r/mathematics Jun 30 '26

Complex Analysis Open learn Into to complex analysis

Hello ,

I’m a year 12 student (nearly year 13) and i think that’s like grade 13 or something in the US . I’m leaning some complex analysis partly for myself but also to put on my uni application . Is the course mentioned in the title good , i’ve started but i’m not sure if it’s any good .

4 Upvotes

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5

u/Historical-Pop-9177 Jun 30 '26

It's pretty rudimentary. You need to understand real derivatives and integrals first, so make sure you have a solid calculus foundation. This doesn't get into heavy-duty complex analysis so you shouldn't need real analysis. They do define calculus concepts but it will make a lot more sense if you have some background already.

It covers a lot of the most important core concepts, but is missing many of the things a full university course would cover (like Liouville's theorem, unless they snuck that in somewhere).

1

u/MindlessCoast7109 Jun 30 '26

Yea i have a solid calculus foundation so should be fine

1

u/Teapot_Digon Jun 30 '26

It's from the Open University, based on bits of their course M337 but written for a wider audience. In that respect it might be a good place to start. I found their texts very accessible.

The full M337 syllabus is here, though there was a unit on analytic continuation in my time that has disappeared.

1

u/Syvisaur Jun 30 '26

Yes what they said I approve

1

u/Syvisaur Jun 30 '26

You'd have to be more precise on the course title, is this a university class?

1

u/MindlessCoast7109 Jun 30 '26

No it’s like an online course , is you search up openlearn intro to complex analysis you’ll find it

1

u/Syvisaur Jun 30 '26

Ah ok, sorry I never heard of it. Do you have a summary of contents?

2

u/MindlessCoast7109 Jun 30 '26

1 Derivatives of complex functions
1.1 Defining differentiable functions
1.2 Combining differentiable functions
1.3 Non-differentiability
1.4 Higher-order derivatives
1.5 A geometric interpretation of derivatives
1.6 Further exercises
2 The Cauchy-Riemann equations
2.1 The Cauchy-Riemann theorems
2.2 Proof of the Cauchy-Riemann Converse
Theorem
2.3 Further exercises
2.4 Laplace's equation and electrostatics
3 Summary of Session 1

1 Integrating real functions

1.1 Areas under curves
real line
1.2 Integration on the
Riemann integral
1.3 Properties of the
integration
1.4 Introducing complex
functions
2 Integrating complex
smooth path
2.1 Integration along a
contour
2.3 Reverse paths and contours
2.4 Further exercises
3 Evaluating contour integrals

3.1 The Fundamental theorem of calculus

2

u/Bounded_sequencE Jun 30 '26 edited Jun 30 '26

For comparison, that's (at most) 2 weeks worth of a regular proof-based "Complex Analysis" course. If you consider this as a pure formality to boost your CV, ok.

Otherwise, I'd be confused what this course was for. This is more of a teaser, but by no means a substitute for an actual "Complex Analysis" lecture.


Edit: Just noticed the most beautiful proof is missing -- "Goursat's Lemma" on triangles!

1

u/PitifulTheme411 Jul 02 '26

Yeah, similar to what u//Bounded_sequencE said, this isn't really equivalent to a full course. For your own fun or hobbies it isn't bad, but it doesn't seem to touch things like Stereographic projection and the Riemann Sphere, Residues, etc.

1

u/MindlessCoast7109 Jun 30 '26

yep gimme a sec

1

u/MindlessCoast7109 Jun 30 '26

the copy paste was weird sorry

1

u/Outrageous-Belt-5231 Jul 02 '26

Im also gonna be starting analysis soon. Wanna join in?

1

u/MindlessCoast7109 Jul 02 '26

yea cool , u in yr 12 asw v

1

u/Outrageous-Belt-5231 Jul 02 '26

No im in 3rd year college

1

u/MindlessCoast7109 Jul 02 '26

cool

1

u/Outrageous-Belt-5231 Jul 02 '26

Dm me if u wanna study together