The University of Sydney
School of Mathematics and Statistics
Solutions to Week 4 Tutorial and Homework
MATH3979/4079: Complex Analysis (Advanced) Semester 1, 2026
Lecturer: Dmitry Badziahin
1. Let γ : [0, 4π] → C be given by:
(
2eit , t ∈ [0, 2π],
γ(t) = −it
e + 1, t ∈ (2π, 4π].
(a) Show that γ is a piecewise smooth but not smooth curve.
(b) Is γ closed and simple?
Solution: (a) lim γ(t) = lim γ(t) = 2, so γ is continuous, thus it is a curve.
t→2π−0 t→2π+0
γ is smooth on [0, 2π] and [2π, 4π]. On the other hand, lim γ ′ (t) = i ̸= −i =
t→2π−0
lim γ ′ (t), therefore the curve is not smooth.
t→2π+0
(b) γ(0) = γ(4π) = 2, thus the curve is closed. Is is not simple, since the same
value is achieved for t = 2π.
2. Sketch the following curves for t ∈ [0, 1]:
(a) γ1 (t) = 1 + it;
(b) γ2 (t) = e−πit ;
(c) γ3 (t) = eπit ;
(d) γ4 (t) = 1 + it + t2 .
Solution: γ1 is the segment starting at z = 1 and ending at z = 1 + i. γ2 is the
lower half of the unit circle centered at the origin, starting at z = 1 and ending
at the z = −1. γ3 is the upper half of the unit circle centered at the origin, with
the same
√ beginning and end points as γ2 . γ4 is the part of the graph of function
y = x − 1 corresponding to 1 ≤ x ≤ 2.
3. The curve is defined by the parametrization γ : [−1, 1] → C, γ(t) = t2 + t3 i. Find
lim arg γ ′ (t); lim arg γ ′ (t).
t→−0 t→+0
Conclude then that γ does not have a tangent line at zero.
Solution: We have γ ′ (t) = 2t + 3t2 i. For t < 0 that can be rewritten as
|t|(−2 − 3ti). As t tends to zero, the number in the brackets tends to −2, which
argument is π. For t > 0 we get t(2+3ti). As t → 0 the argument of the expression
inside the brackets tends to 0.
Copyright © 2026 The University of Sydney 1
4. Find a differential parametrisation of the curve [0, i] ∪ [0, 1] with the starting point
i and hence verify that the curve is differential. Is it regular?
Solution: Let γ : [−1, 1] → C be defined as γ(t) = u(t) + v(t)i where
0 if t < 0; 0 if t ≥ 0;
u(t) = 2 u(t) =
t if t ≥ 0. t2 if t < 0.
On can see that both u and v and hence γ are differentiable one the whole interval
[−1, 1] and that γ([−1, 1]) = [0, i] ∪ [0, 1].
The curve is not regular because it does not have a tangent line at zero.
1
5. For the mapping w = find the images of the following sets:
z
(a) Re z = 1;
(b) |z + 1| = 1;
(c) 0 < Re z < 1 and Im z > 0;
(d) the triangle with vertices 0, i, 1.
Sketch all of these sets and their images!
Solution: (a) That set is the line touching the unit circle |z| = 1 at point z = 1,
which is a fixed point of the mapping. Thus, the mapping will take it to a circle
touching the unit circle from inside at z = 1 and containing the centre, i.e. the
1 1
circle c1 : z − = .
2 2
(b) That set is the circle centered at z = −1 with radius 1. It contains the origin,
√ intersects the unit circle |z| = 1
thus its image will be a line.√Notice that the circle
1 3 1 3
at two points: z1 = − + i and z2 = − − i . The mapping takes those two
2 2 2 2
points into each other, thus the image of the circle will be the line containing z1
1
and z2 , i.e. the line Re z = − .
2
(c) The boundary of that set consists of three parts:
p1 – the segment with endpoints 0 and 1;
p2 – the part of the imaginary axis lying in the upper half plane, i.e. the half line
Re z = 0, Im z ≥ 0; and
p3 – the half line Re z = 1, Im z ≥ 0.
The image of p1 is the half line z ≥ 1 on the real axis. The image of p2 is the
complementary half line Re z = 0, Im z < 0. The image of p3 is the lower half of
the circle c1 .
The image of the set is thus the fourth quadrant without the area within c1 .
(d) The image of the segment with endpoints 0 and 1 is the half line z ≥ 1 on
the real axis, as already determined in part (c). The image of the segment with
endpoints 0 and i is the half line Re z = 0, Im z ≤ −1. The image of the line
2
containing 1 and i will be a circle c2 circumscribed about the triangle with vertices
1, −i and 0, and the image of the segment with endpoint i and 1 will be the arc of
that circle lying outside the unit circle |z| = 1.
The image of the set is thus the fourth quadrant without the area within c2 .
6. Find the Möbius transformation that maps the points −i, 0, i to −1, i, 1 respec-
tively. What is the image of the imaginary axis under this transformation?
−iz + i
Solution: The transformation is φ(z) = . The imaginary axis contains
z+1
points −i, 0, i, thus it will be mapped to the circle containing −1, i, 1, i.e. the unit
circle |z| = 1.
7. Let z1 , z2 , z3 , z4 be four distinct points in C, and φ the Möbius transformation
mapping z1 , z2 , z3 to ∞, 0, 1 respectively. The cross ratio of z1 , z2 , z3 , z4 , denoted
by (z1 , z2 , z3 , z4 ), is defined as φ(z4 ).
(a) Show that z1 , z2 , z3 , z4 lie on a generalised circle if and only if their cross
ratio is real.
(b) Compute (2, −2, 2i, z).
√
(c) Using (a) and (b), check if points 1+i 3 and 2−i belong to the circle |z| = 2.
Solution: (a) The points lie on a generalised circle if and only if their images in
ϕ lie on a generalised circle. The generalised circle containing ∞, 0, 1 is the real
line, thus the statement follows.
iz + 2i
(b) φ(z) = .
z−2
√ √
(c) φ(1+i 3) = 3 ∈ R, thus the point belongs to the circle. φ(2−i) = −4+i ̸∈ R,
thus the point is not on the circle.
8. Show that any pair of non-intersecting circles can be mapped to a pair of concentric
circles by some Möbius transformation.
Hint: Show that you can find a circle C which is orthogonal to both of them.
Then, show that you can find a Möbius map sending C to the imaginary axis and
the line joining the centres of the two centres to the real axis.
Solution:
If the centres o1 , o2 of two circles C1 and C2 coincide then the identity map does
the job. Let lbe a line going though o1 and o2 .
We first show that there exists a circle which intersects both C1 and C2 at angles
π/2. Pick a point p on C1 which does not belong to L. By an appropriate shift
(which is a Möbius transformation) we transfer p to zero. Then we apply the map
1
z 7→ . Let M : z 7→ (z − p)−1 . This transformation maps C1 to a line L∗1 , C2 to a
z
circle C2∗ and the line L to a circle C ∗ . The line L∗1 does not go through the centre
of C1 because C1 and L1 do not intersect, by the problem conditions. We draw a
line L∗3 which goes through the centre of C2∗ and is orthogonal to L∗1 . Notice that L∗3
3
is orthogonal to both L∗1 and C2∗ and is different from C ∗ , therefore M −1 (C3∗ ) =: C3
is orthogonal to both C1 and C2 and is different from the line L.
Consider the point q of intersection of C3 and L and consider the map M1 : z 7→
(z − q)−1 . It maps the line L and the circle C3 to some lines L◦ and L◦3 . M1 also
maps C1 and C2 to some other circles C1◦ and C2◦ . We know that both L◦ and L◦3
are orthogonal to C1◦ and C2◦ , therefore they go through the centres of these two
circles. Hence C1◦ and C2◦ are concentric.