[Math] Finding imaginary part of a function $f(x+iy)=u(x,y)+iv(x,y)$

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For this question it is assumed that $f(x+iy)$ is differentiable on $C$. For a function $f(x+iy)=u(x,y)+iv(x,y)$, the real part $u(x,y)=x^3y-xy^3$. Now, I am trying to find the imaginary part of the function, so I used the Cauchy Riemann equations and I got $\frac{\partial u}{\partial x}=3x^2y-y^3=\frac{\partial v}{\partial y}$ and $-\frac{\partial u}{\partial y}=3xy^2-x^3=\frac{\partial v}{\partial x}$.

Best Answer

Your very close to the correct answer. When you compute the integrals the 'constants' are constant with respect to the variable of integration. For example, your first integral should be:

$$v=\int 3x^2y-y^3 dy = \frac{3}{2}x^2y^2-\frac14y^4 + \phi(x)$$

where $\phi(x)$ is a function of $x$ to be determined.

Now differentiating with respect to $x$, then using the Cauchy-Riemann equations gives:

$$\frac{\partial v}{\partial x} = 3xy^2+\phi'(x) \quad \Rightarrow \quad \phi'(x) = -\frac{\partial u}{\partial y} - 3xy^2 = -x^3$$

So that $\phi(x) = -\frac14 x^4+C$, for constant $C$. Thus we have: $$v=\frac{3}{2}x^2y^2-\frac14y^4-\frac14x^4 + C$$

Notice that this means that we can only determine $f$ up to a constant.