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Math 411: Honours Complex Variables - University of Alberta

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Chapter 4<br />

<strong>Complex</strong> Line Integrals<br />

We call a function f : [a,b] → C integrable if Ref,Imf : [a,b] → R are integrable in<br />

the sense <strong>of</strong> real variables. (The Riemann integral will do.) In this case, we define<br />

� b � b<br />

f(t)dt :=<br />

a<br />

a<br />

� b<br />

Ref(t)dt+i Imf(t)dt.<br />

a<br />

Definition. A curve (or path) in C is a continuous map γ: [a,b] → C. We call<br />

• γ(a) the initial point <strong>of</strong> γ,<br />

• γ(b) the endpoint (or terminal point) <strong>of</strong> γ, and<br />

• {γ} := γ([a,b]) the trajectory <strong>of</strong> γ.<br />

Collectively, we call γ(a) and γ(b) the endpoints <strong>of</strong> γ.<br />

Examples.<br />

1. Let z,w ∈ C. Then<br />

γ: [0,1] → C, t ↦→ z0 +t(z −z0)<br />

has the initial point z0 and the endpoint z, and {γ} is the line segment connecting<br />

z0 with z.<br />

2. For k ∈ Z, let<br />

γk: [0,2π] → C, θ ↦→ e ikθ .<br />

Then γk(0) = 1 = γk(2π) holds, and for k �= 0, we have {γk} = {z ∈ C : |z|= 1}.<br />

Definition. A curve γ: [a,b] → C is called piecewise smoothif there exists a partition<br />

a = a0 < a1 < ··· < an = b such that γ|[aj−1,aj] is continuously differentiable for<br />

j = 1,...,n.<br />

22

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