Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2002/ib/paper-3/13g/a/solution

For , put . On the curve, , so no member of this homotopy has a boundary zero. The argument principle counts the interior zeros, with multiplicity, by its winding number . For a piecewise smooth curve this is
There are no poles, and the null-homotopy of the Jordan curve in the domain permits this interior count. The loops form a continuous homotopy avoiding zero, so their integer winding number stays constant. Equivalently, for a piecewise smooth curve the integral varies continuously with and is integer-valued. In particular
This proves Rouché's theorem. The counting is with multiplicity and assumes the usual positive orientation; reversing orientation reverses both winding counts without changing the conclusion.

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