Ramification of a power map of the Riemann sphere ($f(z)=z^d,R_f=2d-2$)

For an integer $d\ge 2$, extend $f(z)=z^d$ to a holomorphic map from the Riemann sphere to itself with $f(\infty )=\infty$. A nonzero finite regular value has $d$ distinct preimages, so the degree of a holomorphic map is $d$. At zero the analytic ramification index is $d$. At infinity, use local coordinates $u=1/z$ upstairs and $v=1/f(z)$ downstairs: the same holomorphic map becomes $v=u^d$, so $e_{\infty }=d$ too. Everywhere else the derivative $d{z}^{d-1}$ is nonzero.

There are two distinct ramification points and two distinct branch values of a holomorphic map, butFor $d=3$, the total ramification of a holomorphic map is four, not two. The local-circle panel shows three nearby preimages converging to the single ramification point. For $d=1$ the holomorphic map is the identity and neither zero nor infinity is ramified.