Complex Analysis: What Does |C| Mean?

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In summary, the speaker defined a contour as a piecewise smooth arc and gave two examples of how to denote a contour, one of which is using the notation ##|C|## which denotes the norm of the contour. He also mentioned that the difference between these two notations is that ##|C|## denotes the curve by itself without the interior, while ##C^\circ## denotes the interior of the contour.
  • #1
Bachelier
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I have a question pertaining to Complex Analysis.

We define a contour ##C## as a piecewise smooth arc.

For a variable ##z \in \mathbb{C}## I have seen the notation of a contour ##|C|##. It is sometimes defined as ##|C| := z([a,b])## where ##[a,b]## is a closed interval.

Should I read this as the parametrization of the contour ##C## between ##a, \ b##?

Or does ##|C|## have a different meaning ##w.r.t.## contours?

Thanks
 
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  • #2
The notation ##|C|## indicates a norm that has a curve as its argument.
The obvious norm is the length of the curve.

Your definition looks faulty.
If your curve ##C## is a continuously differentiable function ##z: [a,b] \to \mathbb C##, then:

##C=z([a,b])##

##|C|=\int_a^b |z'(t)|dt##

Note that the norm of ##C## is deduced from the norm on ##\mathbb C##.
 
  • #3
Bachelier said:
I have a question pertaining to Complex Analysis.

We define a contour ##C## as a piecewise smooth arc.

For a variable ##z \in \mathbb{C}## I have seen the notation of a contour ##|C|##. It is sometimes defined as ##|C| := z([a,b])## where ##[a,b]## is a closed interval.

Should I read this as the parametrization of the contour ##C## between ##a, \ b##?

Or does ##|C|## have a different meaning ##w.r.t.## contours?

Thanks

Do you have a reference for this?
 
  • #4
I like Serena said:
The notation ##|C|## indicates a norm that has a curve as its argument.
The obvious norm is the length of the curve.

Your definition looks faulty.
If your curve ##C## is a continuously differentiable function ##z: [a,b] \to \mathbb C##, then:

##C=z([a,b])##

##|C|=\int_a^b |z'(t)|dt##

Note that the norm of ##C## is deduced from the norm on ##\mathbb C##.

Thank you I.L.S. :)

I clearly see your point, but I think the speaker in this case gave a different definition to ##|C|## to that of the length, as he has defined the length by ##L(C) = \int_a^b \ |z'(t)| \mathrm{d}t##.

I think he meant that ##|C|## is the curve by itself without the interior as he sometimes used the notation: ##|C| \ \bigcup \ Interior(C)##.

##(Interior(C)## not to be confused with ##C^\circ)##.

But the problem is that he used ##C \ \bigcup \ Interior(C)## as well. So I think it was just a forgetful omission in the latter.

Since I searched for the symbol ##|C|## and it is not existent in any textbooks, it must thus be a nomenclature he decided to create.
 
Last edited:
  • #5
Perhaps it's intended to denote the closure.

Bachelier said:
##(Interior(C)## not to be confused with ##\mathring{C})##.

What is the difference between these two?

I haven't seen ##\mathring{C}## before, although I know that ##C^\circ## is one of the notations for the interior.
 
  • #6
I like Serena said:
Perhaps it's intended to denote the closure.



What is the difference between these two?

I haven't seen ##\mathring{C}## before, although I know that ##C^\circ## is one of the notations for the interior.

you got it. Thanks
 

FAQ: Complex Analysis: What Does |C| Mean?

What does |C| represent in complex analysis?

In complex analysis, |C| represents the absolute value of a complex number. This is the distance from the origin to the point on the complex plane where the number is located.

How is |C| calculated in complex analysis?

The absolute value of a complex number is calculated by taking the square root of the sum of the squares of the real and imaginary parts of the number. This can also be thought of as finding the distance from the origin to the point on the complex plane.

What is the significance of |C| in complex analysis?

In complex analysis, |C| is important because it allows us to measure the magnitude or size of a complex number. This can be used in various calculations and to understand the behavior of complex functions.

How does |C| relate to the complex conjugate?

The complex conjugate of a complex number is found by changing the sign of the imaginary part. The absolute value of a complex number and its complex conjugate are always equal, since they represent the same distance from the origin on the complex plane.

Can |C| be negative in complex analysis?

No, the absolute value of a complex number is always positive. Even if the imaginary part is negative, the absolute value will be a positive number, as it represents a distance or magnitude.

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