B3.9

Riemann Surfaces | Part II, 2002

Let α1,α2\alpha_{1}, \alpha_{2} be two non-zero complex numbers with α1/α2∉R\alpha_{1} / \alpha_{2} \notin \mathbb{R}. Let LL be the lattice Zα1⊕Zα2⊂C\mathbb{Z} \alpha_{1} \oplus \mathbb{Z} \alpha_{2} \subset \mathbb{C}. A meromorphic function ff on C\mathbb{C} is elliptic if f(z+λ)=f(z)f(z+\lambda)=f(z), for all z∈Cz \in \mathbb{C} and λ∈L\lambda \in L. The Weierstrass functions ℘(z),ζ(z),σ(z)\wp(z), \zeta(z), \sigma(z) are defined by the following properties:

  • ℘(z)\wp(z) is elliptic, has double poles at the points of LL and no other poles, and ℘(z)=\wp(z)= 1/z2+O(z2)1 / z^{2}+O\left(z^{2}\right) near 0

  • ζ′(z)=−℘(z)\zeta^{\prime}(z)=-\wp(z), and ζ(z)=1/z+O(z3)\zeta(z)=1 / z+O\left(z^{3}\right) near 0 ;

  • σ(z)\sigma(z) is odd, and σ′(z)/σ(z)=ζ(z)\sigma^{\prime}(z) / \sigma(z)=\zeta(z), and σ(z)/z→1\sigma(z) / z \rightarrow 1 as z→0z \rightarrow 0.

Prove the following

(a) ℘\wp, and hence ζ\zeta and σ\sigma, are uniquely determined by these properties. You are not expected to prove the existence of ℘,ζ,σ\wp, \zeta, \sigma, and you may use Liouville's theorem without proof.

(b) ζ(z+αi)=ζ(z)+2ηi\zeta\left(z+\alpha_{i}\right)=\zeta(z)+2 \eta_{i}, and σ(z+αi)=kie2ηizσ(z)\sigma\left(z+\alpha_{i}\right)=k_{i} e^{2 \eta_{i} z} \sigma(z), for some constants ηi,ki(i=1,2)\eta_{i}, k_{i}(i=1,2).

(c) σ\sigma is holomorphic, has simple zeroes at the points of LL, and has no other zeroes.

(d) Given a1,…,ana_{1}, \ldots, a_{n} and b1,…,bnb_{1}, \ldots, b_{n} in C\mathbb{C} with a1+…+an=b1+…+bna_{1}+\ldots+a_{n}=b_{1}+\ldots+b_{n}, the function

σ(z−a1)⋯σ(z−an)σ(z−b1)⋯σ(z−bn)\frac{\sigma\left(z-a_{1}\right) \cdots \sigma\left(z-a_{n}\right)}{\sigma\left(z-b_{1}\right) \cdots \sigma\left(z-b_{n}\right)}

is elliptic.

(e) ℘(u)−℘(v)=−σ(u+v)σ(u−v)σ2(u)σ2(v)\wp(u)-\wp(v)=-\frac{\sigma(u+v) \sigma(u-v)}{\sigma^{2}(u) \sigma^{2}(v)}.

(f) Deduce from (e), or otherwise, that 12℘′(u)−℘′(v)℘(u)−℘(v)=ζ(u+v)−ζ(u)−ζ(v)\frac{1}{2} \frac{\wp^{\prime}(u)-\wp^{\prime}(v)}{\wp(u)-\wp(v)}=\zeta(u+v)-\zeta(u)-\zeta(v).

Typos? Please submit corrections to this page on GitHub.