Past exam of the options I course of the University of Oxford / 2006 / K / K1 / iii

The stream function gives $u=2\alpha xy$ and $v=-\alpha y^2$. Its scalar vorticity isFor $\alpha \ne 0$ this does not vanish on any nonempty open region of the plane. A holomorphic complex potential of a two-dimensional potential flow would produce an irrotational flow there. Equivalently, its imaginary part would be a harmonic function, whereas $\Delta \psi =2\alpha x$. Thus no complex potential exists on any nonempty open region for this flow; vanishing vorticity only along the vertical line does not provide a two-dimensional domain.