Questions tagged [cv.complex-variables]
Complex analysis, holomorphic functions, automorphic group actions and forms, pseudoconvexity, complex geometry, analytic spaces, analytic sheaves.
316 questions
212
votes
52
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Ways to prove the fundamental theorem of algebra
This seems to be a favorite question everywhere, including Princeton quals. How many ways are there?
Please give a new way in each answer, and if possible give reference. I start by giving two:
...
23
votes
1
answer
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On equation $f(z+1)-f(z)=f'(z)$
Original Problem
If $f$ is an entire function such that
$$ f(z+1)-f(z)=f'(z) $$
for all $z$.
Is there a non-trivial solution? ($f(z)=az+b$ is trivial)
And here is something uncertainty
If we use ...
- 1,551
15
votes
2
answers
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Asymptotic approximation of $x^\alpha$ by entire functions
Given a non-integral real $\alpha$, is there an entire (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entire_function) function $h(x)$ such that $x^{-\alpha}h(x)\longrightarrow 1$
for $x\rightarrow+\infty$ (with $...
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430
votes
16
answers
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Why do roots of polynomials tend to have absolute value close to 1?
While playing around with Mathematica I noticed that most polynomials with real coefficients seem to have most complex zeroes very near the unit circle. For instance, if we plot all the roots of a ...
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votes
4
answers
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Entire function bounded at every line
I would like to ask about, does there exists an entire function which is bounded on every line parallel to $x$ - axis , but unbounded on the $x$ - axis.
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4
answers
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Is the Euler product formula always divergent for 0<Re(s)<1?
It is known that the Euler product formula converges for $\Re(s)>1$
(and there it represents the Riemann zeta function).
My question: Is the Euler product always divergent for
$0 < \Re(s) < ...
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votes
15
answers
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$f(f(x))=\exp(x)-1$ and other functions "just in the middle" between linear and exponential
The question is about the function $f(x)$ so that $f(f(x))=\exp (x)-1$.
The question is open ended and it was discussed quite recently in the comment thread in Aaronson's blog here http://...
- 24.7k
31
votes
11
answers
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Uniformization theorem for Riemann surfaces
How does one prove that every simply connected Riemann surface is conformally equivalent to the open unit disk, the complex plane, or the Riemann sphere, and these are not conformally equivalent to ...
16
votes
3
answers
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When is a holomorphic submersion with isomorphic fibers locally trivial?
A justly celebrated theorem by Ehresmann states that a proper smooth submersion $\pi: X\to S$ between smooth manifolds is locally trivial in the sense that every point $s\in S$ downstairs has a ...
- 47.5k
11
votes
1
answer
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Extending an assignment property from Q to R (or C)
Property of any odd number of nonnegative integers:
Given $x_1 \leq \cdots \leq x_{2n + 1}$ with each $x_i \in \mathbb{Z}_{\geq 0}$, suppose that for any $x_i$ we remove, the remaining numbers can be ...
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4
votes
1
answer
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Does $P_xP_y+Q_xQ_y=0 \implies$ "non-existence of limit cycle" for $P\partial_x+Q\partial_y$"? (Complex dilatation and limit cycle theory)
Let $X=P\partial_x+Q\partial_y$ be a vector field on the plane $\mathbb{R}^2$. Assume that we have :$$P_xP_y+Q_xQ_y=0$$ Does this imply that the vector field $X$ is a divergence-free vector field ...
- 356
74
votes
10
answers
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Why does the Gamma-function complete the Riemann Zeta function?
Defining $$\xi(s) := \pi^{-s/2}\ \Gamma\left(\frac{s}{2}\right)\ \zeta(s)$$ yields $\xi(s) = \xi(1 - s)$ (where $\zeta$ is the Riemann Zeta function).
Is there any conceptual explanation - or ...
- 12.3k
27
votes
3
answers
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Kasteleyn's formula for domino tilings generalized?
It seems a marvel when a bunch of irrational numbers "conspire" to become rational, even better an integer. An elementary example is $\prod_{j=1}^n4\cos^2\left(\pi j/(2n+1)\right)=1$.
Kasteleyn's ...
- 43.1k
15
votes
1
answer
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Dirichlet series expansion of an analytic function
Let $F(s)=\sum_{n\geq 1}\frac{a_n}{n^s}$ be a Dirichlet series with (finite) abscissa of absolute convergence $\sigma_a$. It can be shown that $\forall \sigma >\sigma_a:$
$$\lim_{T\to\infty}\frac{1}...
- 7,127
2
votes
2
answers
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On the integral $I_s =\int_{1}^{\infty} (\pi(x)-Li(x))x^{-s-1} dx$
Define $\pi(x)$ to be the prime counting function and Li(x) the logarithmic integral. Let $I_s$ be defined as above.
Is $I_s$ known to be convergent for any real number $s<1$ ?
user140392
106
votes
6
answers
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Why does the Riemann zeta function have non-trivial zeros?
This is a very basic question of course, and exposes my serious ignorance of analytic number theory, but what I am looking for is a good intuitive explanation rather than a formal proof (though a ...
- 29k
86
votes
44
answers
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Demystifying complex numbers
At the end of this month I start teaching complex analysis to
2nd year undergraduates, mostly from engineering but some from
science and maths. The main applications for them in future
studies are ...
29
votes
1
answer
1k
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About the function $\prod_{k \in \mathbb{N}}(1-\frac{x^3}{k^3})$
I'm wondering if the function $$f(x)=\prod_{k \in \mathbb{N}}\left(1-\frac{x^3}{k^3}\right)$$ has a name, or if there are any properties (especially about derivatives of $f$) have studied so far.
I ...
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23
votes
1
answer
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More mysteries about the zeros of the Riemann zeta function
Update on 12/26/2020: I added the Appendix at the bottom: simplified formula for $|\zeta(s)|^2$, when $\frac{1}{2}<\Re(s)<1$.
Update on 1/5/2020: I added the section "more interesting ...
- 3,098
20
votes
4
answers
6k
views
Conformal maps in higher dimensions
In dimension 2 we know by the Riemann mapping theorem that any simply connected domain ( $\neq \mathbb{R}^{2}$) can be mapped bijectively to the unit disk with a function that preserves angles between ...
- 757
18
votes
3
answers
2k
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Does Riemann map depend continuously on the domain?
I've always taken this for granted until recently:
In the simplest case, given Jordan curve $C \subseteq \mathbb{C}$ containing a neighborhood of $\bar{0}$ in its interior. Given parametrizations $\...
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votes
3
answers
1k
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Is this lower bound for a norm of some complex matrices true?
Let $A = [a_{ij}]_{n\times n}$ be a Hermitian matrix, such that $|a_{ij}| =1$ for $i \neq j$, and $a_{ii} = 0$ for each $i$.
I am interested in a tight lower bound of $\|A\|_*:=\sum_{i=1}^n |\lambda_i(...
- 1,991
12
votes
3
answers
784
views
Can the equation $1+z+z^2=z^n$ for natural $n$ have multiple complex roots $z$?
The question is stated in the title of this post.
It is easy to see that, if $z$ is a multiple root of $p_n(z):=1+z+z^2-z^n$, then $(n-2)z^2+(n-1)z+n=0$, so that we can successively express $z^2,\dots,...
- 128k
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votes
2
answers
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Does this product have analytic continuation?
The product
$$
F(s)=\prod_{p}\frac1{(1-p^{-s})^p},
$$
converges for $\mathrm{Re}(s)>2$, when $p$ runs over all primes. Does it admit analytic continuation beyond the line $\mathrm{Re}(s)=2$? Any ...
user1688
9
votes
0
answers
313
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Switching the order of a summation and replacing a series by its analytical continuation
Background
A useful trick when trying to analyze a series $\sum_{n=0}^\infty f(n)$ is to expand $f(n)$ as some kind of series, swap the order of summation, and then evaluate the inner infinite sum. ...
- 1,730
7
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Surjective entire functions without critical points
It is easy to construct surjective locally univalent holomorphic functions $f: {\mathbb D}\to {\mathbb C}$, where ${\mathbb D}$ is the open unit disk.
I am pretty sure that the answer to the ...
- 12.2k
75
votes
3
answers
9k
views
Does a power series converging everywhere on its circle of convergence define a continuous function?
Consider a complex power series $\sum a_n z^n \in \mathbb C[[z]]$ with radius of convergence $0\lt r\lt\infty$ and suppose that for every $w$ with $\mid w\mid =r$ the series $\sum a_n w^n $ converges ....
- 47.5k
72
votes
9
answers
16k
views
Why do functions in complex analysis behave so well? (as opposed to functions in real analysis)
Complex analytic functions show rigid behavior while real-valued smooth functions are flexible. Why is this the case?
- 1,093
68
votes
1
answer
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Behaviour of power series on their circle of convergence
I asked myself the following question while preparing a course on power series for 2nd year students. Let $F$ be the set of power series with convergence radius equal to $1$. What subsets $S$ of the ...
- 683
49
votes
4
answers
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If the Riemann Hypothesis fails, must it fail infinitely often?
That is must there either be no non-trivial zeros off the critical line or
infinitely many?
I'm sure that no one believes otherwise, but I've never seen a theorem in the
literature addressing this. ...
- 17.6k
47
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Absolute value inequality for complex numbers
I asked this question on stackexchange, but despite much effort on my part have been unsuccesful in finding a solution.
Does the inequality
$$2(|a|+|b|+|c|) \leq |a+b+c|+|a+b-c|+|a+c-b|+|b+c-a|$$
...
- 953
45
votes
5
answers
9k
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Liouville's theorem with your bare hands
Liouville's theorem from complex analysis states that a holomorphic function $f(z)$ on the plane that is bounded in magnitude is constant. The usual proof uses the Cauchy integral formula. But this ...
- 7,062
41
votes
2
answers
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Must the set of lines through the origin on which a nonconstant entire function is bounded be finite?
If an entire function is bounded for all $z \in \mathbb{C}$, than it's a constant by Liouville's theorem. Of course an entire function can be bounded on lines through the origin $z=r \exp(i \phi), \...
- 4,014
38
votes
2
answers
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What, exactly, has Louis de Branges proved about the Riemann Hypothesis?
I know this is a dangerous topic which could attract many cranks and nutters, but:
According to Wikipedia [and probably his own website, but I have a hard time seeing exactly what he's claiming] Louis ...
- 1,990
30
votes
1
answer
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Proof of "Possible new series for $\pi$" without use of physics
Related post: The post Possible new series for $\pi$ is about whether the identity is new, so to avoid confusion I was advised to ask this question separately.
I am looking for a proof of the ...
- 1,459
30
votes
4
answers
3k
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Distribution of roots of complex polynomials
I generated random quadratic and cubic polynomials with coefficients in $\mathbb{C}$
uniformly distributed in the unit disk $|z| \le 1$. The distribution of the roots of 10000
of these polynomials are ...
- 151k
29
votes
7
answers
7k
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Elementary proof of Riemann-Roch for compact Riemann surfaces
I am supposed to give a talk about the Riemann-Roch theorem to a seminar of first and second year graduate students. I want to do Riemann-Roch for compact Riemann surfaces, but I am open to perhaps ...
user100272
28
votes
5
answers
3k
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Continuous + holomorphic on a dense open => holomorphic?
Let D ⊂ ℂ be the closed unit disc in the complex plane, and let C be a continuously embedded path in D between the points -1 and 1. The curve C splits D into two halfs $D_1$ and $D_2$.
Let ...
- 43.2k
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votes
2
answers
1k
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Are there irreducible polynomials with all zeros on two concentric circles?
This is somewhat similar to this recent question, but extending in a different direction.
Let $f(x)$ be an irreducible polynomial of degree $n$ with integer coefficients. Call such $f$ a bicycle ...
- 13.4k
26
votes
3
answers
2k
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Universality of zeta- and L-functions
Voronin´s Universality Theorem (for the Riemann zeta-Function) according to Wikipedia: Let $U$ be a compact subset of the "critical half-strip" $\{s\in\mathbb{C}:\frac{1}{2}<Re(s)<1\}$ with ...
- 7,127
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votes
2
answers
975
views
Does Rademacher's convergent series for p(n) define an analytic function?
Let $p(n)$ be the number of partitions of $n\geq 0$. We can let $n$ be
any complex number in Rademacher's convergent infinite series for
$p(n)$. (See e.g. equation (24) here.)
For what $n$ does it ...
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21
votes
6
answers
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What is the relationship between $\sum_{n=0}^\infty f(n) x^n$ and $-\sum_{n=1}^\infty f(-n) x^{-n}$?
Background
Taking a relatively arbitrary combination of exponential and polynomial terms, for instance
$$\sum_{n=0}^\infty \left(n^{2}\sin\left(n\right)+n\cos\left(3n-2\right)\right)\cos\left(5n+1\...
- 1,730
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votes
0
answers
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Cartan–Oka vanishing in one variable without $\overline{\partial}$?
This is a literature question, about possible proofs of some very basic results in complex analysis.
Some key facts about holomorphic functions are proved via reduction to smooth functions, using $\...
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votes
2
answers
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Does module Hom commute with tensor product in the second variable?
Let $A$ be a commutative ring, and $L, M, N$ be $A$-modules. Then is it true that
$$\text{Hom}_A (L, M)\otimes_A N \cong \text{Hom}_A (L, M\otimes_A N)$$
as $A$-modules?
(Note that there is a ...
- 1,906
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votes
2
answers
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Belyi functions on non-compact surfaces; or: Building Riemann surfaces from equilateral triangles
Some background on (compact) Belyi surfaces
$\newcommand{\Ch}{\hat{\mathbb{C}}}$
A compact Riemann surface $X$ is called a Belyi surface if there exists a branched covering map $f:X\to \Ch$ such that $...
- 6,548
18
votes
2
answers
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Homotopy types of schemes
Let $X$ be a scheme over $\mathbb{C}$.
When does the topological space $X\left(\mathbb{C}\right)$ of $\mathbb{C}$-points have the homotopy type of a finite CW-complex?
When does the topological ...
- 15.5k
16
votes
1
answer
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What are some of the earliest examples of analytic continuation?
I'm wondering how Riemann knew that $\zeta(z)$ could be extended to a larger domain. In particular, who was the first person to explicitly extend the domain of a complex valued function and what was ...
- 3,699
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votes
5
answers
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Zeros of the derivative of Riemann's $\xi$-function
The Riemann xi function $\xi(s)$ is defined as
$$
\xi(s)=\frac12 s(s-1)\pi^{-s/2}\Gamma(s/2)\zeta(s).
$$
It is an entire function whose zeros are precisely those of $\zeta(s)$.
Since $\xi$ is real ...
- 11.1k
15
votes
3
answers
4k
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Elementary Luroth theorem proof?
Hi, everyone!
I'm trying to explain the proof of Luroth theorem (every field $L$, s.t. $K\subset L\subset K(t)$, is isomorphic to $K(t)$) to the high-school audience. I'm not going to use such ...
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votes
1
answer
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What is the analytic continuation of $\varphi(s)=\sum_{n \ge 1} e^{-n^s}?$
My research has lead me to the following function that I'm trying to continue. 3 Months ago I posted this question to MSE, and have placed 3 bounties on the question, but haven't received an answer, ...
- 105