II.

Harmonic Functions

Harmonic Functions
1. Show that the following functions are harmonic and find harmonic conjugates: (a) x 2 y 2 (c) sinh x sin y (e) tan1 y / x , x0. (b) xy 3 x 2 y y3 (d) e x y cos 2 xy (f) x / x 2 y 2
2 2

(a) We have u x =2 x and u y =2 y . Thus, f ' z =2 xi 2 y=2 z . Hence, f z =z 2 which is x 2 y 2i 2 x y . Thus, an harmonic conjugate is 2xy. (b) We have u x = y6 xy and u y = x3 x 23 y 2 . Thus, f ' z = y6 xyi x3 x 23 y 2 =i z3 z 2 . Hence, f z =i1/2 z 2z 3 C. which is f ' z =xy3 x 2 y y 3i 1/2 2 x 3x 2 6 xy 2 y 2 . Thus an harmonic conjugate is 1/2 2 x 3x 2 6 xy 2 y 2 . (c) We have u x =cosh x sin y and u y =cos y sinh x . Hence f ' z =isinh z which gives f z =i cosh zC. Thus, f z =sinh x sin yicosh x cos y . Thus an harmonic conjugate is cosh x cos y . (d) We have u x = 2 x cos 2 xy ey 2 sin 2 xy y e y e x and u y =2 y cos 2 xy e x 2 sin 2 xy x e x ey . Hence,
2 2 2 2 2 2

f ' z = 2 x cos 2 xy ey 2 sin 2 xy y e y e x i [ 2 y cos 2 xy e x 2 sin 2 xy x e x ey ] which equals f ' z =2 z e z . Hence, f z =e z C =e x y cos 2 xy isin 2 xy e x y C . Thus, an harmonic conjugate is sin 2 xy e x y .
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

(e) We have u x =

y x y x and u y = 2 2 . Hence, f ' z = 2 2 i 2 2 =i / z . Thus, 2 2 x y x y x y x y f z =i Log z C so f z =tan1 y / xi 1/2 log x 2 y 2. Thus, an harmonic conjugate is 1/2 log x 2 y 2 .

(f) We have u x =

x 2 y 2 2 xy x 2 y 2 2 xy and u y = 2 . Hence, f ' z = 2 2 2 i 2 2 2 which is 2 2 2 2 2 x y x y x y x y x y f ' z =1/ z 2 . Thus, f z =1/ z C= 2 2 i 2 2 C . Thus, an harmonic conjugate is x y x y y . 2 2 x y

2. Show that if v is a harmonic conjugate for u, then -u is a harmonic conjugate for v. Since v is an harmonic conjugate for u, we have u x =v y and u y =v x . Then, the partials for -u are merely negated partials of u. Thus, u x =v y and u y =v x . Then, v x =u y and v y =u x , showing that -u is an harmonic conjugate for v.

II.5

Harmonic Functions

3. Define u z =Im 1/ z 2 for z 0, and set u 0=0. (a) Show that all partial derivatives of u with respect to x exist at all points of the plane , as do all partial derivatives of u with respect to y. 2 u 2 u =0. (b) Show that x2 y2 (c) Show that u is not harmonic on . 2 u (d) Show that does not exist at (0,0). x y 2 xy 2 1 x 2 y 2 2 xy . = 4 i 4 . Thus, Im 1/ z = 4 2 2 2 4 2 2 4 x 2 x 2 y 2 y 4 xiy x 2 x y y x 2 x y y This function is differentiable for all z 0 by the quotient rule since the denominator is not equal to zero for all z 0 . At z =0, we see that the left- and right-hand partial derivatives will be equal to zero. (Just differentiate by definition, applying l'Hospital's rule multiple times until it is clear that the limit is zero). Similar for the partial derivatives with respect to y. (a) First, 1/ z 2=
24 x x 2 y 2 y 24 y y 2 x 2 x . Clearly, u xx u yy =0. and u yy = 2 2 4 2 2 4 x y y x (c) This follows immediately from part (d). 6 y 46 y 2 x 2x 4 (d) We see by a standard computation that u xy = for all x , y 0,0 . We can y 2 x 2 4 simply show that the limit at (0,0) does not exist. Indeed, examine the approach of (0,0) through the 3 = . On the other hand, by examining the approach line x = y . From this, we obtain the limit lim 4 y 0 2 y 6 y 4 y 86 y 41 0 = =0 . Thus, this of (0,0) through the curve x = 1/ y, we obtain the limit lim 4 4 1 y 0 y 1 partial derivative does not exist. Hence, u is not harmonic.

(b) We see u xx =

4. Show that if h(z) is a complex-valued harmonic function such that z h z is also harmonic, then h is analytic. We see that z h x =hz h x and z h xx=2 h x z h xx . Also, z h y =hz h y and z h yy =2 h y z h yy . Now, since z h z is also harmonic, we must have 2 h x z h xx2 h y z h yy =0. From the fact that h is harmonic, 2 h x z h xx z h xx 2 h y =0, so h x h y =0 . Thus, h is analytic. 5. Show that Laplace's equation in polar coordinates is 2 u 1 u 1 2 u =0 . 2 r r r 2 2 r Since x =r cos and y=r sin , the chain rule and Laplace's equation implies that u r =u x cos u y sin and u rr =u xx cos 2 sin2 2 u xy cos sin . Also, u =r u x cos u y sin r 2 u xx sin2 cos 2 2 u xy r 2 sin cos . The equality is easily verified.

II.5

Harmonic Functions

6. Show using Laplace's equation in polar coordinates that log z is harmonic on the punctured plane {0}. First, log z=log r . Then, log r r =1/r and log r rr =1/ r 2 . Thus, 1/ r 2 1/ r1/ r=0, so log r is harmonic. 7. Show that log z has no conjugate harmonic function on the punctured plane {0}, though it does have a conjugate harmonic function on the slit plane , 0 ] . Suppose that u x , y=1/2 log x 2 y 2 has an harmonic conjugate v. Then, x y u x = 2 2 and u y = 2 2 . Thus, if there is some harmonic conjugate v for u, then we end up with x y x y x y an analytic function f such that f ' x , y =u x i v x =u x i u y . Hence, f ' x , y = 2 2 i 2 2 . x y x y z Then, f ' z = 2 so f z =Log z C. As we have seen before, this function is analytic only on z ( , 0 ].

8. Show using Laplace's equation in polar coordinates that u r ei = log r is harmonic. Use the polar form of the Cauchy-Riemann equations to find a harmonic conjugate v of u. What is the analytic function u + iv?
1 1 0=0 and all first- and 2 r r r2 r second- order partial derivatives exist, so this function is harmonic.

We have u r =/r , u rr=/r 2 , u =log r , and u =0. Whence,

Now to find an harmonic conjugate. By the Cauchy-Riemann equations in polar form, an harmonic 2 conjugate v must be such that u r =1/r v and u =r v r . Thus, v=r /r d h r =1/2 hr . 2 2 Now, v=1/2 1/r log r dr =1/2 ln r1C. Thus, 1/ 2 2ln r is an harmonic conjugate.

Whence log ri 1 /2 2 ln r =1/ 2 tan1 y / x ln x 2 y 2i [ 1/2 tan 1 y / x 2ln x 2 y 2 ] is an analytic function. Setting y = 0 and x = z, we obtain i /2log z 2 .