Bilinear Transformation / Möbius Transfor-

mation
Inversion / Inverse Map:
1
w = f (z) =
z

1
z
 if z ̸= 0
f (z) = ∞ z = 0

0 z=∞


ˆ Map 1
z
maps circle |z| = k onto circle |w| = 1
k

ˆ 1
z
maps exterior |z| > k onto interior |w| < 1
k

1
w= , z=ω
z
1
z=
u + iv
1 u − iv u − iv
x + iy = × = 2
u + iv u − iv u + v2
u v
x= , y=−
u2 + v 2 u2 + v 2

a(x2 + y 2 ) + bx + cy + d = 0
a ̸= 0 (Circle), a = 0 (Straight Line)

u2 v2
 
u −v
a + +b + c +d=0
(u2 + v 2 )2 (u2 + v 2 )2 u2 + v 2 u2 + v 2
= d(u2 + v 2 ) + bu − cv + a = 0

1
Notes:
1
1. z
maps circle (a ̸= 0) not passing through origin (d ̸= 0) to circle not
passing through origin.
1
2. z
maps circle (a ̸= 0) not passing through origin (d = 0) to straight
line not passing through origin.
1
3. z
maps straight line (a = 0) not passing through origin (d ̸= 0) to circle
passing origin.
1
4. z
maps straight line (a = 0) passing through origin (d = 0) to straight
line passing through origin.

Bilinear or Möbius Transformation

A map of the form:
az + b
f (z) = where ad − bc ̸= 0
cz + d
is called a bilinear transformation.
Also, 
az+b
 cz+d
 z≠ − dc
f (z) = ∞ z = − dc

a
c
z=∞

Notes:
1. BT maps circle or straight line onto circle or straight line.

2. BT is one-to-one.

3. BT maps ∞ onto ac .

4. Composition of BT is again BT.

5. f (z) = z, i.e., identity map is BT.

6. Inverse of BT is again BT.

7. Set of BT is a non-abelian group.

2
Conformal Map
A function is said to be conformal at z = z0 if it preserves the angle between
any two curves passing through z0 , both in sense and magnitude.
e.g. f (z) = z is conformal on C.

Result
A map is conformal at z0 if and only if f is analytic at z0 and f ′ (z0 ) ̸= 0.

Cross-Ratio
If z1 , z2 , z3 , z4 are four points in C, then cross ratio

(z4 − z1 )(z2 − z3 )
(z1 , z2 , z3 , z4 ) =
(z4 − z3 )(z2 − z1 )

Notes
1. Fixed point of bilinear transformation is at most 2.
Let f (z) = az+b
cz+d
= z.
Then,
cz 2 + dz − az − b = 0
which is a quadratic equation in z.

2. Bilinear transformation f has only one fixed point ⇒ it is called parabolic.

Some Important Formulas:

More Bilinear Transformations:

True-False Exercises with Answers
1. If f (z) is analytic at a point z0 , then the mapping w = f (z) is conformal
at z0 . True

2. The mapping w = z 2 + iz + 1 is not conformal at z = −2i. False

3
Condition Formula Figure

The most general B.T. that az + b

f (z) = , ad − bc > 0
maps upper half to itself cz + d
The most general B.T. that
az + b
maps upper half to lower f (z) = , ad − bc < 0
half cz + d

The most general B.T. that π az + b

f (z) = e−i 2 , ad −
maps upper half to right cz + d
half bc > 0
π az + b
The most general B.T. that f (z) = ei 2 , ad−bc >
cz + d
maps upper half to left half 0

Condition Formula Figure

The most general B.T. that maps z−β
f (z) = eiθ , Im(β) > 0
upper half to unit disc z−β
The most general B.T. that maps z−β
f (z) = eiθ , Im(β) < 0
lower half to unit disc z−β
The most general B.T. that maps z−β
f (z) = eiθ , Re(β) > 0
right half to unit disc z+β
The most general B.T. that maps z−β
f (z) = eiθ , Re(β) < 0
left half to unit disc z+β
The most general B.T. that maps z − z0
f (z) = eiθ , |z0 | < 1
unit disc to itself 1 − z0 z

3. The mapping w = z 2 + 1 is not conformal at z = ±i. True

4. The mapping w = z fails to be conformal at every point in the complex

plane. False

5. A linear fractional transformation is conformal at every point in its

domain. True

6. The entire complex plane is mapped onto the real axis v = 0 by w =

z + z. True

4
 7. The entire complex plane is mapped onto the unit circle |w| = 1 by
w = z1 . False

8. A Möbius transformation which carries the upper half-plane onto the

unit disk D, such that z = i2 is mapped onto w = 0 while z = ∞ is
mapped onto w = −1, is w = z−2i
z+2i
. True

9. The lines x = 3 and x = −3 are mapped onto the same parabola by

w = z2. True

10. The image of a circle under a linear fractional transformation is a circle.

True
z−i
11. The linear fractional transformation T (z) = z+i
maps the points 0, 1, −i
onto the points −i, ∞, and 0 respectively. False

12. Given any three distinct points z1 , z2 , and z3 , there is a linear fractional
transformation that maps z1 , z2 , and z3 onto 0, 1, and ∞. True
az+b
13. The inverse of the linear fractional transformation T (z) = cz+d
is
T −1 (z) = −cz+a
dz−b
. False

14. There exist transcendental entire functions having no fixed points.

True

15. The composition of two Möbius transformations is again a Möbius

transformation. True

16. The set M of all Möbius transformations T (z) = az+b

cz+d
with ad − bc ̸= 0
forms a group with respect to composition as a binary operation. True

17. A Möbius transformation f : Ĉ → Ĉ taking 0, 1, 6 into 2, 3, 4 respec-

tively, is f (z) = (2/3)z+(3/2)
z+1
. False

18. A Möbius transformation, which maps the upper half-plane {z : Im(z) >
0} onto itself and fixes 0, ∞ and no other points, must be of the form
T (z) = αz for some α > 0 and α ̸= 1. True

19. A Möbius transformation, which maps the upper half-plane {z : Im(z) >
0} onto itself which fixes ∞ and no other points must be of the form
T (z) = z + β for some β ∈ R with β ̸= 0. True

20. Let T be a Möbius transformation such that T fixes ∞. Then T carries

R onto itself if and only if T (z) = αz + β for some α, β ∈ R with α ̸= 0.
True

5
Assignment with Detailed Solutions
Question 1: The inverse point of 1 + i with respect to the circle |z − 1| = 2
is:

1. 1 − i

2. 1/4 + i

3. 1/2 + i

4. −1 − i

Solution:
The inverse point z ′ of z with respect to the circle |z − a| = r satisfies:

|z − a| · |z ′ − a| = r2 ,

and z ′ lies on the line passing through a and z.

Given a = 1, r = 2, and z = 1 + i,
Calculate:
|z − a| = |(1 + i) − 1| = |i| = 1.
Then,
r2 4
|z ′ − 1| = = = 4,
|z − 1| 1
and z ′ lies on the line joining 1 and 1 + i, i.e., along the direction of i.
Since the direction vector is vertical,

z ′ = 1 + y ′ i,

with
|z ′ − 1| = |y ′ i| = |y ′ | = 4.
The point z = 1 + i is above 1, so the inverse is in the opposite direction
on the line, hence
z ′ = 1 − 4i.
This corresponds to neither option 1 nor 2, 3, 4 directly but closest is
option 4 if corrected.
Question 2: The inverse point of the point z with respect to the circle
|z| = r is:
2r
1. z

6
 2r
2. |z|

3. rz

4. None of these

Solution:
Inverse point of z with respect to |z| = r is:

r2
z′ = ,
z
where z is the complex conjugate of z.
r2
None of the options correspond exactly, so the correct formula is z ′ = z
.
Question 3: By the transformation w = eiπ/4 z, the line x = 0 is trans-
formed into the line:

1. v = −u

2. v = u

3. u + v = 1

4. v = 0

Solution:
Given w = eiπ/4 z, write z = x + iy and w = u + iv.
The rotation by π/4 is:
  √ 
cos π4 − sin π4
    
u x 2 1 −1 x
= π π = .
v sin 4 cos 4 y 2 1 1 y

Since line x = 0, substitute x = 0:

√ √
2 2
u= (0 − y) = − y,
2 2
√ √
2 2
v= (0 + y) = y.
2 2
Therefore,
v = −u.
Hence, the line x = 0 is mapped to the line v = −u.
Correct option: 1.