Determining an Analytic Function from its Real Part

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the question of whether log|z| can be the real part of an analytic function defined on an annulus centered at zero. Participants explore the implications of the Cauchy-Riemann equations and the properties of harmonic functions in this context.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant asserts that log|z| cannot be the real part of an analytic function on an annulus centered at zero, citing the uniqueness of harmonic functions as determined by the Cauchy-Riemann equations.
  • Another participant mentions the Kramers-Kronig relationships, suggesting that knowing the real part allows for the computation of the imaginary part, leading to the complete analytic function.
  • A third participant points out a potential misunderstanding regarding the notation, clarifying that the real part of log(z) is ln|z|, and questions the harmonicity of log|z| and its domain.
  • One participant raises a question about the definition of log|z|, noting that it is not defined for z=0, which may affect its harmonic properties.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the properties of log|z| and its relationship to analytic functions. There is no consensus on whether log|z| can serve as the real part of an analytic function in the specified domain.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions regarding the harmonicity of log|z| and its domain, as well as potential confusion over the notation used for logarithmic functions.

Poopsilon
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I'm trying to prove that log|z| is not the real part of an analytic function defined on an annulus centered at zero. Due to the Cauchy-Riemann Equations, I've been under the impression that given a harmonic function, such as log|z|, its role as the real part of an analytic function is unique, and thus an analytic function is completely determined, up to the addition of a constant, by its real (or imaginary) part.

Thus I feel like since log(z) is an analytic function which cannot be defined on an annulus centered at zero whose real part is log|z|, then I can conclude that log|z| is not the real part of an analytic function defined on said annulus.

Can someone help clarify my understanding? Thanks.
 
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In case of an analytic function, the real part and the imaginary part are related thanks to the Kramers-Kroning relationships.
So, if you know the real part function, you can compute the imaginary part function. Consequently, the complex function is obtained.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kramers–Kronig_relations
 
Poopsilon, you may want to be careful with your layout; the real part of logz is ln|z|, not

log|z|. Then you would have log|z|=ln||z||+iarg|z|=ln|z|+iarg|z|. But |z| is real-valued.

So, in a sense, ln|z| is a function of a real argument, and, unlike logz, it is radially-

constant; same for arg|z|. Have you double-checked that log|z| is actually harmonic, and

what its domain of harmonicity is? Maybe Wolfram has a way of helping you double-check.
 
I just realized I may have misunderstood (misunderestimated?) your OP. When you

write log|z|: is this the real log ,usually written ln|z|, or is it the complex log?

For one thing, log|z| as a real-valued function is not even defined for z=0.
 

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