Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2023 / ib / Paper 3 / 13G / Solution

Rouché's theorem states that if $g$ and $h$ are holomorphic functions on a neighbourhood of the closure of a bounded domain andon its positively oriented boundary, then $g$ and $g+h$ have the same number of zeros in the domain, counted with multiplicity.

The Open mapping theorem states that a nonconstant holomorphic function on a domain maps every open subset to an open subset. To prove it, fix $z_0$ and put $w_0=f(z_0)$. By the identity theorem, the zeros of $f-w_0$ are isolated. Choose $r>0$ so that the closed disc $\overline{D(z_0,r)}$ lies in the domain and $z_0$ is the only zero of $f-w_0$ in that disc. ThenWhenever $|w-w_0|<\delta$, the constant $w_0-w$ has modulus smaller than $f-w_0$ on the circle. The Rouche theorem therefore says thathas the same positive number of zeros in the disc as $f-w_0$. Thus every $w\in D(w_0,\delta )$ lies in the image of $f$, proving that the image is open.

If $|f|$ had a local maximum at $z_0$, take a small open disc $D$ on which $|f(z)|\le |f(z_0)|$. The restriction of $f$ to $D$ cannot be constant, since the identity theorem would then make $f$ constant on the whole domain. The complex open mapping theorem says that $f(D)$ is an open neighbourhood of $f(z_0)$, and such a neighbourhood contains points of modulus greater than $|f(z_0)|$, a contradiction. This proves the maximum modulus principle from the complex open mapping theorem.

Now let $\Omega$ be bounded. Its closure is compact, so the continuous function $|f|$ attains a maximum there. If $f$ is nonconstant, the maximum modulus principle excludes an interior maximum; if $f$ is constant, the claimed bound is immediate. Hencewhich is the maximum modulus principle on a bounded domain.

Finally let $\Omega =\{z:\mathrm{Re}z>1\}$ and suppose $|f|\le K$ throughout $\overline{\Omega }$. Fix $z_0\in \Omega$. The principal complex logarithm is holomorphic on the right half-plane, so for each positive integer $n$ the functionis holomorphic on $\Omega$ and continuous on its closure. Given $\epsilon >0$, choose $R>|z_0|$ so large thatApply the bounded-domain result to $g_n$ on $\Omega \cap D(0,R)$. On the vertical part of the boundary, $|z|\ge 1$ and hence $|g_n(z)|\le M$. On the circular part,It follows thatLetting $n\to \infty$ and then $\epsilon \to 0$ gives $|f(z_0)|\le M$. Since $z_0$ was arbitrary, this proves the bounded half-plane maximum principle.

The boundedness assumption is necessary. The functionis holomorphic on $\Omega$ and continuous on its closure, and $|f(1+iy)|=e$ on the boundary, but $|f(x)|=e^x$ is unbounded for real $x>1$. Thus the boundary estimate does not control an unbounded holomorphic function on this unbounded domain.

Solved by gpt-5.6-sol high.