MA 547 (Complex Analysis)

Tutorial and Practice Problem Set

This file will be continuously updated during the course to include tutorial and practice problems
which can be solved using the ideas discussed in the lectures till that time. You are encouraged
to try (at least read the question) to solve these problems. I shall discuss some of these problems
as tutorial problems.

√
1. Show that |z| ≤ |Re(z)| + |Im(z)| ≤ 2|z| for all z ∈ C.
1 1
2. If z ∈ C such that |z| = 2, then show that ≤ .
z4 2
− 4z + 3 3
5 2z − 1 7
3. If z ∈ C such that |z| = 3, then show that ≤ 2 ≤ .
13 z +4 5
1


4. Let z, w ∈ C and λ ∈ R with λ > 0. Show that |z + w|2 ≤ (1 + λ)|z|2 + 1 + λ
|w|2 .
n
5. Let z ∈ C \ {1} such that z n = 1, where n ∈ N. Show that 1 + 2z + · · · + nz n−1 = .
z−1
6. Let z, w ∈ C such that (1 + |z|2 )w = (1 + |w|2 )z. Show that z = w or zw = 1.
1 + z + z2
7. Let z ∈ C \ R such that ∈ R. Show that |z| = 1.
1 − z + z2
8. If z, w ∈ D, then show that |(1 − |z|2 )w + (1 − |w|2 )z| < |1 − z 2 w2 |, where D = {u ∈ C : |u| < 1}.

9. Let z, w ∈ C such that Re(z) > 0 and Re(w) > 0. Show that |z − w| < |z + w|.

10. If z, w ∈ C, then show that |1 + z| + |1 + w| + |1 + zw| ≥ 2.

11. Let z1 , z2 , z3 ∈ C such that z1 +z2 +z3 = 0 and |z1 | = |z2 | = |z3 | = 1. Show that z12 +z22 +z32 = 0.

12. Show that |z1 + z2 | + |z2 + z3 | + |z3 + z1 | ≤ |z1 | + |z2 | + |z3 | + |z1 + z2 + z3 | for all z1 , z2 , z3 ∈ C.

13. Let z1 , z2 , z3 be distinct nonzero complex numbers such that |z1 | = |z2 | = |z3 |. If
z1 + z2 z3 , z2 + z1 z3 , z3 + z1 z2 ∈ R, then show that z1 z2 z3 = 1.
1 1
14. Let z ∈ C \ {0} such that z 3 + 3
≤ 2. Show that z + ≤ 2.
z z
15. Show that all the roots of the equation (z + 1)3 + z 3 = 0 lie on the straight line Re(z) + 12 = 0.
 n
1 + iz
16. Let a, b ∈ R and n ∈ N. Show that all the roots z ∈ C of the equation = a + ib are
1 − iz
real iff a2 + b2 = 1.

17. Let a, b, c ∈ C such that a 6= 0 and |a| 6= |c|. Show that a root (in C) of the equation
az 2 + bz + c = 0 has modulus 1 iff |ab − bc| = |aa − cc|.
z−a
18. Let a ∈ C such that |a| < 1 and let f (z) = for all z ∈ D. Show that f : D → D is
1 − az
one-one and onto.
 1 + ix
19. Let f (x) = for all x ∈ R. Show that f : R → C is one-one. Also, determine the range
1 − ix
of f .

20. Let a, b ∈ C and let f (z) = az + bz for all z ∈ C. Show that f : C → C is one-one and onto iff
|a| =
6 |b|.

21. Let n ∈ N and let z1 , . . . , zn , w1 , . . . , wn ∈ C. Show that

n 2 P n  P n 
|zk |2 |wk |2 − |zj wk − zk wj |2 .
P P
zk wk =
k=1 k=1 k=1 1≤j<k≤n
P n 2  Pn n
 P 
2 2
Hence deduce the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality: |zk wk | ≤ |zk | |wk | .
k=1 k=1 k=1

22. Let z1 , z2 , z3 ∈ C represent the vertices of an isosceles triangle in the complex plane, with a
right angle at the vertex z2 . Show that z12 + 2z22 + z32 = 2z2 (z1 + z3 ).

23. Show that three distinct given points z1 , z2 , and z3 in C represent the vertices of an equilateral
triangle in the complex plane iff z12 + z22 + z32 = z1 z2 + z2 z3 + z3 z1 .

24. Let z1 , z2 , z3 ∈ C such that z1 + z2 + z3 = 0 and |z1 | = |z2 | = |z3 | = 1. Show that z1 , z2 , and
z3 represent the vertices of an equilateral triangle inscribed in the circle |z| = 1 in the complex
plane.

25. Let z1 , z2 ∈ C such that z1 6= z2 and let λ > 0. Describe the locus of the point z in the complex
plane satisfying the equation |z − z1 | = λ|z − z2 |.

26. Let z1 , z2 ∈ C such that Re(z1 ) > 0 and Re(z2 ) > 0. Show that Arg(z1 z2 ) = Arg(z1 ) + Arg(z2 ).

27. Let z ∈ C such that Re(z n ) ≥ 0 for all n ∈ N. Show that z is a non-negative real number.
π π 10


(1 − i)49 cos 40 + i sin 40 √
28. Show that √ + 2 = 0.
(8i − 8 3)6
∞
{z ∈ C : z n = 1} = {z ∈ C : |z| = 1}.
S
29. State TRUE or FALSE with justification:
n=1

2|z − w|
30. If d(z, w) = p p for all z, w ∈ C, then show that d is a metric on C.
1 + |z|2 1 + |w|2
31. Examine whether {z ∈ C : Re(z)Im(z) 6= 0} is an open/closed set in C.
∞
{z ∈ C : z n = 1} is open/closed in (a) C
S
32. Examine whether (b) {z ∈ C : |z| = 1}.
n=1

33. Show that A ⊂ C is a bounded set in C iff there exist z0 ∈ C and r > 0 such that A ⊂ Br (z0 ).

34. Let (zn ) be a convergent sequence in C with lim zn 6= 0 and let (wn ) be an unbounded sequence
n→∞
in C. Show that the sequence (zn wn ) is unbounded.
∞
P
35. Let (zn ) be a sequence in C and let z ∈ C. Show that the series zn converges with sum z iff
n=1
∞
P ∞
P
both the series Re(zn ) and Im(zn ) converge with sums Re(z) and Im(z) respectively.
n=1 n=1
∞
P 1
36. If z ∈ C such that 1 < |z| < 2, then show that the series 2 2
is convergent.
n=1 n + z
 ∞
P z 2n
37. If z ∈ D, then show that the series n 5n
is convergent.
n=1 2 + z + z
∞
P
38. Let (zn ) be a sequence in C such that Re(zn ) ≥ 0 for all n ∈ N. If both the series zn and
n=1
∞ ∞
zn2 are convergent, then show that the series |zn |2 is also convergent.
P P
n=1 n=1
∞
π
X z
39. If z ∈ C \ {0} such that |Arg(z)| ≤ 4
, then show that the series is convergent.
n=1
(1 + z 2 )n
∞
40. Let (zn ) be a sequence in C such that sup |Arg(zn )| < π2 . If the series
P
zn is convergent, then
n∈N n=1
∞
P
show that the series zn is absolutely convergent.
n=1
∞ 
P 1 1
41. If z ∈ C \ N, then show that the series + is convergent.
n=1 z−n n
∞
P ∞
P n
P
42. Let an and bn be absolutely convergent series in C. If cn = ak bn−k for all n ∈ N ∪ {0},
n=0 n=0 k=0
∞
P
then show that the series cn is absolutely convergent.
n=0

43. Determine all the limit points in C of the sets 

n1 i o i
(a) + : m, n ∈ N (b) x + : x ∈ R, x > 0 .
m n x
44. State TRUE or FALSE with justification.
(a) Every uncountable subset of C has a limit point in C.
(b) Every uncountable subset Ω of C has a limit point which belongs to Ω.

45. Show that {cos n + i sin n : n ∈ N} is dense in ∂D.

46. If f : C → C is continuous such that f (2z) = f (z) for all z ∈ C, then show that f is a constant
function.

47. If f : Ω ⊂ C → C is continuous at z0 ∈ Ω and f (z0 ) 6= 0, then show that there exists r > 0
such that f (z) 6= 0 for all z ∈ Ω ∩ Br (z0 ).

48. State TRUE or FALSE with justification: If f : C → C is continuous and Ω is a bounded

subset of C, then f (Ω) must be a bounded subset of C.

49. Let f : Ω → C be a continuous function, where Ω is a compact set in C. If f (z) 6= 0 for all
z ∈ Ω, then show that there exists r > 0 such that f (Ω) ⊂ C \ Br (0).

50. Let f : C → C be continuous and lim f (z) = 0. Show that f is bounded and that there exists
|z|→∞
z0 ∈ C such that |f (z)| ≤ |f (z0 )| for all z ∈ C.

51. Examine whether the following subsets of C are connected.

(a) {z ∈ C : Re(z), Im(z) ∈ Q}
(b) {z ∈ C : 1 < |z| < 2}
(c) {z ∈ C : Re(z)Im(z) > 0}
(d) {z ∈ C : |z − 1| ≤ 1} ∪ {z ∈ C : |z − 1 + 2i| < 1}
(e) {z ∈ C : (Re(z))2 + (Im(z))3 ∈ R \ Q}
 √ √
(f) {z ∈ C : |z| ≤ 2} ∪ {z ∈ C : |z − 2 − 2i| ≤ 2}
(g) {z ∈ C : |Re(z)| < |Im(z)| }
(h) C \ {z ∈ C : Re(z), Im(z) ∈ Q}

52. Let Ω be a nonempty connected subset of C. If f : Ω → C is continuous such that (f (z))2 = 1

for all z ∈ Ω, then show that f (z) = 1 for all z ∈ Ω or f (z) = −1 for all z ∈ Ω.

53. Let f : Ω → C be continuous, where Ω is a nonempty connected set in C. If |(f (z))2 − 1| < 1
for all z ∈ Ω, then show that either |f (z) − 1| < 1 for all z ∈ Ω or |f (z) + 1| < 1 for all z ∈ Ω.

54. Let Ω be a nonempty connected set in C. Let f : Ω → C and g : Ω → C be continuous

such that {z ∈ Ω : |f (z)| < |g(z)|} =
6 ∅ and {z ∈ Ω : |f (z)| > |g(z)|} =
6 ∅. Show that
{z ∈ Ω : |f (z)| = |g(z)|} =
6 ∅.

55. Show that there is no continuous function f : C\{0} → C such that f (z)2 = z for all z ∈ C\{0}.