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For $n\ge 1$, $f=z^n{e}^{n/z}$ is holomorphic at every finite nonzero point. At zero its Laurent series has infinitely many negative powers, so zero is an essential singularity. If the Riemann sphere is included, $f(1/w)=w^{-n}{e}^{nw}$ has a pole of order $n$ at $w=0$, so infinity is a pole of order $n$.

The coefficient of $z^{-1}$ in the Laurent series is $-1$. The residue theorem therefore gives, for the standard positive orientation,The residue theorem applies to an isolated essential singularity as well as to a pole.

The Picard theorem has two forms concerning the image of a holomorphic function. The Little Picard theorem permits at most one omitted value for a nonconstant entire function. The Great Picard theorem is local: near an isolated essential singularity, every complex value except possibly one occurs infinitely often. The complex exponential function $e^z$ and the function $e^{1/z}$ show that the possible exception is necessary.

Émile Picard presented the research in 1879 and published proofs in his 1880 memoir. Its opening footnote lists communications to the Académie des Sciences on 28 April, 19 May, and 20 October 1879; sections 3 and 15 contain the global and local results respectively. ^[ref]

A function holomorphic outside a disk has a pole of positive integer order $N$ at infinity when its reciprocal-coordinate representative $f(1/w)$ has a pole of that order at $w=0$. Equivalently $f(z)=z^{N}g(1/z)$ with $g$ holomorphic and nonzero at zero. The Laurent series about infinity is interpreted in this coordinate: finitely many positive powers of $z$ form its principal part. For example, $z^N{e}^{1/z}=z^N+z^{N-1}+\cdots$ has a pole of order $N$ at infinity despite its essential singularity at zero.

The principal part consists of all negative-power terms of a Laurent series about its center. On a punctured neighborhood of an isolated singularity it is zero for a removable singularity, a nonzero finite sum for a pole, and an infinite series for an essential singularity. A pole's order is the largest $N$ with $a_{-N}\ne 0$. At infinity use the local variable $w=1/z$: negative powers of $w$ correspond to positive powers of $z$. A Laurent series on an annulus with strictly positive inner radius may have a principal part without the function being defined close enough to the center to classify an isolated singularity there.

The residue of a function $f$ at an isolated singularity $a$ is its Laurent coefficient of degree $-1$. More explicitly, if $f$ is holomorphic for $0<|z-a|<\rho$, write its Laurent series asThis one Laurent coefficient determines the contour integral around a sufficiently small counterclockwise circle about $a$. A complicated local Laurent series can therefore leave a remarkably simple answer after one complete trip around the point.

For a simple pole, multiplying by $z-a$ removes the pole, leaving a holomorphic extension whose value at $a$ is the residue:There is a useful shortcut for a quotient $f=g/h$. If $g$ and $h$ are holomorphic near $a$, $h$ has a simple zero there, and $g(a)\ne 0$, then $f$ has a simple pole andThe first-order Taylor series of $h$ explains the denominator: dividing $h(z)$ by $z-a$ leaves its derivative at $a$ in the limit. This computes a residue without finding the full Laurent series, which is especially useful when the numerator or denominator is complicated. ^[ref]

For example, the rational function $f(z)=1/(z^2+1)$ has simple poles at $i$ and $-i$. Factoring the denominator makes both residues immediately visible:The signs matter: these residues cancel when both poles are enclosed, but either one contributes when enclosed alone. The residue theorem below turns this distinction into different contour integrals of the same function.

A residue is not the same thing as a pole, nor does it measure the order of a pole. The function $1/z^2$ has a double pole at zero but residue zero. Conversely,has an essential singularity at zero and residue one. Infinitely many negative powers cause no difficulty in reading off that particular Laurent coefficient. At a removable singularity the residue is zero. ^[ref]

Why does only this Laurent coefficient survive? Parametrize a counterclockwise circle by $z=a+r{e}^{it}$, $0\le t\le 2\pi$, with $0<r<\rho$. For every integer $n$,When $n\ne -1$, the complex exponential completes a whole number of turns and its contributions cancel; when $n=-1$, it is constant. Uniform convergence of the Laurent series on this circle justifies termwise integration, giving $\oint f(z)dz=2\pi i\mathrm{Res}(f,a)$. Thus the residue isolates exactly the local information that a closed contour integral detects. ^[ref]

This selection rule explains why a very large value near an isolated singularity need not produce a large contour integral. The double pole $1/z^2$ grows faster near zero than $1/z$, yet its contributions around a circle cancel completely. What matters is the arrangement of complex values along the path, including the differential $dz$, rather than their moduli alone. A residue records that surviving contribution, not the size of the function near the point.

Let $\Gamma$ be a piecewise smooth contour forming a simple closed curve, positively oriented: travel counterclockwise, with the interior on the left. Suppose $f$ is holomorphic on an open set containing $\Gamma$ and its interior, except at finitely many isolated singularities $a_1,\dots ,a_m$ strictly inside. ThenNo isolated singularity may lie on $\Gamma$: the ordinary contour integral must be defined there. Reversing the direction of the contour reverses the sign of the answer. The theorem applies to essential singularities as well as poles. ^[ref]

Return to $f(z)=1/(z^2+1)$. A counterclockwise circle $|z|=2$ encloses both simple poles, soYet $f$ is nonzero everywhere it is defined. A zero contour integral does not imply a zero function, or even absence of poles: the enclosed residues can cancel. By contrast, the counterclockwise circle $|z-i|=1/2$ encloses only $i$, givingThe picture compares these two selections. Changing the shape of a contour while keeping the same enclosed poles leaves the contour integral unchanged, provided the contour deformation stays where $f$ is holomorphic.

This is the practical appeal of the residue theorem: local Laurent coefficients determine a global contour integral. For a rational function, a few simple pole computations can replace a long parametrized calculation. It also makes real improper integrals accessible by treating the real line as part of a closed contour in the complex plane.

To compute $I={\int }_{-\infty }^{\infty }dx/(1+x^2)$, take $R>1$ and travel along the real line from $-R$ to $R$, then return along the upper semicircle $A_R$, parametrized by $z=R{e}^{it}$ for $0\le t\le \pi$. This contour is positively oriented and encloses the simple pole $i$ only; $-i$ is outside. HenceThe added arc must be controlled before taking a limit. On $A_R$, the reverse triangle inequality gives $|z^2+1|\ge R^2-1$, and the arc length is $\pi R$. The estimation lemma therefore yieldsThe denominator grows quadratically while the arc length grows only linearly. This quantitative comparison, rather than a sketch alone, explains why closing the contour does not alter the limiting real improper integral. It even supplies an error bound: the difference between $\pi$ and the finite real integral is at most $\pi R/(R^2-1)$.

For a numerical check, $R=10$ gives the finite real integral $2\arctan (10)\approx 2.94226$, leaving about $0.19934$ to reach $\pi$. The arc bound is $10\pi /99\approx 0.31733$, comfortably larger than that error. The graph shows both quantities approaching zero. The exact tail here can be checked with the antiderivative $\arctan x$; the residue theorem method remains useful for improper integrals where a convenient real antiderivative is unavailable.

Finally, both one-sided improper integrals converge absolutely: for $|x|\ge 1$, $0<1/(1+x^2)\le 1/x^2$, whose tails are integrable. Thus the symmetric limit computes the ordinary improper integral, not merely a Cauchy principal value, andClosing below instead would enclose the simple pole $-i$. With the same left-to-right traversal of the real line, that contour is clockwise, so its contour integral is $-2\pi i\mathrm{Res}(f,-i)=\pi$ again. This provides a useful sign check: the opposite residue is accompanied by the opposite direction around the enclosed region.

The same strategy extends to many other rational functions: choose a contour, identify its enclosed isolated singularities, compute their residues, and bound the added pieces. The choice of contour and the bound are as much part of the calculation as the residues. ^[ref]