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Instructor: Matt Kerr Office: Cupples I, Room 114 e-mail: matkerr [at] math.wustl.edu Office Hours: 2-3 W and 1-2 F Course Outline: I. Basics on complex functions and topology II. Formal and convergent power series III. Conformal maps and fractional linear transformations IV. Complex integration and Cauchy's theorem V. Properties of analytic and harmonic functions This is the first half of the year-long Ph.D. qualifying course in complex variables. This semester we will cover the first four to five chapters of the classic book by Ahlfors (3rd edition), with various embellishments from other points of view, especially the systematic use of power and Laurent series as in the books by Cartan and Lang (see below). The central result is the homology version of Cauchy's theorem. The second semester course (Math 5022, to be taught by Prof. Wick) typically will finish Ahlfors, covering (among other things) elliptic functions, the Riemann mapping theorem, the big Picard theorem, and the prime number theorem. Prerequisites: Math 4111, 4171 and 4181, or permission of instructor. Class Schedule: Lectures are on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9AM-9:50AM in Lopata Hall Room 202. First class is Monday Aug. 26 and last class is Friday Dec. 6, with holidays on Monday Sep. 2, Monday Oct. 7, and Wed/Fri Nov. 27/29. Midterm Exam: TBA (in class) Final Exam: Friday Dec. 13, 8AM-10AM, in the same classroom. The midterm will cover all of Chap. 1-3 and some of Chap. 4 (in Alhfors). Assignments: Due by Gradescope submission Thursday by 5PM. Solutions will also be posted on Canvas and may include students' work. Please feel free to come to office hours to discuss problem sets. Make sure you can do the problems I don't assign. Problem Set 1: hand in #3, 4, 9, 10, 11 (due Thursday Sep. 5) Problem Set 2: hand in #3, 4(a), 5(b), 7, 9(a) (due Thursday Sep. 12) Problem Set 3: hand in #1, 4, 5, 6, 7 (due Thursday Sep. 19) Problem Set 4: hand in #2, 3, 5, 6, 8 (due Thursday Sep. 26) Grader: Nic Berkopec, b.nic [at] wustl.edu Lecture Notes: Will be scanned and posted here as I write them. The hope is that this makes taking notes optional. Lecture 1: Complex numbers Lecture 2: Complex functions Lecture 3: More on Cauchy-Riemann Lecture 4: Topology of the complex plane Lecture 5: Power series Lecture 6: The analyst's nightmare Lecture 7: Variations on Abel's theorem Lecture 8: Analytic functions Lecture 9: Continuation and multivaluedness Lecture 10: Fractional linear transformations Books: Lars Ahlfors, Complex Analysis (3rd Ed.); McGraw-Hill is the recommended textbook, which means I will follow it at least half the time and some of the problems I assign will come from it. Buy, check out, or borrow a copy. If you would like to read more adventurously than Ahlfors and/or my lecture notes, here are some suggestions. First, there are many other excellent standard texts, including John B. Conway, Functions of One Complex Variable; Springer Robert Greene and Steven Krantz, Function Theory of One Complex Variable; AMS and the second half of Walter Rudin, Real and Complex Analysis (3rd Ed.); McGraw-Hill. For a point of view based in formal and convergent power series (convenient for locally computing composition inverses and solutions of differential equations) you can consult Henri Cartan, Elementary Theory of Analytic Functions of One and Several Complex Variables; Addison-Wesley Serge Lang, Complex Analysis (3rd Ed.); Springer. For a view toward several complex variables there is Raghavan Narasimhan and Yves Nievergelt, Complex Analysis in One Variable; Birkhauser ; and the beautiful expository monograph Steven Krantz, Complex Analysis: the Geometric Viewpoint; MAA treats theorems in complex analysis through the prism of differential geometry. Finally, Harvey Cohn, Conformal Mapping on Riemann Surfaces; Dover leads (with lots of beautiful pictures and physical intuition) into Riemann surfaces and complex algebraic geometry. A copy of each of these books has been placed on the reserve shelf behind the help/front desk of Olin Library. If you go to the front desk and ask for one of the books, you can check it out for use in the library for 3 hours. Grading Policy: Your final grade for the semester is determined as follows: HW 40%, midterm 20%, final exam 40%. I will drop the lowest two grades you receive on homework. Homework and examination grades will be regularly updated on Canvas. Grades are typically curved in a course like this but will never be less than the following scale:
If you are a graduate student, a letter grade of B is required to pass; if you are an undergraduate taking this class Pass/Fail, you must earn a C- to pass. The Washington University academic integrity policies are here. All work submitted under your name is expected to be your own; please make sure to document any ideas that come from another source. Additional Resources: The linked document contains a wealth of information on university policy and resources for students. |