Skip to main content

Math 382-0: Kursobjekt

Section 1.24 Winding number

Reminder: unless stated otherwise, paths are assumed to be piecewise smooth.

Definition 1.24.1. Winding number.

Let \(\gamma\colon [a,b]\rightarrow \C\) be a closed path, and let \(z_0\) be a complex number not lying on \(\gamma\text{.}\) The winding number (or index) of \(\gamma\) around (or with respect to) \(z_0\text{,}\) denoted \(\chi_\gamma z_0\) is defined as
\begin{equation} \chi_\gamma(z_0)=\frac{1}{2\pi i}\int_{\gamma}\frac{1}{z-z_0}\, dz\text{.}\tag{1.90} \end{equation}

Example 1.24.2. Winding numbers of circles.

Fix a positive integer \(k\in \Z\text{.}\) Given any \(z_0\in \C\) and \(R> 0\text{,}\) let \(\gamma(t)=Re^{kit}\text{,}\) \(t\in [0,2\pi]\text{.}\) Prove:
\begin{equation*} \chi_\gamma (w_0)=\begin{cases} k \amp \text{if } w_0\in B_R(0) \\ 0 \amp \text{if } w_0\in \C-\overline{B}_R(0) \end{cases}\text{.} \end{equation*}
In other words, in this special case, \(\chi_\gamma(z_0)\) computes the number of times the path \(\gamma\) “wraps around” the point \(z_0\text{.}\)
Solution.
After a re-parameterization, we can write
\begin{equation*} \gamma=\underset{k \text{ times}}{\underbrace{\phi*\phi*\cdots *\phi}}\text{,} \end{equation*}
where \(\phi(t)=e^{it}\text{,}\) \(t\in [0,2pi]\text{:}\) in other words, our \(k\)-fold trip around the circle is a concatenation of \(k\) simple trips around the circle. But then we have
\begin{align*} \chi_{\gamma}(z_0) \amp =\frac{1}{2\pi i}\int_\gamma \frac{1}{z-z_0}\, dz \\ \amp = \frac{k}{2\pi i}\int_{\phi} \frac{1}{z-z_0}\\ \amp = \begin{cases} k \amp \text{if } z_0\in B_R(0) \\ 0 \amp \text{if } z_0\notin \overline{B}_R(0) \end{cases}\text{.} \end{align*}

Proof.

Definition 1.24.4. Interior and exterior of path.

Let \(\gamma\colon [a,b]\rightarrow \C\) be a closed path and let \(U=\C-\im \gamma\text{.}\) The interior and exterior of \(\gamma\text{,}\) denoted \(\Int \gamma\) and \(\Ext \gamma\text{,}\) respectively, are defined as follows:
\begin{align*} \Int \gamma \amp =\{w\in U\colon \chi_\gamma(w)\ne 0\}\\ \Ext \gamma \amp =\{w\in U\colon \chi_\gamma(w)=0\}\text{.} \end{align*}

Warning 1.24.5.

The term interior is a potential source of confusion, as we defined earlier the notion of the interior of a subset of \(\C\) (Definition 1.9.1). Observe that our new notion of interior applies not to a set, but rather a path, which is a function.

Proof.

We first prove statement (1). Assume \(\im \gamma\subseteq U\text{,}\) with \(U\) elementary. For any \(z_0\notin U\text{,}\) the function \(\frac{1}{z-z_0}\) is analytic on \(U\text{.}\) By the definition of an elementary region, it follows that
\begin{equation*} \chi_\gamma(z_0)=\frac{1}{2\pi i}\int_{\gamma}\frac{1}{z-z_0}\, dz=0\text{.} \end{equation*}
Thus if \(z_0\notin U\text{,}\) then \(z_0\in \Ext \gamma\text{.}\) It follows that \(\Int \gamma\subseteq U\text{.}\)
Statements (2) and (3) follow from (1) and the observation that \(\abs{\gamma(t)}\leq M\) for all \(t\in [a,b]\) (by the extreme value theorem), and hence \(\im \gamma \subseteq B_{M+1}(0)\text{.}\) Since \(B_{M+1}(0)\) is elementary, we have \(\Int \gamma\subseteq B_{M+1}(z_0)\) and \(\Ext \gamma \supseteq \C-B_{M+1}(z_0)\text{.}\) It follows that \(\Int \gamma\) is bounded and \(\Ext \gamma\) is unbounded.

Proof.

For each \(1\leq k\leq\) we have a Laurent expansion
\begin{align} f(z) \amp = \sum_{n=1}^\infty a_{n}^k(z-z_0)^{-n}+\sum_{n=0}^\infty b_n^k(z-z_0)^n, \ 0< \abs{z-z_0} < R_k\text{.}\tag{1.92} \end{align}
We double-index the coefficients here as they depend also on \(z_k\text{.}\) For each \(k\text{,}\) let
\begin{equation*} g_k(z)=\sum_{n=1}^\infty a_{n}^k(z-z_k)^{-n}\text{,} \end{equation*}
the so-called principal part of the Laurent expansion of \(f\) at \(z_k\text{.}\) It follows from the definition of convergence of Laurent series, that since the series expansion (1.92) converges for all \(0< \abs{z-z_k} < R_k\text{,}\) the principal part \(g_k(z)\) converges for all \(z\ne z_k\text{.}\) It follows \(g_k(z)\) extends to an analytic function on \(U-\{z_k\}\text{,}\) and further that the function
\begin{equation*} h(z)=f(z)-\sum_{k=1}^n h_k(z) \end{equation*}
is analytic on \(U\) except at each \(z_k\text{,}\) where it has removable singularities. The function \(h\) can thus be extended to an analytic function on \(U\text{.}\) Since \(U\) is elementary and \(\gamma\) is closed, we have
\begin{align*} 0 \amp = \int_\gamma h\, dz\\ \amp =\int_\gamma f\, dz-\sum_{k=1}^n \int_\gamma h_k\, dz \text{.} \end{align*}
Lastly, since \(\int_\gamma \frac{c}{(z-z_k)^n}=0\) for all \(c\in \C\text{,}\) for all integers \(n\geq 2\text{,}\) and for all \(1\leq k\leq n\) (use an antiderivative!), we have
\begin{align*} \int_\gamma f\, dz \amp = \sum_{k=1}^n \int_\gamma h_k\, dz \\ \amp = \sum_{k=1}^n \int_\gamma \frac{a_{1}^k}{(z-z_k)}\, dz \\ \amp = 2\pi i\sum_{k=1}^n a_{1}^k\chi_\gamma(z_k)\\ \amp = 2\pi i\sum_{k=1}^n\chi_\gamma(z_k)\res_f(z_k)\text{,} \end{align*}
as desired.

Proof.

Write \(f(z)=(z-z_0)^mg(z)\) where \(m=\ord_f z_0\text{,}\) \(g\) is analytic at \(z_0\) and \(g(z_0)\ne 0\text{.}\) We then have
\begin{equation*} f'(z)=m(z-z_0)^{m-1}g(z)+(z-z_0)^mg'(z) \end{equation*}
and thus
\begin{equation*} \frac{f'(z)}{f(z)}=\frac{m}{z-z_0}+\frac{g'(z)}{g(z)}\text{.} \end{equation*}
Since \(g(z_0)\ne 0\text{,}\) the reciprocal \(1/g\) is also analytic at \(z_0\text{,}\) and thus so is \(g'/g\text{.}\) It follows that
\begin{equation*} \frac{f'(z)}{f(z)}=\frac{m}{z-z_0}+a_0+a_1(z-z_0)+\cdots \text{,} \end{equation*}
whence
\begin{align*} \ord_{f/f'}z_0 \amp = -1\\ \res_{f/f'} z_0 \amp = m\text{.} \end{align*}

Definition 1.24.9. Meromorphic.

Let \(U\) be an open subset of \(\C\text{.}\) A complex function is meromorphic on \(U\) if for all \(z_0\in U\text{,}\) \(f\) is either analytic at \(z_0\text{,}\) or \(z_0\) is a pole of finite order of \(f\text{.}\)

Proof.

  1. Let \(\gamma\colon [a,b]\rightarrow \C\) be our closed path. We have
    \begin{align*} \chi_{f\circ \gamma}(0) \amp = \int{1}{2\pi i}\int_{f\circ \gamma}\frac{1}{z}\, dz \\ \amp =\frac{1}{2\pi i} \int_a^b\frac{1}{f(\gamma(t))}\cdot \frac{d}{dt}f(\gamma(t))\, dt\\ \amp = \frac{1}{2\pi i}\int_a^b\frac{f'(\gamma(t))}{f(\gamma(t))}\cdot \gamma'(t)\, dt \\ \amp = \frac{1}{2\pi i}\int_{\gamma}\frac{f}{f'}\, dz\text{.} \end{align*}
  2. First observe that since \(U\) is elementary, we have \(\Int \alpha\subseteq U\text{.}\) Since \(f\) is meromorphic, it follows that \(f\) has only finitely many zeros and poles in \(\Int \alpha\text{.}\) (See Remark 1.24.11.) Thus we can apply the Cauchy residue theorem to conclude
    \begin{align*} \frac{1}{2\pi i}\int_\gamma \frac{f}{f'}\, dz \amp = \sum_{z\in \Int U}\chi_{\gamma}(z)\res_{f/f'}(z) \\ \amp = \sum_{z\in Z}\chi_{\gamma}(z)\res_{f/f'}(z)+\sum_{z\in P}\chi_{\gamma}(z)\res_{f/f'}(z)\\ \amp = \sum_{z\in Z}\chi_{\gamma}(z)\ord_{f}(z)+\sum_{z\in P}\chi_{\gamma}(z)\ord_{f}(z)\text{,} \end{align*}
    where we have used \(\res_{f/f'}(z_0)=\ord_f(z_0)\) for all poles and zeros of \(f\text{.}\)

Remark 1.24.11.

If \(f\) is meromorphic on an elementary region \(U\text{,}\) and if \(\gamma\) is a path in \(U\) that avoids all zeros and poles of \(f\text{,}\) then it is not difficult to show that \(\int \gamma\subseteq U\text{.}\) One can further show (this requires more analysis) that \(f\) has a finite number of zeros in poles in the interior of \(\alpha\text{.}\) This means that the sums in (1.94) and (1.94) are in fact finite.