Cauchy–Riemann equations

In the field of complex analysis in mathematics, the Cauchy–Riemann equations, named after Augustin Cauchy and Bernhard Riemann, consist of a system of two partial differential equations which form a necessary and sufficient condition for a complex function of a complex variable to be complex differentiable.

These equations are

and

where u(x, y) and v(x, y) are real differentiable bivariate functions.

Typically, u and v are respectively the real and imaginary parts of a complex-valued function f(x + iy) = f(x, y) = u(x, y) + iv(x, y) of a single complex variable z = x + iy where x and y are real variables; u and v are real differentiable functions of the real variables. Then f is complex differentiable at a complex point if and only if the partial derivatives of u and v satisfy the Cauchy–Riemann equations at that point.

A holomorphic function is a complex function that is differentiable at every point of some open subset of the complex plane C. It has been proved that holomorphic functions are analytic and analytic complex functions are complex-differentiable. In particular, holomorphic functions are infinitely complex-differentiable.

This equivalence between differentiability and analyticity is the starting point of all complex analysis.