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Logarithmic Derivative


The logarithmic derivative of a differentiable function f is

 L_f(z)=(f^'(z))/(f(z))
(1)

at points where f(z)!=0. When a branch of lnf(z) is defined, this is the derivative of that logarithm and is independent of the chosen branch. For a nonzero differentiable real function of a real variable, it is also the derivative of ln|f|.

Products and quotients therefore satisfy

L_(fg)=L_f+L_g
(2)
L_(f/g)=L_f-L_g,
(3)

where the functions are differentiable and nonzero.

If a meromorphic function has a root or pole at a, it can locally be written as f(z)=(z-a)^mh(z), where m is a nonzero integer and h is analytic with h(a)!=0. Its logarithmic derivative then has the form

 (f^'(z))/(f(z))=m/(z-a)+(h^'(z))/(h(z)).
(4)

Consequently,

 Res_(z=a)(f^'(z))/(f(z))=m.
(5)

The complex residue is the multiplicity of a root or the negative order of a pole (Orloff 2018, pp. 1-2). Integrating these complex residues gives the argument principle.

The digamma function is the logarithmic derivative of the gamma function,

 Psi(z)=d/(dz)lnGamma(z).
(6)

See also

Argument Principle, Complex Residue, Derivative, Digamma Function, Logarithm, Pole, Polygamma Function

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References

Liu, Z.-G. "Residue Theorem and Theta Function Identities." Ramanujan J. 5, 129-151, 2001. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011427622187.Orloff, J. "Argument Principle." Topic 11 in Complex Variables with Applications. Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, pp. 1-4, 2018. https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/18-04-complex-variables-with-applications-spring-2018/resources/mit18_04s18_topic11/.Trott, M. "Logarithmic Residue." Exercise and solution 41(c) in The Mathematica GuideBook for Symbolics. New York: Springer-Verlag, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-28815-5. https://www.mathematicaguidebooks.org/.Zwillinger, D. (Ed.). "Logarithmic Derivative." §6.11.8 in CRC Standard Mathematical Tables and Formulae. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, p. 496, 1995.

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Logarithmic Derivative

Cite this as:

Weisstein, Eric W. "Logarithmic Derivative." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Resource. https://mathworld.wolfram.com/LogarithmicDerivative.html

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