Removable singularity

In complex analysis, a removable singularity (sometimes called a cosmetic singularity) of a holomorphic function is a point at which the function is undefined, but it is possible to define the function at that point in such a way that the function is regular in a neighbourhood of that point.

For instance, the function

has a singularity at z = 0. This singularity can be removed by defining f(0) := 1, which is the limit of f as z tends to 0. The resulting function is holomorphic. In this case the problem was caused by f being given an indeterminate form. Taking a power series expansion for shows that

Formally, if U is an open subset of the complex plane C, a is a point of U, and f: U − {a} → C is a holomorphic function, then a is called a removable singularity for f if there exists a holomorphic function g: U → C which coincides with f on U − {a}. We say f is holomorphically extendable over U if such a g exists.

Riemann's theorem

Riemann's theorem on removable singularities states when a singularity is removable:

Theorem. The following are equivalent:

1. f is holomorphically extendable over a.
2. f is continuously extendable over a.
3. There exists a neighborhood of a on which f is bounded.
4. .

The implications 1 ⇒ 2 ⇒ 3 ⇒ 4 are trivial. To prove 4 ⇒ 1, we first recall that the holomorphy of a function at a is equivalent to it being analytic at a (proof), i.e. having a power series representation. Define

Then

where, by assumption, (z − a)f(z) can be viewed as a continuous function on D. In other words, h is holomorphic on D and has a Taylor series about a:

Therefore

is a holomorphic extension of f over a, which proves the claim.

Other kinds of singularities

Unlike functions of a real variable, holomorphic functions are sufficiently rigid that their isolated singularities can be completely classified. A holomorphic function's singularity is either not really a singularity at all, i.e. a removable singularity, or one of the following two types:

1. In light of Riemann's theorem, given a non-removable singularity, one might ask whether there exists a natural number m such that lim_{z → a}(z − a)^m+1f(z) = 0. If so, a is called a pole of f and the smallest such m is the order of a. So removable singularities are precisely the poles of order 0. A holomorphic function blows up uniformly near its poles.
2. If an isolated singularity a of f is neither removable nor a pole, it is called an essential singularity. It can be shown that such an f maps every punctured open neighborhood U − {a} to the entire complex plane, with the possible exception of at most one point.

See also

• Analytic capacity
• Removable discontinuity

External links

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