstract algebra book (which I like), but I have only skimmed parts of this one.
 
I am familiar with the 5th edition, which I have had for about 20 years. I think it is a reasonable book that covers most of the material many engineers/physicists need for routine applications. By far my favorite sections are those on conformal mapping - the presentation is quite good for applications. In most ways Churchill and Brown is better than the book I had to buy for my complex analysis class (introduction to complex analysis, by Priestley), but I am not wild about the organization of most of the book. Overall I prefer the book by Saff and Snider for an introduction.
 
I studied the first ten chapters of this book (omitting the final chapters on applications). I used the seventh edition (the eighth edition is now the most current one). I found this text to be ideal for someone (such as myself) who had studied complex analysis a long time ago and wanted to relearn it. The text is almost entirely free of typos and errors, which I find to be important for self-study. The proofs are clear and the examples well-chosen. The exercises are primarily calculations, with a few simple proofs thrown in. This is not a criticism; I found some of the calculations to be challenging. Someone who wants to study more advanced topics in Complex Analysis should consult a second book, such as Lang, Ahlfors or Conway (after studying this text).
 
Many years ago, as the internet was coming of age, I burned over 500 pounds of technical manuals. I realized I can look things up on the internet faster than I can find something in a technical manual. And just about anything I might need could be found online. But letting go of my several shelves worth of college text and other science books is another matter. I can't bring myself to get rid of them but there is very little if anything I can't find online now. Books are heavy and a pain...

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