Proof for law of complex exponents using only differential equation I just read that an elegant

osula9a

osula9a

Answered question

2022-01-17

Proof for law of complex exponents using only differential equation
I just read that an elegant proof exists that the law of exponents also holds for complex numbers (a,b,z all complex):
ea+b=eaeb,
which only uses the definition that
y=ezt
is solution to dydt=zy,
with initial condition y(0)=1, so in particular ez=y(1).
I can only find a proofs which use the trig-representation of complex numbers.

Answer & Explanation

eninsala06

eninsala06

Beginner2022-01-18Added 37 answers

If you define ez as the unique solution to the ODE f(z)=f(z) with initial condition f(0)=1, then you have by the product rule:
(ezecz)=ezecz+ez(ecz)=0
Thus ezecz is a constant. Using the initial condition e0=1 we find that ezecz=ec. Now let z=a and c=a+b and c=a+b and the result follows.
Beverly Smith

Beverly Smith

Beginner2022-01-19Added 42 answers

Let g(z)=ea+zea. Then g(z)=g(z) and g(0)=1. So g(z)=ez, and we have that ea+z=eaez.
That assumes that ez is the only solution to f(z)=f(z) with f(0)=1.
alenahelenash

alenahelenash

Expert2022-01-24Added 556 answers

Another way is to see that any f:CC satisfying f(z)=f(z) and f(0)=1 is analytic in C (entire) and admits a power series representation f(z)=n=0anznThe fact that f(z)=f(z) and f(0)=1 easily give usf(z)=n=0znn!Now it is easy to verify that f indeed satisfies the above differential equation and initial conditions (and hence is the unique function) and that f(a+b)=f(a)f(b)

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