Instructor:

Complex Variables & Transforms (MATH- 232)

Dr. Naila Amir
Linear Mappings
 Complex Functions and Mappings
Book: A First Course in Complex Analysis with Applications by
Dennis G. Zill and Patrick D. Shanahan.

• Chapter: 2
• Sections: 2.3
 Linear Mappings
▪ Recall that a real function of the form 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏 where 𝑎 and 𝑏 are any
real constants is called a linear function.

▪ Keeping in view the similarities between real and complex analysis, we define
a complex linear function to be a function of the form 𝑓(𝑧) = 𝑎𝑧 + 𝑏 where
𝑎 and 𝑏 are any complex constants.

▪ Before looking at a general complex linear mapping 𝑓 𝑧 = 𝑎𝑧 + 𝑏, we

investigate three special types of linear mappings called translations,
rotations, and magnifications, because every non-constant complex linear
mapping can be described as a composition of these three mappings.
 Translations
A complex linear function
𝑇 𝑧 = 𝑧 + 𝑏; 𝑏 ≠ 0, (1)
is called a translation. If we set 𝑧 = 𝑥 + 𝑖𝑦 and 𝑏 = 𝑥0 + 𝑖𝑦0 in (1), then we obtain

𝑇(𝑧) = (𝑥 + 𝑖𝑦) + (𝑥0 + 𝑖𝑦0 ) = 𝑥 + 𝑥0 + 𝑖(𝑦 + 𝑦0 ).

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Thus, the image of the point (𝑥, 𝑦) under 𝑇 is the point 𝑥 + 𝑥0 , 𝑦 + 𝑦0 . Therefore,
the linear mapping 𝑇(𝑧) = 𝑧 + 𝑏 can be visualized in a single copy of the complex
plane as the process of translating the point 𝑧 along the vector 𝑥0 , 𝑦0 to the point
𝑇(𝑧). The mapping 𝑇(𝑧) = 𝑧 + 𝑏 is also called a translation by 𝑏.

Note: a translation does not change the shape or size of a figure in

the complex plane. A mapping with this property is sometimes called
a rigid motion.
 Rotations
A complex linear function:
𝑅 𝑧 = 𝑎𝑧; 𝑎 = 1, (2)
is called a rotation. Keep in mind that the constant 𝑎 in (2) is a complex constant.
Case1:
Consider the rotation 𝑅 given by (2) and assume that Arg(𝑎) > 0. Since |𝑎| = 1 and
Arg(𝑎) > 0, we can write 𝑎 in exponential form as 𝑎 = 𝑒 𝑖𝜃 with 0 < 𝜃 ≤ 𝜋. If we set
𝑧 = 𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝜑 , then from (2) we obtain the following description of 𝑅:
𝑅 𝑧 = 𝑒 𝑖𝜃 𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝜑 = 𝑟𝑒 𝑖(𝜃+𝜑) . (3)
From (3), we see that the 𝑅(𝑧) = 𝑟 = 𝑧 , therefore, if 𝑧 and 𝑅(𝑧) are plotted in the
same copy of the complex plane, then both points lie on a circle centered at 0 with radius
𝑟. Also, argument of 𝑅(𝑧) is 𝜃 + 𝜑, which is 𝜃 radians greater than an argument of 𝑧.
Therefore, the linear mapping 𝑅(𝑧) = 𝑎𝑧 can be visualized in a single copy of the
complex plane as the process of rotating the point 𝑧 counterclockwise through an angle
of 𝜃 radians about the origin to the point 𝑅(𝑧).
 Rotations
Case2:
In a similar manner, if Arg(𝑎) < 0, then the linear mapping 𝑅(𝑧) = 𝑎𝑧 can be
visualized in a single copy of the complex plane as the process of rotating points
clockwise through an angle of 𝜃 radians about the origin. For this reason, the angle
𝜃 = Arg(𝑎) is called an angle of rotation of 𝑅.

Note: As with translations, rotations will not change the

shape or size of a figure in the complex plane. Thus, the
image of a line, circle, or triangle under a rotation will
also be a line, circle, or triangle, respectively.
 Magnifications
A complex linear function
𝑀 𝑧 = 𝑎𝑧; 𝑎 > 0, (4)

is called a magnification. Since there is no concept of order in the complex numbers,

it is implicit in the inequality 𝑎 > 0 that the symbol 𝑎 represents a real number.
Therefore, if 𝑧 = 𝑥 + 𝑖𝑦, then 𝑀(𝑧) = 𝑎𝑧 = 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑖𝑎𝑦, and so the image of the point
(𝑥, 𝑦) is the point (𝑎𝑥, 𝑎𝑦). Using the exponential form 𝑧 = 𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝜃 of 𝑧, (4) can be
rewritten as:
𝑀 𝑧 = 𝑎𝑟 𝑒 𝑖𝜃 . (5)

From (5), we see that 𝑧 and 𝑀(𝑧) have the same argument 𝜃, but have different
moduli, since 𝑀(𝑧) = 𝑎𝑟 which is different from 𝑧 = 𝑟.
 Magnifications
Case 1: 𝑎 > 1.
If we plot both 𝑧 and 𝑀(𝑧) in the same copy of the complex plane, then 𝑀(𝑧) is the
unique point on the ray emanating from 0 and containing 𝑧 whose distance from 0
is 𝑎𝑟. Since 𝑎 > 1, 𝑀(𝑧) is 𝑎 times farther from the origin than 𝑧. Thus, the linear
mapping 𝑀(𝑧) can be visualized as the process of magnifying the modulus of the
point 𝑧 by a factor of 𝑎 to obtain the point 𝑀(𝑧). The real number 𝑎 is called the
magnification factor of 𝑀.
Case 2: 0 < 𝑎 < 1.
If 0 < 𝑎 < 1, then the point 𝑀(𝑧) is 𝑎 times closer to the origin than the point 𝑧.
This special case of a magnification is called a contraction.

Note: Although a magnification mapping will change the size of a figure in the
complex plane, it will not change its basic shape.
Example:
Find the image of the circle 𝐶 given by |𝑧| = 2 under the linear mapping 𝑀(𝑧) = 3𝑧.
Solution: Since 𝑀(𝑧) is a magnification with magnification factor of 3, each point on
the circle |𝑧| = 2 will be mapped onto a point with the same argument but with
modulus magnified by 3. Thus, each point in the image will have modulus 3 ・ 2 = 6.
The image points can have any argument since the
points 𝑧 in the circle |𝑧| = 2 can have any argument.
Therefore, the image 𝐶 ′ is the circle |𝑤| = 6 that is
centered at the origin and has radius 6. Under the
mapping 𝑀(𝑧) = 3𝑧, the circle 𝐶 shown in color is
mapped onto the circle 𝐶 ′ shown in black.
 Linear Mappings
If 𝑓 and 𝑔 are two functions, then the composition of 𝑓 and 𝑔 is the function defined by:
𝑓∘𝑔 𝑧 =𝑓 𝑔 𝑧 .
The value 𝑤 = 𝑓 ∘ 𝑔 𝑧 is determined by first evaluating the function 𝑔 at 𝑧, then
evaluating the function 𝑓 at 𝑔(𝑧). In a similar manner, the image, 𝑆 ′′ , of set 𝑆 under a
composition 𝑤 = (𝑓 ∘ 𝑔)(𝑧) is determined by first finding the image, 𝑆 ′ of 𝑆 under 𝑔,
and then finding the image 𝑆 ′′ of 𝑆 ′ under 𝑓.
Now consider a complex linear function
𝑓 𝑧 = 𝑎𝑧 + 𝑏; 𝑎 ≠ 0.
Note that, 𝑎 ≠ 0, otherwise, our mapping would be the constant map 𝑓(𝑧) = 𝑏, which
maps every point in the complex plane onto the single point 𝑏. Observe that we can
express 𝑓 as:
𝑎
𝑓 𝑧 = 𝑎𝑧 + 𝑏 = 𝑎 𝑧 + 𝑏. (6)
𝑎
Now, step by step, we investigate what happens to a point 𝑧0 under the composition in (6).
 Image of a Point under a Linear Mapping:
Let 𝑓(𝑧) = 𝑎𝑧 + 𝑏 be a linear mapping with 𝑎 ≠ 0 and let 𝑧0 be a point in the complex
plane. If the point 𝑤0 = 𝑓(𝑧0 ) is plotted in the same copy of the complex plane as 𝑧0 ,
then 𝑤0 is the point obtained by:
(i) rotating 𝑧0 through an angle of Arg(𝑎) about the origin,
(ii) magnifying the result by |𝑎|, and
(iii) translating the result by 𝑏.

This description of the image of a point 𝑧0 under a linear mapping also describes the
image of any set of points 𝑆. In particular, the image, 𝑆 ′ , of a set 𝑆 under the non-
constant complex linear mapping 𝑤 = 𝑓(𝑧) = 𝑎𝑧 + 𝑏 is the set of points obtained by
rotating 𝑆 through Arg(𝑎), magnifying by |𝑎|, and then translating by 𝑏.
Note: A complex linear mapping 𝑤 = 𝑎𝑧 + 𝑏 with 𝑎 ≠ 0 can distort the size of a figure
in the complex plane, but it cannot alter the basic shape of the figure.
Example:
Determine the image of the rectangle with vertices −1 + 𝑖, 1 + 𝑖, 1 + 2𝑖, and
− 1 + 2𝑖 under the linear mapping 𝑓(𝑧) = 4𝑖𝑧 + 2 + 3𝑖.
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Solution:
We will represent 𝑆 and 𝑆 ′ in the same copy of the complex plane. Given that
𝑓(𝑧) is a linear mapping, this implies that 𝑆 ′ has the same shape as 𝑆. That is,
𝑆 ′ is also a rectangle. Thus, in order to determine 𝑆 ′ , we only need to find its
vertices, which are the images of the vertices of 𝑆 under 𝑓(𝑧):
𝑓 −1 + 𝑖 = −2 − 𝑖; 𝑓(1 + 𝑖) = −2 + 7𝑖;
𝑓 1 + 2𝑖 = −6 + 7𝑖; 𝑓 −1 + 2𝑖 = −6 − 𝑖.
Therefore, 𝑆 ′ is the rectangle with vertices: −2 − 𝑖, −2 + 7𝑖, −6 + 7𝑖, and
− 6 − 𝑖.
The linear mapping 𝑓(𝑧) = 4𝑖𝑧 + 2 + 3𝑖 can also be viewed as a composition of a
rotation, a magnification, and a translation. Because Arg(4𝑖) = 𝜋/2 and 4𝑖 = 4, 𝑓(𝑧) acts
by rotating through an angle of 𝜋/2 radians about the origin, magnifying by 4, then
translating by 2 + 3𝑖.
 Practice Questions
Book: A First Course in Complex Analysis with Applications by Dennis
G. Zill and Patrick D. Shanahan.

Chapter: 2

Exercise: 2.3
Q # 1 – 16, 23 – 26
Special Power Functions
 Complex Functions and Mappings
Book: A First Course in Complex Analysis with Applications by
Dennis G. Zill and Patrick D. Shanahan.

• Chapter: 2
• Sections: 2.4
 Special Power Functions
• A complex polynomial function is a function of the form:
𝑝(𝑧) = 𝑎𝑛 𝑧 𝑛 + 𝑎𝑛−1 𝑧 𝑛−1 + ⋯ + 𝑎1 𝑧 + 𝑎0 ,
where 𝑛 is a positive integer and 𝑎𝑛, 𝑎𝑛 − 1, . . . , 𝑎1, 𝑎0 are complex constants.
• In general, a complex polynomial mapping can be quite complicated, but in many special
cases the action of the mapping is easily understood. For instance, the complex linear
functions are complex polynomials of degree 𝑛 = 1. We are now interested in the study
complex polynomials of the form 𝑤 = 𝑓 𝑧 = 𝑧 𝑛 ; 𝑛 ≥ 2.
• Unlike the linear mappings, the mappings 𝑤 = 𝑧 𝑛 ; 𝑛 ≥ 2, do not preserve the basic
shape of every figure in the complex plane.
• Associated to the function 𝑧 𝑛 ; 𝑛 ≥ 2, we also have the principal 𝒏th root function
𝑧1/𝑛 . The principal 𝑛th root functions are inverse functions of the functions 𝑧 𝑛 defined
on a sufficiently restricted domain. Consequently, complex mappings associated to 𝑧 𝑛
and 𝑧1/𝑛 are closely related.
 PowerFunctions
▪ A complex power function is a function of the form 𝑓 𝑧 = 𝑧 𝛼 , where 𝛼 is a
complex constant.

▪ If 𝛼 is an integer, then the power function 𝑧 𝛼 can be evaluated using the

algebraic operations on complex numbers. For example:
𝑧 2 = 𝑧. 𝑧 and 𝑧 −3 = (𝑧. 𝑧. 𝑧)−1 .

▪ We can also use the formulas for taking roots of complex numbers to define power
functions with fractional exponents of the form 1/𝑛. For instance, we can define
𝑧1/4 to be the function that gives the principal fourth root of 𝑧.

▪ In this section we will restrict our attention to special complex power functions of
the form 𝑧 𝑛 and 𝑧1/𝑛 where 𝑛 ≥ 2 and 𝑛 is an integer.