Caucy-Riemann equations and differentiability question

In summary, the Cauchy-Riemann differential equations are a necessary and sufficient condition for a differentiable function to be holomorphic in an open set. However, there may be cases where a function satisfies the CR equations but is not differentiable at a certain point, leading to a contradiction. It is important to differentiate between real differentiability and complex differentiability when determining the differentiability and analyticity of a complex function. The CR equations being satisfied is a prerequisite for complex differentiability and analyticity.
  • #1
bitrex
193
0
I'm doing a little self study on complex analysis, and am having some trouble with a concept.

From Wikipedia:

"In mathematics, the Cauchy–Riemann differential equations in complex analysis, named after Augustin Cauchy and Bernhard Riemann, consist of a system of two partial differential equations that provides a necessary and sufficient condition for a differentiable function to be holomorphic in an open set."

But I have a function here, (z*)^2/z, which appears to satisfy the Cauchy-Riemann equations at z = 0, but the function is not differentiable there. Isn't this a contradiction that the above condition is both necessary and sufficient?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
bitrex said:
But I have a function here, (z*)^2/z, which appears to satisfy the Cauchy-Riemann equations at z = 0, but the function is not differentiable there. Isn't this a contradiction that the above condition is both necessary and sufficient?

As you say, the derivatives in the CR equation don't exist at z=0, so I'm not sure why you believe that the CR equations are satisfied. A prerequisite to CR is that the real and imaginary parts of the function are differentiable with respect to the real variables.
 
  • #3
Thanks for your reply, I'm not sure exactly why I thought they were satisfied either! I see now that they are not.

A further question - some exercises in the problem set I'm working on ask me to determine where a complex function is differentiable, and some to determine where the function is analytic. If a complex function is differentiable at point [tex]Z_o[/tex], is that also a sufficient condition to assume that the function is analytic in the neighborhood of [tex]Z_o[/tex]? The text I'm using is not clear on this, so I'm not sure if in the problem set they are essentially asking me the same thing with different terminology.
 
  • #4
We need to differentiate between real differentiability and complex differentiability. Complex differentiability means that

[tex] \lim_{h\rightarrow 0, h\in \mathbb{C}} \frac{f(z_0+h)-f(z_0)}{h} = f'(z_0) ~~~(*)[/tex]

exists. If the CR equations are satisfied, the function is both analytic and complex differentiable. If our function were not analytic, the derivative (*) would not make sense.
 

Related to Caucy-Riemann equations and differentiability question

1. What is the Cauchy-Riemann equation?

The Cauchy-Riemann equation is a set of two partial differential equations that describe the conditions for a complex-valued function to be differentiable. It states that the partial derivatives of the real and imaginary parts of the function must satisfy certain relationships at every point in the domain.

2. What is the significance of the Cauchy-Riemann equation?

The Cauchy-Riemann equation is significant because it is a necessary but not sufficient condition for a function to be differentiable. This means that if a function satisfies the Cauchy-Riemann equation, it may be differentiable, but it does not guarantee that it is.

3. How are the Cauchy-Riemann equations related to complex differentiability?

The Cauchy-Riemann equations are directly related to complex differentiability. If a complex-valued function satisfies the Cauchy-Riemann equations, it is said to be holomorphic or complex differentiable. This means that the function has a well-defined derivative at every point in its domain.

4. Can the Cauchy-Riemann equations be used to test for differentiability at a specific point?

Yes, the Cauchy-Riemann equations can be used to test for differentiability at a specific point. If the partial derivatives of the real and imaginary parts of a complex function satisfy the Cauchy-Riemann equations at that point, then the function is differentiable at that point.

5. Are the Cauchy-Riemann equations only applicable to complex functions?

Yes, the Cauchy-Riemann equations are only applicable to complex functions. This is because they involve the concept of complex numbers and their properties, which do not apply to real-valued functions. However, the Cauchy-Riemann equations can be extended to higher dimensions for functions with more than one complex variable.

Similar threads

Replies
20
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
3K
  • Calculus
Replies
1
Views
1K
Replies
6
Views
7K
Replies
2
Views
1K
Replies
10
Views
3K
Replies
25
Views
9K
Replies
6
Views
2K
Replies
9
Views
2K
Back
Top