M337 2009

M337: A One-One Entire Function is a Linear Function

Theorem A one-one entire function f is of the form f (z) = az + b , where a 0 . Proof We first show that f does not have an essential singularity at . Suppose that f has an essential singularity at . Let = f (0) and, for any r H , r > 0 , let D = {z : |z| < r}. By the Open Mapping Theorem, f (D) is open. Since f (D) , there exists > 0 such that

|w | < w f (D) .
Let g (w) = f (1 / w). Then, by definition of essential singularity at , g has an essential singularity at 0. By the Casorati-Weierstrass Theorem, there exists ? such that 0 < || < r1 and |g () | < . 1 Setting = , we can translate (2) into an equivalent statement about f :

( 1)

( 2)

and |f () | < . (3) By (1), f () f (D) and so there exists D such that f () = f () . Since f is one-one, = . By definition of D and (3), we have r < || = || < r , a contradiction. So f does not have an essential singularity at . By the Corollary to Taylors Theorem, f has a Taylor series valid for all z in ? :

| | > r

f (z) =

n=0

anzn

z ? .

(4)

Since f does not have an essential singularity at , let N 0 be the order of its pole at . The case of no pole at is included by taking N = 0. So g has a pole of order N at 0. This means, by Theorem 2.2 of Unit B4,

g (w) = f (1 / w) =

n=0

anwn =

n=0

anwn .

(5)

Hence an = 0 , for n > N , and f (z) is a polynomial function of degree N. Now, as f is oneone, it is not the constant function but has only one distinct zero. So f can be written in the form f (z) = (az + b)N , for some a, b ? , a 0 . ( 6) If N > 1 , then the equation f (z) = 1 , for example, would have N 2 distinct solutions contradicting the fact that f is one-one. So N = 1 and f (z) = az + b . I Contrast this with the situation in Real Analysis. There are plenty of real functions that are oneone and differentiable on the whole of H, but are not linear, for example, ex , tan1 x , sinh x , x / (1 + x2) , x3 and, more generally, polynomial functions that are odd functions and have nonnegative coefficients.