Choose a branch of the complex logarithm with , placing its branch cut down the negative imaginary axis. Thus for , while on the negative real axis for .
Integrate around an upper semicircle, with a small clockwise semicircular indentation above zero. The large arc contributes , and the small arc contributes . The only enclosed pole is , withWriting for the required integral, the negative real segment contributes . Hence the residue theorem givesThe imaginary terms cancel, leavingThe integral converges at both endpoints because is integrable near zero and is integrable at infinity. As a real-variable check, scaling reduces the result to the vanishing first logarithmic moment at , one of the logarithmic moments of the Cauchy kernel.
The derivative of an analytic function must be independent of the direction of approach. Taking a real increment gives ; taking an imaginary increment givesEquality of real and imaginary parts proves the Cauchy-Riemann equations:A real harmonic function is a twice continuously differentiable function whose Laplacian vanishes. For the given logarithmic function and ,It is therefore harmonic everywhere on the punctured complex plane.
On any domain admitting a branch of the complex logarithm, chooseIts derivatives are and , as required. For example, the principal complex logarithm gives such a harmonic conjugate on the plane cut along the negative real axis.
There is no single-valued harmonic conjugate on the whole punctured plane. Indeed its putative differential would satisfywhereas a globally defined function has zero integral of its differential around a closed curve. This is the log modulus has no global harmonic conjugate on the punctured plane obstruction. Thus the conjugate requested in the question must be interpreted locally or on a cut plane.
Choose a continuous branch of a multivalued function of the complex logarithm on a simply connected region avoiding zero. ThenAlternatively and , verifying the Cauchy-Riemann equations. The holomorphy is local to a chosen branch of a multivalued function: increasing by multiplies by , so this is not a single-valued holomorphic function on the whole punctured plane.
Conformality and analyticity. Use the orientation-preserving convention for a conformal map, with a continuously differentiable, nonzero differential. Its Jacobian matrix must be a positive scale times a rotation,Thus , , the Cauchy-Riemann equations; continuous partial derivatives then imply that is a holomorphic function. If angle preservation is allowed to reverse orientation, the statement needs this qualification: preserves unsigned angles but is an anticonformal map and is not a holomorphic function.
The mapping. Put . The displayed components combine to giveIts derivative does not vanish in the open half-strip , , so it is a conformal map there. Also . The lower edge maps to , the upper edge to , and the vertical edge to . The open half-strip maps bijectively onto the upper half-plane. Indeed, implies ; the half-strip allows only equality. Surjectivity follows by solving and choosing the root with and . The two corners are boundary critical points, not interior failures of conformality.
Transformed boundary values. A conformal map preserves Laplace's equation up to a positive scale. Thus the transformed Dirichlet problem is to find a real harmonic function on withThe conflicting values at the original corners are interpreted as one-sided edge limits.
Logarithmic solution. Choose the complex logarithms of with arguments between zero and in the upper half-plane. A linear combination is a complex-valued harmonic function, since it is a holomorphic function; the real physical potential must be a real or imaginary part. In particular, setThenOn the three real boundary intervals, the argument difference is respectively , which gives the required values. This is the bounded harmonic solution, with at infinity; uniqueness holds in this bounded class by the maximum principle. Without a boundedness or far-field condition, the edge data alone do not give uniqueness: one may add .
Back substitution. Sincethe required continuous argument difference is in the open half-strip. ConsequentlyAs with , the arctangent tends to zero; as with , it tends to . These limits verify every open edge of the Dirichlet problem.
Scale-periodic harmonic function from an elliptic function Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Let be the Weierstrass elliptic function forBecause is a period, the formulais independent of the branch of the complex logarithm. It is a nonconstant harmonic function onand its other period gives .
For independent and identically distributed random variables with characteristic function , suppose their sample mean converges in probability to a finite constant . Bounded exponential tests give uniformly on bounded intervals: the error is at most on . Taking the continuous complex logarithm vanishing at zero shows uniformly; an integer-valued branch difference is continuous and therefore zero. For arbitrary , put and , so . Dividing the uniform limit by proves , and thus . No absolute first moment is assumed.

