Past exam of the short options paper shared by Prelims and Parts A and B of the physics course of the University of Oxford / 2017 / S1 / 1 / 2 / Solution

Choose a continuous argument $\theta$ on a simply connected domain avoiding zero, and put $r=\sqrt{x^2+y^2}$. With $u=x\log r-y\theta$, direct differentiation givesHere ${\theta }_x=-y/r^2$, ${\theta }_y=x/r^2$; these identities specify the branch needed in the written arctangent. Integrating the Cauchy-Riemann equations givesThe literal principal $\arctan (y/x)$ works only separately on suitable half-planes. It cannot stand for a single continuous argument across the imaginary axis.