[Math] All analytic functions are constant

complex-analysis

While reading a book around complex analysis I came across a small theorem:

If $f(z)$ is a real valued, complex variabled, analytic function then it is constant.

My "Proof"

I started thinking that if this is true then given any complex variabled, complex valued, analytic function $f$ we can see that $$\Re(f), \Im(f)$$

are both real valued, complex variabled, analytic functions thus must be constant and thus $f$ is constant.


Now I know that in reality not all complex valued, complex variabled, analytic functions are constant. But I want to know what is wrong with the "proof".

Best Answer

The statement is that if $f(z)$ is a real-valued analytic function, then it is constant.

From the Cauchy-Riemann Equations, with $f(z)=u(x,y)+iv(x,y)$ and $v(x,y)\equiv0$ we have

$$\frac{\partial u(x,y)}{\partial x}=\frac{\partial v(x,y)}{\partial y}=0$$

and

$$\frac{\partial u(x,y)}{\partial y}=-\frac{\partial v(x,y)}{\partial x}=0$$

What can one deduce about $u(x,y)$ if its first partial derivatives vanish?

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