[Math] show that $f(z) = \overline{z}^2$ has no antiderivative in any nonempty region

complex-analysis

It's been a few quarters since I've taken complex analysis and I'm reviewing for a comprehensive exam. I ran into this problem on a sample exam and it stumped me.

I'm guessing I would have to do something with the Cauchy integral formula, but I'm honestly not sure. Complex wasn't one of my best classes.

Best Answer

When you're reviewing for an entire course, you probably know that a function cannot have an antiderivative in a region unless it is differentiable there. So it suffices to show that your $f$ is not differentiable in any nonempty open set.

A straightforward approach would be to show that it doesn't satisfy the Cauchy-Riemann equations anywhere except at the origin -- that's not a lot of computation in this case.

Alternatively you could observe that $\bar z^2 = \overline{z^2}$, if you have proved a theorem that the only way for a function and its complex conjugate both to be differentiable is if it is constant, which $z^2$ isn't. (You may know this theorem in the form: If $g$ is real-valued and differentiable everywhere in a connected open set, then it is constant. This can be applied to $g(z)=f(z)+\overline{f(z)}$ and then $g_2(z)=\frac{f(z)-\overline{f(z)}}i$).

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