Principal branch of the logarithm

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Homework Statement



Define an analytic branch f(z) of w, such that f(z)=0 for the limit of z->\infty

Now what is f(1)?

Homework Equations



w=\frac{z+i}{z-i}

The Attempt at a Solution



The branch cut of the logarithm is: (-\infty,0)
All branches of the logarithm are:
f(z)=Log(z)+iArg(z)=Log(z)+2i\pik

But then f(1)=0, which is wrong.
 
Last edited:
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There was a typo in my first post:

mxmt said:
w=\frac{z+i}{z-i}

Of course this should be w=log(\frac{z+i}{z-i})

Anybody who understands it now?
 
A guess is that the line segment of z=(i,-i) is mapped onto the normal branch cut of the logarithm (-inf,0). Therefore, f(1)=exp(iPi/2) because this is where i is located in the complex plane.
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...

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