In this section, we will discuss
  • Complex functions
  • Polar form of complex numbers
  • Limit of a function
  • Differentiability
  • Analytic Functions

Complex Functions

The last section developed a basic theory of complex numbers. Now we turn our attention to the functions of complex numbers. they are defined in a similar way to the functions of real numbers that you studied in calculus; the only difference is that they operate real numbers rather than on complex numbers. This section primarily focuses on very basic functions, their representations and the properties associated with them.
A complex-valued function ‘f’ of a complex variable ‘z’ is a rule that assigns to each complex number ‘z’ in a set D, a one and only one complex number ‘w’, we write w=f(z) and call w the image of z under f. A very simple example of a complex-valued function is given by the formula w = f(z) = `z^4`. The set D is called the domain of f, and the set of all images is 
{w = f(z): z`\in`D}
When the context is obvious, we omit the phrase complex-valued function, and simply refer to a function f, or to a complex function f. 
Just as z can be expressed by its real and imaginary parts, 𝑧 = 𝑥 + 𝑖𝑦, we write 𝑓(𝑧) = 𝑤 = 𝑢 + 𝑖𝑣 where u and v are the real and imaginary parts of w, respectively. Doing so gives us the representation 
𝑤 = 𝑓(𝑧) = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑓(𝑥 + 𝑖𝑦) = 𝑢 + 𝑖𝑣
Since u and v depends on x and y, they can be considered to be a real valued functions of the real variables x and y, 𝑢 = 𝑢(𝑥, 𝑦) and 𝑣 = 𝑣(𝑥, 𝑦) combining these two ideas we often write a complex function ‘f’ in the form of 
𝑓(𝑧) = 𝑓(𝑥 + 𝑖𝑦) = 𝑢(𝑥, 𝑦) + 𝑖 𝑣(𝑥, 𝑦) 
we now give several examples that illustrates how to express a complex function. 
complex function



Example:1

Write f(z) = `z^4` in the form of  𝑓(𝑧) = 𝑢(𝑥, 𝑦) + 𝑖 𝑣(𝑥, 𝑦) using the binomial formula we obtain
𝑓(𝑧) = 𝑓(𝑥 + 𝑖𝑦) = `(x + iy)^4`
= `x^4 + 4 x^3 (iy) + 6 x^2 (iy)^2 + 4x(iy)^3 + (iy)^4`
= `x^4 + 4 x^3 iy - 6 x^2 y^2 - 4x i y^3 + y^4`
= `x^4 - 6 x^2 y^2 + y^4 + i(4 x^3 y - 4x y^3)`
= 𝑢(𝑥, 𝑦) + 𝑖 𝑣(𝑥, 𝑦)

Example:2

Express the function 𝑓(𝑧) = 𝑧̅ Re(z) + `z^2` + Im(z) in the form of 𝑓(𝑧) = 𝑢(𝑥, 𝑦) + 𝑖 𝑣(𝑥, 𝑦) using elementary properties of complex numbers, it follows that
𝑓(𝑧) = `(x - iy)x + z^2 + y`
= `x^2 - ixy + x^2 + 2ixy - y^2 + y`
= `2x^2 - y^2 + y + ixy`
𝑢(𝑥, 𝑦) = `2x^2 - y^2 + y`   ,    𝑣(𝑥, 𝑦) = `xy`

Polar form of complex functions

Using `z = re^(i\theta)` in the expression of a complex function f may be convenient. It gives us polar representation `f(z) = f(re^(i\theta)) = u(r, θ) + iv(r, θ)` 
where U and V are real functions of real variables r and θ.



Analytic Functions: If the derivative 𝑓'(𝑧) exists at all points z of a region R in a complex plane, then 𝑓(𝑧) is said to be analytic in R.