Deriving Arctan(z) formula using series.

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around deriving the identity for arctan(z) using power series for logarithmic functions. Participants explore the relationship between arctan(z) and the logarithmic expression, focusing on the series expansions of log(1+iz) and log(1-iz) as well as the power series for arctan(z). The scope includes mathematical reasoning and series manipulation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Homework-related
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant attempts to establish the identity arctan(z) = (1/2i)log((1+iz)/(1-iz)) using power series but struggles with simplification and manipulation of the series.
  • Another participant suggests that instead of using series, one could show that the derivatives of both sides are equal, given that they are both zero at z=0.
  • A participant expresses confusion about the requirement to use series and discusses the method of showing equality of derivatives.
  • Further contributions highlight the challenge of manipulating the series to show equality, with one participant noting that even after differentiating, they still cannot demonstrate that the series are identical.
  • One participant finally finds a way to manipulate the series correctly but expresses frustration over conflicting information from lecture notes and external sources regarding series expansions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the best approach to derive the identity. There are competing views on whether to use series manipulation or derivative comparison, and confusion remains regarding the validity of certain series expansions.

Contextual Notes

Participants express uncertainty about the correctness of series manipulations and the implications of their lecture notes versus external references. There are unresolved issues regarding the assumptions made in the series expansions and the conditions under which they hold.

jrp131191
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Hi, I am still trying to learn latex so this might fail but anyway, I am trying to establish the identity

arctan(z) = \frac{1}{2i}log(\frac{1+iz}{1-iz})

By using the power series of

log(1+iz) and log(1-iz)

I have found the power series for both of these functions as well as arctan(z)

arctan(z) = \Big( \sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{(-1)^n(z^(2n+1))}{2n+1} \Big)
log(1+iz) = -\Big( \sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{(-1)^(n+1)((iz)^(n+1))}{n_1} \Big)
log(1-iz) = -\Big( \sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{(-1)^(n+1)((-iz)^(n+1))}{n_1} \Big)

I then computed

\frac{1}{2i}(log(1+iz)-log(1-iz))

I get a sum which doesn't really look anything like that expected. I have tried simplifying but still can't deduce that they are equal. I thought I could perhaps differentiate both sums n times and show that these are equal but that also gets very very messy.. can somebody point me in the right direction?
 
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jrp131191 said:
Hi, I am still trying to learn latex so this might fail but anyway, I am trying to establish the identity

arctan(z) = \frac{1}{2i}log(\frac{1+iz}{1-iz})

By using the power series of

log(1+iz) and log(1-iz)

I have found the power series for both of these functions as well as arctan(z)

arctan(z) = \Big( \sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{(-1)^n(z^(2n+1))}{2n+1} \Big)
log(1+iz) = -\Big( \sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{(-1)^(n+1)((iz)^(n+1))}{n_1} \Big)
log(1-iz) = -\Big( \sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{(-1)^(n+1)((-iz)^(n+1))}{n_1} \Big)

I then computed

\frac{1}{2i}(log(1+iz)-log(1-iz))

I get a sum which doesn't really look anything like that expected. I have tried simplifying but still can't deduce that they are equal. I thought I could perhaps differentiate both sums n times and show that these are equal but that also gets very very messy.. can somebody point me in the right direction?


Do you have to use series? Because you can as well show that the derivatives in both sides of the equality you're

trying to prove are identical (after determining the branch of the complex logarithm, say with argument equal to zero for

positive reals), and since both sides equal zero when \,z=0\, you're done.

DonAntonio
 
I should not have posted this question here, I am trying to move it at the moment because it is homework.

But yes I am asked to use series. I know how to derive it using the exponentials of sin & cos.

I read that if I can show that for some c in U in which both my 2 series I am comparing are defined in U, that f^n (c)=g^n (c) for all n, then f(z)=g(z), is this what you're saying? that they are hopefully equal at z=0
 
jrp131191 said:
I should not have posted this question here, I am trying to move it at the moment because it is homework.

But yes I am asked to use series. I know how to derive it using the exponentials of sin & cos.

I read that if I can show that for some c in U in which both my 2 series I am comparing are defined in U, that f^n (c)=g^n (c) for all n, then f(z)=g(z), is this what you're saying? that they are hopefully equal at z=0



No, what I am saying is way simpler and basic. If two functions \,f,g\, derivable in some open interval (or some open ball in complex plane) I are s.t.

$$f'(x)=g'(x)\,\,,\,\,\forall\,x\in I$$

then \,\forall \,x\in I\,\,,\,\,f(x)=g(x)+C\,\,,\,C=\,\text{a constant}

DonAntonio
 
DonAntonio said:
No, what I am saying is way simpler and basic. If two functions \,f,g\, derivable in some open interval (or some open ball in complex plane) I are s.t.

$$f'(x)=g'(x)\,\,,\,\,\forall\,x\in I$$

then \,\forall \,x\in I\,\,,\,\,f(x)=g(x)+C\,\,,\,C=\,\text{a constant}

DonAntonio

Okay thanks, I do understand that but like I said, even as they are, I can't manipulate my two series to look identical already, so even if I differentiate them I will just end up with the same problem.. :(
 
Ok this will take me a while but I will show my working and what I CAN deduce..

\frac{1}{2i}log(\frac{1+iz}{1-iz}) = \frac{1}{2i}(\Big( \sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{(-1)^{n+1}(iz)^{n+1}}{n+1} \Big) + \Big( \sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{(-1)^{n+1}(-iz)^{n+1}}{n+1} \Big))

\frac{1}{2i}log(\frac{1+iz}{1-iz}) = \frac{1}{2i}\Big( \sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{(-1)^{n+1}((-iz)^{n+1}-(iz)^{n+1}}{n+1} \Big)

\frac{1}{2i}log(\frac{1+iz}{1-iz}) = \frac{1}{2i}\Big( \sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{(-1)^{n+1}(iz)^{n+1}((-1)^{n+1}-1)}{n+1} \Big)

\frac{1}{2i}log(\frac{1+iz}{1-iz}) = \Big( \sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{(-1)^{n+1}i^{n}z^{n+1}((-1)^{n+1}-1}{2(n+1)} \Big)

And from this point on I am completely screwed, the power series for arctan(z) doesn't even contain an i and that is only the start of my problems...
 
Last edited:
jrp131191 said:
Okay thanks, I do understand that but like I said, even as they are, I can't manipulate my two series to look identical already, so even if I differentiate them I will just end up with the same problem.. :(



Don't you know the derivatives of the functions arctangent z , log z and/or the chain rule?! I guess you

surely didn't mean this as then how could you work with power series...?

$$(\arctan z)'=\frac{1}{1+z^2}$$

$$\left[\frac{1}{2i}\log\left(\frac{1+iz}{1-iz}\right)\right]'=\frac{1}{2i}\frac{1-iz}{1+iz}\frac{2i}{(1-iz)^2}=\frac{1}{(1+iz)(1-iz)}=\frac{1}{1+z^2}$$

DonAntonio
 
DonAntonio said:
Don't you know the derivatives of the functions arctangent z , log z and/or the chain rule?! I guess you

surely didn't mean this as then how could you work with power series...?

$$(\arctan z)'=\frac{1}{1+z^2}$$

$$\left[\frac{1}{2i}\log\left(\frac{1+iz}{1-iz}\right)\right]'=\frac{1}{2i}\frac{1-iz}{1+iz}\frac{2i}{(1-iz)^2}=\frac{1}{(1+iz)(1-iz)}=\frac{1}{1+z^2}$$

DonAntonio

Oh no I do sorry, I think I misinterpreted what you were saying. My only problem is that the question explicitly tells me to obtain the power series for the logs about z=0 and use them to establish the identity. I will stare at what you wrote for a while and see if I can put that to use using the questions "criteria".

Ok yes, If I write the (1/2i)Log((1+iz)/(1-iz)) in terms of the power series and differentiate termwise, I should be able to get to the required answer, I'll give it a go!
 
DonAntonio said:
Don't you know the derivatives of the functions arctangent z , log z and/or the chain rule?! I guess you

surely didn't mean this as then how could you work with power series...?

$$(\arctan z)'=\frac{1}{1+z^2}$$

$$\left[\frac{1}{2i}\log\left(\frac{1+iz}{1-iz}\right)\right]'=\frac{1}{2i}\frac{1-iz}{1+iz}\frac{2i}{(1-iz)^2}=\frac{1}{(1+iz)(1-iz)}=\frac{1}{1+z^2}$$

DonAntonio

Still ending up with two series that I cannot show are equal. I completely understand everything you have said but the only problem is that I need to use the power series of the logs!...

I just essentially tried what you said but instead of directly differentiating (1/2i)Log((1+iz)/(1-iz)) I wrote it as (1/2i)(log(1+iz)-log(1-iz)) and used the power series and differentiated term wise. I end up with an ugly series.
 
  • #10
jrp131191 said:
Oh no I do sorry, I think I misinterpreted what you were saying. My only problem is that the question explicitly tells me to obtain the power series for the logs about z=0 and use them to establish the identity. I will stare at what you wrote for a while and see if I can put that to use using the questions "criteria".

Ok yes, If I write the (1/2i)Log((1+iz)/(1-iz)) in terms of the power series and differentiate termwise, I should be able to get to the required answer, I'll give it a go!

OK I FINALLY GOT IT, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR 2 DAYS!

I essentially used your method which I did actually try in a much longer way yesterday. The problem was that my lecture notes say that you can manipulate

\frac{1}{1+z^2}

Into

\frac{1}{1-(-z^2)}

And thus

\frac{1}{1+z^2} = \Big( \sum_{n=0}^\infty(-z^2)^n \Big) = \Big( \sum_{n=0}^\infty(-1)^{n}z^{2n} \Big)

When according to wolframalpha this is in fact not true at all! and that

\frac{1}{1+z^2} = \Big( \sum_{n=0}^\infty\frac{1}{2}z^n((-i)^n+i^n)\Big)

I hate my bloody lecturer.. What the hell is going on here? I was under the impression that this could be done, in fact I did it in my derivation for the power series of arctan(z) and arrived at the correct answer, but using the simple

\Big( \sum_{n=0}^\infty(-1)^{n}z^{2n} \Big)

And equating it to the derivative of

\frac{1}{2i}log(\frac{1+iz}{1-iz})

Doesn't seem to work at all.

Could somebody please explain what is going on? Can \frac{1}{1+z^2} be manipulated in the aforementioned way or not? Why not?
 
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  • #11
It's just the sum of an infinite geometric series:
\frac{1}{1-x} = \sum_{n=0}^{\infty} x^n
Now let
x = -z^2

For the rest of the problem, note that
\log \left( \frac{1+iz}{1-iz} \right) = \log(1+iz) - \log(1-iz)
and apply the series
\log(1+x) = \sum_{n=1}^{\infty} (-1)^{n+1} \frac{x^n}{n}

I haven't worked it all out, but I think that approach should work.
 

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