Unravelling the Mystery of Poles and Residues

In summary, the conversation discusses the use of Laurent expansion to find the order of poles and calculate residues for functions with singularities at z=0. The method is illustrated using two examples: f(z) = 1/sin z and f(z) = 1/sin(z^2). The first example shows how applying the geometric series formula outside of its domain of convergence can lead to incorrect results, while the second example suggests using the fact that \lim_{z\rightarrow 0} z/sin z= 1 to find the coefficient of 1/z in a Laurent series. The conversation ends with a request for recommendations of online resources with more examples.
  • #1
e12514
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I still don't quite fully understand about the order of poles and calculating residues.

Take f(z) = 1/sin z at z=0 for example.
When I try putting that into Laurent expansion about z=0,
1/ sin z = 2i/ (e^z - e^(-z)) = 2ie^(-z) / ( 1 - e^(-2z))
= 2ie^(-z) [ 1 - e^(-2z) + e^(-4z) - e^(-6z) + ...] using geometric series
= 2i [ e^(-z) - e^(-3z) + e^(-5z) - e^(-7z) + ... ]

so when I expand out those "e"s using e^(g(z)) = sum_{i>=0} (g(z))^i / i!,
I get no "negative exponent" for z since they're all positive

but then lim_{z -> 0} f(z) = infty so z=0 has to be a pole, right? So then how do we find out the order (of that pole) via Laurent expansion, and consequently how to find its residue at z=0 (which should be equal to 1...)?

Can anyone explain what's going on?



Also, as another example, take f(z) = 1/sin(z^2) at z=0.
Same problem as before...
f(z) = 2i / (e^(z^2) - e^(-z^2))
= 2i [ e^(-z^2) - e^(-3z^2) + e^(-5z^2) - ... ]
How to use the Laurent exansion to find the order of the pole and the residue?
 
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  • #2
e12514 said:
Can anyone explain what's going on?
Your first problem is that you applied the geometric series formula outside of its domain of convergence. While the 'magic' of algebra and analytic functions will often forgive such sins, any hope of that happening is dashed by the second problem: expanding out those e's doesn't give an expression that can be rearranged into a power series.
 
  • #3
How should we go about finding orders and residues in those cases then?
 
  • #4
In this particular case, you can use the fact that [itex]\lim_{z\rightarrow 0} z/sin z= 1[/itex]. 1/sin z= (z/sin z)(1/z) so the coefficient of 1/z in a Laurent series is 1.
 
  • #5
Thanks mate.

Are there any good online ebooks with more examples like these available that you know of? Most of the ones I've searched/seen have either no examples or only very straightforward ones like 'polynomial denominators'...
 

FAQ: Unravelling the Mystery of Poles and Residues

What are poles and residues?

Poles and residues are concepts in complex analysis that are used to study the behavior of functions on the complex plane. A pole is a point where a function is undefined or has infinite value, while a residue is the value of the function at a pole.

Why are poles and residues important?

Poles and residues are important because they provide information about the behavior of a function near singularities. They can also be used to evaluate complex integrals and solve differential equations, making them valuable tools in many areas of science and mathematics.

How are poles and residues calculated?

The location of poles can be determined by finding the roots of the denominator of a rational function. Residues can be calculated using the formula Res(f,z0) = limz→z0 [(z-z0)f(z)], where z0 is the pole and f(z) is the function. In more complicated cases, residue calculus and the Cauchy integral formula can be used to calculate residues.

What are some applications of poles and residues?

Poles and residues have various applications in mathematics, physics, and engineering. They are used in signal processing, control theory, and circuit analysis to analyze the stability and response of systems. In physics, they are used to study the behavior of particles in quantum mechanics and to solve problems in electromagnetism and fluid dynamics. In mathematics, they are used to solve problems in number theory and combinatorics.

What are some common misconceptions about poles and residues?

One common misconception is that poles and residues only apply to complex functions. In reality, they can also be applied to real-valued functions by considering the complex extension of the function. Another misconception is that poles and residues are only used in pure mathematics. As mentioned before, they have various applications in science and engineering, making them relevant to many fields of study.

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