Fixed Points of analytic functions

In summary: Mobius transformation is well defined and has two fixed points if and only if the domain is simply connected. So I think your original problem still stands.
  • #1
develmath
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Hi, I am in honors track Complex Analysis, and I think I've reached my limit. We got this proof, and I don't know where to start.

"We saw in class that a mobius transformation can have at most one fixed point (or else is the identity map), extend this idea to all analytic functions mapping from a domain[itex]\subset[/itex]ℂ to itself."

I have no idea what to do. I totally understand the mobius version of this, but it is way easier. I saw a similar problem online for the unit disk, but then you have Schwart's Lemma. I also had a couple other thoughts that led nowhere. |f(z)-z| attains a minimum at any fixed point. Rouche's theorem would be nice if we could say something about curves, but I don't know how to extend that to an arbitrary domain.

Any push in the right direction would be appreciated.
 
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  • #2
Dick said:
If you totally understand the mobius part, then why does (z+2)/z have two fixed points and it's not the identity map?

Two things:
1. Sorry, I was stupidly thinking while I was writing and got my stuff wrong. A mobius transformation has two fixed points (I "understand" in the sense that I can see that they can be solved for algebraically). I accidentally said "at most one" because I was thinking that that is the appropriate extension of the problem (analytic has at most one fixed point). I feel like Rouche implies that it is at most one fixed point for f(z)-z in this scenario, but can't figure out how to make it work.

2. I also had a problem with this statement at first and generated a similar polynomial counter-example, but I **think** the critical thing is that the domain is not allowed to be ℂ (strict subset is used), and I can't construct a counterexample with that restriction. So for example, if I had my domain being ℂ-{0}, your mobius transformation is certainly still well defined, but it maps -2 to 0 which would be out of the range. I could remove -2 from the domain, but then it comes out of the range again, so I still have a problem. So I can't construct a counterexample to the problem.
 
  • #3
I think you are right. It has to map a proper domain of C to the same proper domain. That's the part I wasn't really thinking about, so I deleted my post. I was just fixating on the fact a mobius transformation generally has two fixed points.
 
  • #4
Dah! Checking over what I wrote, found I left off "simply connected" which is of course critical.
 

1. What are fixed points?

Fixed points are points on a graph where the output of a function is equal to the input. In other words, they are the values that do not change when put through a function.

2. What is the significance of fixed points in analytic functions?

Fixed points are important in analytic functions because they provide valuable information about the behavior and properties of the function. They can help determine the stability of a system and can be used to solve equations and find critical points.

3. How can I determine if a function has a fixed point?

A function has a fixed point if the output is equal to the input. This can be determined by setting the function equal to x and solving for x. If the solution(s) exist, then the function has a fixed point(s).

4. Can a function have more than one fixed point?

Yes, a function can have multiple fixed points. In fact, some functions may have an infinite number of fixed points. For example, the function f(x) = x^2 has two fixed points, 0 and 1.

5. How can fixed points be used in real-world applications?

Fixed points have various applications in fields such as engineering, physics, and economics. They can be used to model and analyze systems, predict behavior, and find optimal solutions. For example, fixed points are used in differential equations to model population growth and in economics to find equilibrium points.

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