Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2017 / iii / Paper 203 / 2 / c

For real smooth functions of compact support in a planar domain $D$, use the Dirichlet inner productChanging the positive normalization factor does not change orthogonality. For complex functions, insert complex conjugation in the second factor to obtain the corresponding Hermitian form.

Let $f:D\to \tilde{D}$ be a conformal bijection, and let $\tilde{u},\tilde{v}$ be smooth functions of compact support on $\tilde{D}$. Its real Jacobian matrix is $Df=|f^{\prime }|R$, where $R$ is a rotation. By the chain rule,The change of variables formula has Jacobian determinant $|f^{\prime }{|}^2$, so this factor cancels:This proves conformal invariance of the planar Dirichlet inner product. By completion it is also an isometry between the corresponding Dirichlet energy spaces. It asserts invariance of the energy form, not of the inhomogeneous Sobolev norm, whose $L^2$ term has a different transformation rule.