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The argument-principle integral is the winding number of the image cycle

Statement

Let γ:[a,b]C be a closed complex contour, let f be meromorphic on a neighbourhood of γ, and suppose f(z)0 for every zγ. Then fγ is a closed complex contour with 0(fγ), and

12πiγf(z)f(z)dz=n(fγ,0).

Equivalently, if θ is any continuous argument of fγ, then

12πiγf(z)f(z)dz=θ(b)θ(a)2π.

If γ is also admissible and null-homologous in a larger open set on which f is meromorphic, then the same integer equals Z(f,γ)P(f,γ) by The argument principle for an admissible null-homologous cycle.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: A closed complex contour γ, a meromorphic function f on a neighbourhood of γ, and f(z)0 on γ.

[L1]

The winding number of a closed contour about a point off its trace is n(η,p)=12πiηdwwp (The winding number of a closed contour about a point off its trace).

[L2]

The winding number is also the normalized increment of any continuous argument (The winding number is the increment of a continuous argument divided by 2π).

[L3]

A contour missing the origin admits a continuous logarithm, unique up to a constant in 2πiZ (Every contour missing a point admits a continuous logarithm, unique up to a constant in 2πiZ).

[L4]

A holomorphic nonvanishing function on a disc has a holomorphic logarithm, and that logarithm has derivative f/f (A nonvanishing holomorphic function on a disc has a holomorphic logarithm, A holomorphic logarithm is a primitive of the logarithmic derivative).

Proof

technique · direct
1.1

Since f is continuous on the compact set γ and never vanishes there, fγ is a closed complex contour whose trace misses 0. By [L3], choose a continuous logarithm λ of fγ. Cover γ by finitely many open discs U1,,UN on which f has no zeros, and then subdivide γ into consecutive subcontours γj whose traces lie in those discs.

givenL3choose
2.1

Fix j. On Uj, [L4] gives a holomorphic logarithm Lj of f, with Lj=f/f. Along the trace of γj, both Ljγj and λγj are continuous logarithms of fγj, so [L3] makes their difference constant. Therefore λ(tj)λ(tj1)=Lj(γ(tj))Lj(γ(tj1))=γjf(z)f(z)dz, where the last equality is [L5] applied to the primitive Lj.

L3L4L5step 1.1
3.1

Summing the equalities of step 2.1 over the subdivision and using the additivity from [L5] gives γf(z)f(z)dz=λ(b)λ(a). Now [L1] and [L2] applied to the contour fγ identify the same increment with both 2πin(fγ,0) and i(θ(b)θ(a)), so the two displayed formulas follow.

L1L2L5step 2.1algebra

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