Analysis of a Complex Kind

Week 4

Lecture 4: Mbius Transformations, Part 2

Petra Bonfert-Taylor

Lecture 4: Mbius Transformations, Part 2 Analysis of a Complex Kind P. Bonfert-Taylor 1/9

Review

az + b
Recall: f (z) = , with a, b, c, d C and ad bc 6= 0 is called a Mbius
cz + d
transformation.
f maps C = C {} to C.
f is a conformal map from C to C.
If c = 0, d = 1: f (z) = az + b is a conformal map from C to C.
Mbis transformations map circles and lines to circles or lines.
z z1 z2 z3
For distinct z1 , z2 , z3 , the Mbius transformation f (z) = maps
z z3 z2 z1
z1 , z2 , z3 to 0, 1, , respectively.

Lecture 4: Mbius Transformations, Part 2 Analysis of a Complex Kind P. Bonfert-Taylor 2/9

Further Facts

The composition of two Mbius transformations is a Mbius transformation,

and so is the inverse.

Given three distinct points z1 , z2 , z3 and three distinct points w1 , w2 , w3 , there

exists a unique Mbius transformation f : C C that maps zj to wj , j = 1, 2, 3.
Proof:
Let f1 be the Mbius transformation that maps z1 , z2 , z3 to 0, 1, .
Let f2 be the Mbius transformation that maps w1 , w2 , w3 to 0, 1, .
Then f21 f1 maps z1 , z2 , z3 to w1 , w2 , w3 , respectively.

Lecture 4: Mbius Transformations, Part 2 Analysis of a Complex Kind P. Bonfert-Taylor 3/9

Examples
Find the Mbius transformation f that maps 0 to 1, i to 0, and to 1.
1
z 0 i 00 z
f1 (z) = 00
=
z i 0 i
maps 0, i, to 0, 1, .
z +1 01 z +1
f2 (z) = =
z 1 0+1 z + 1
maps 1, 0, 1 to 0, 1, . To find f21 , solve for z:
z +1
w= w(z + 1) = z + 1
z + 1
wz + w = z + 1
w 1 = z(1 + w)
w 1
z=
w +1
Lecture 4: Mbius Transformations, Part 2 Analysis of a Complex Kind P. Bonfert-Taylor 4/9
Mbius transformation f that maps 0 to 1, i to 0, and to 1

z
1 So far: f1 (z) = maps 0, i, to 0, 1, ,
i
w 1
and f21 (w) = maps 0, 1, to 1, 0, 1.
w +1
Thus f = f21 f1 is the desired map:
z
f1 (z) 1 1 z i
(f21 f1 )(z) = = i
z = .
f1 (z) + 1 i +1 z +i

Lets look at another approach:

Lecture 4: Mbius Transformations, Part 2 Analysis of a Complex Kind P. Bonfert-Taylor 5/9

Mbius transformation f that maps 0 to 1, i to 0, and to 1

az + b
2 f is of the form f (z) = .
cz + d
Since f (i) = 0, we have a 6= 0, we can thus assume that a = 1.
z +b
Thus f (z) = . Since f (i) = 0, we have that b = i.
cz + d
z i
Thus f (z) = . Since f () = 1, we have c = 1, and since f (0) = 1, we
cz + d
have d = i.
z i
Thus f (z) = .
z +i

Lecture 4: Mbius Transformations, Part 2 Analysis of a Complex Kind P. Bonfert-Taylor 6/9

Compositions of Mbius transformations

Fact
Every Mbius transformation is the composition of maps of the type

z 7 az (rotation&dilation)
z 7 z + b (translation)
1
z 7 (inversion)
z
Proof: Let f be a Mbius transformation.
1 Suppose first that f () = . Then f (z) = az + b. This corresponds to the
following composition:
rot. & dil. translation
z 7 az 7 az + b.

Lecture 4: Mbius Transformations, Part 2 Analysis of a Complex Kind P. Bonfert-Taylor 7/9

Compositions of Mbius transformations
2 Suppose next that f () 6= . Then

az + b
f (z) = with c 6= 0
cz + d
a b
cz + c
= d
,
z+ c

and we can thus assume that c = 1. So

az + b a(z + d) + b ad b ad
f (z) = = =a+ .
z +d z +d z +d
This corresponds to the following composition:

trans. inv. 1 dil. & rot. b ad trans. b ad

z 7 z + d 7 7 7 a+
.
z +d z +d z +d

Lecture 4: Mbius Transformations, Part 2 Analysis of a Complex Kind P. Bonfert-Taylor 8/9

Images of Circles and Lines

We mentioned earlier the fact, that Mbius transformations map circles & lines to
circles & lines. How would you prove this?

By the previous composition result it suffices to prove this fact for the three
standard types (translation, rotation & dilation, inversion).

Clearly, dilations, rotations and translations preserve circles and lines as circles
and lines, and so all that is left to show is that f (z) = z1 maps circles & lines to
circles & lines.

We saw the main ideas on how to do so during the last lecture.

Next up: The Riemann mapping theorem!

Lecture 4: Mbius Transformations, Part 2 Analysis of a Complex Kind P. Bonfert-Taylor 9/9