Appl. sci. Res.

Section JB, VoI~r

SOME GENERALIZATIONS OF THE SCHWARZ-CHRISTOFFEL MAPPING FORMULA

*)~

by L. C. WOODS
Department of Mechanical Engineering, N.S.W. University of Technology,

Sydney, Australia

Summary
The Schwarz-Christoffel formula for the mapping of apoi~rgon in the zplane on an upper half-plane (the w-plane) is ek~cen'r t o deal' with singIyconnected domains of quite general shape.~ The mappirfg p~oblem in the general case is shown to depend on~.the :solution of, an a w k w a r d iategro:differential equation and an iterative method of finding this solution is indicated. Two further generalizations Are m a d ~ to the formhla; these are (i) the boundaI3r of the singly-~onnected domain in t h e z-plane is m a p p e d on to a finite interval of the real axis of the w-planeinstead of the whole of it, and (ii) the formula is extended to deal with .doubly-connected .domains.

w 1. Introduction. The weD-known formula for the mapping of a polygon ill the z-plane (z = x + iy) on to the ,Upper half of the w-plane (@ = 9 + i v ) c a n be wrKten in the f 0 h n
- - - = K II (w - - 9n) - ~ = '
dw ~=1
dz N

(1)

where

9--

L 2,3 ...... N, are ihe external . ngies oJ" the

polygon (see fig. !):at the vertices~zn, and ~n are the pc'Jars on the real axis in theY'd-plane on to which, these vertices z**are mapped b y (1). In order t 9 deal with curved rather than. po!ygona! shape~ it is natural to seek a generalization of (l') in which the arrg!es a.n tend to zero with_ the intervals z * * ~ l - zn, and 9n~1.77 ~n, :It is quite easy to derive this generalization by a f6rmaI:dalcula:tion based ~on (1).
*) Paper, read at the first annual general meeting o'~ the AuStralian~Matheiha~~al Society at Sydney, August, 1957. ~-

- - 89 - Appl. sci. Res. B 7

90

L.C. WOODS Let On denote the. slope of the side Z n + l - zn, then ~n =

= On - - 0n-l, and the logarithm of (1) can be written

] N

in

--dz __--l n K -- ~

ln(w

9n)(0n

0n-l).

In the limit ~n -+ 0 this becomes

oo

~-(w) = In ~

= In K - - ~
--OO

in (w - - 9) d00(~0),

(2)

where the integral is a Riemann-Stieltjes integral. To make this derivation of (2) rigorous we would first have to recast the usual proof of (1) into a form which perinits the limiting process just used, and this would be difficult if not impossible. We shall therefore give. a proof of (2) not depending on (1), but in fact containing an altemat-ive proof of (1) as a special case.

o
z-plane

C
w- plane

~'

Fig. 1. Mapping a polygon onto.an upper-half plane.

The point P, say, in the z-plane, which is mapped on to w = co by (2), must clearly lie on the contour F. An obvious further genera]ization of (2) is to take P to be some point lying within F, and this necessarily means tl~at F must map on to a/inite interval of ~ = 0, instead of the w h o l e of~v = 0. This generalization, which is more useful than (2) in some practical applications, is given in w4. The next step in generalizing the mapping formula is to deal with the doubly-connected region lying between two non-intersecting contours F and F'; this theory is given in w5. In this last generalization let F' lie within F. Then to return

THE SCHWAI~-CH1ZISTOFFI~L~I.~PPII~GFOI~M,ULA

~.1.

to the $chwarz-Christoffel ,(S-,.C)mapping .formula, We ~must first let P' shrink to a singie point ' P - - this gives, o,~ :ser generalizatibn -- then let.-P tend to a point o n F, giving, ouT:,~st generalization, and finally we obtain ( 1 ) b y letting 0o(9)bea stepfunction. Although the generalizations of the S--C formula given, in this paper are obvious, t h e y do not seem to: h a v e appeared ~. the literature (cf. B e c k e n b a c h X ) ) of the subject. However, there is such a volume of published papers on conformal mapping, that one cannot be sure on this point. There is some Russian work .by G o l u z i n (see p. 272 of B e c k e n b a c h 1)) on the doubly-colmected region between polygons, of which the work in w5 below is a generalization, and there is also the well-known work of L e a t h e m 8) which introduces "curve-factors" into the S'--C formula.

jo
z- plane w-plane

Fig.-2. Mapping a curved figure onto an upperhalf-plane.

w2. Proo/O/ the first generalization. We shall map the singlyconnected region bounded b y the contour P = PABCD~EooFP shown in fig.j2 qn to the upper half of the w-plane in such a w a y t h a t the poifit P m a p s on to the point at infinity in the w-1)lane. 9The contour F is ~ u m e d to have a continuously turning tangent save for a finite number,of exceptional points, where simple discontinuities in the slope 00 o f f m a y exist (e~g. points B and C in fig. 2). Also a finite number of points of ~ are assumed to begat infinity (e.g. points Doo and Eoo). The point P which will be moved to infinity b y the transformation m a y be an ordinary point of F or one of .the exceptional points (e.g. B, C, Doo or E~) j u s t described. In the .figure P is shown to b e at a point where the tangent j~umps through an angle t ; an o r d i n a ~ point is obtained ff :fi = 0, while P is a point at infinity if fl = ~ (e.g. as a,t D~): or i~ ~ < fl g72~

92

L . c . WOODS

(as at E~). The. particular cases fl = 0, ~r and 2~ are. especially i m p o r t a n t in practical applications of the theory. The contour is indented a b o u t P b y a c u r v e 7 = F G A of such a shape that, it m a p s i n t 6 the large semi-circle w = Re*~ in the w-plane. We shall .need the relation b e t w e e n w and z on this indentation. There are three distinct cases to consider. FirSt'let P be in the finite part of the plane, at z = a, say. Then the corner at P will be straightened b y a transformation of the t y p e zi ~ (z -- a) n, where n = I/(1 --/3/zr), (-- z ~ / ~ < ~r), and then transformed to infinity b y the inversion w ~ 1/zl. A p a r t from these singularities the relation between'~ w and z will b e regular near z = a . Thus in this neighbourhood, we can write

w -- -(z --

.-k,ao+al(z--a)+ag.(z--a)~+

..... (--z~_<8<z~),

(3)

where A, ao, al . . . . ar.e constants. Inverting this series and differentiating the result we fifid t h a t

dwdZ _ B w_,l_l/n, { l + O(__~) }

i.e. 9 ~ in ( ~ w ) = - - ( 2 - - -~) an w + C + 0 (1),"(--~r</3<~r), (4)

where B and C are n e w constants, and n has been eliminated in favour of /L Secondly suppose P is at infinity, and t h a t the angle 8 does not equal ~r (i.e. we exclude the case n = oo, which applies at points like Do. in fig. 2). In this case the "corner" at infinity is r e m o v e d b y the transformation w ~ z-n, and instead of (3) we have

w = A z - n + ao + --al +. ~ _ + g~
Z

(~r < 3 < 2~r).

(5)

It is easily verified from (5) t h a t (4) also holds for ~r < / 3 < 2~r. Finally let 8 = ~r. If :(4) is still '~#alid for this value of 8, then dz/dw. = A / w . . . . i.e.
w = A

a0 +

....

(8 =

(6)

where A~ b and a0 are constants. T h a t this is the correct form for w is most easily verified b y letting lal tend to zero in (3). The acute angle ~r --/~ tends to zero with lal -x, i.e. n = ~r/(~r -- 8) tends tO

THE SCI-YvVARZ-CI~II~I:STO'F~Z M~PPFN"G FORI~ULA '~ t ,

,~.

infinity wit h lab so we can write, a:=.n~fb, , . w h e r e , b : r ~ e m a i n , - s ~ t e in the limit ~r --> oo. Mocfifying ,the-constants in (3) and using the result lira (1' ~ - zb/n) ~n = .e-~*', we then arrive at ( 6 ) a s t~he limiting

form of (3). W e have now established that (4),is valid for all values,;ol-,fl in the range (-- n, 2n), i.e. for all choices of the point P t h a t is to be mapped on to w = oo. From (4) it follows that
dr
tim - o. (7)
*o~ ~,, d w

Now let Idz/dw I = l/q, and arg (dx./dw) = 0, then 0 i s t h e ~ngle between the x-axis and the curves W = constant, for if d~v = 0, O=arg ~ + dg/

which is clearly the slope of .the curves d~o = O, or ~0 =. constant. The contour P is the curve ~0 = 0 , and,we shall denote the slope of this curve by 00. r----ln~=In where s = In--, q then d~~ 80 d---w-- 8-~ + i aq0 (10)
1

\q

e ~0 = ~ + i 0 , /

(8)

(9)

is an analyticffunction in the w-plane whose imaginary part takes the value

dOo = 0,o(9) ' d9

(tl)

on ~v = 0, and which vanishes at infinity (see. (7)). By Cauchy's integral applied to the semi-circular contour shown in fig. 2
R ~r

d. _ dw
.

1 2~i
.

9 -- w
.

+ 1 [ Re'xdx 2~ 3 d(Re~x) ROx -- w

0

--R

where w is a point within the contour.

94

L. C. W O O D S

Equation (7)" and the limit R -+ oo yields

(12)

dw Similarly

2~i a 9 -- W
oo

1 f
--oo

dr(9 )

as ~ lies outside the semi-circular contour. Subtracting the conjugate of this equation from (12), and using (10) we find
oo

dT
dw --

1 d00(9)
!

(113)

Finally integration with respect to w gives ~-=ln--dz =lnK-dw

1--fln(w--~)d0o(~),
~ d

(14)

where in K is the constant of integration. The proof of (2) is now almost complete. The only gap in this proof is t h a t we have not justified writing the integral in (14) as a Stidtjes integral, i.e. permitting 0o(9) to be a delta function at a finite number of points in the range of integration. The validity of this is readily established by the usual m e t h o d of indenting the contour in the w-plane by small semicircles about the singular points on the real axis, and then letting the radii of these indentations tend to zero. Alternatively we can take the contour in (4) t o be ~o = e instead of ~v = 0, then let -+ 0 after evaluating the integral. We find in this approach t h a t at a discontinuity of amount a in 00 at the point 9 ~- a the correct meaning to give 0o(9)d 9 is d0o(~0) = 0 o ( 9 ) d g = ~---lim d / t a n - l ( 9 - 7~ r ( \ S l

a~/=
J

a---dU(9--a)
Y~

= --8(~0 -- a) d 9
$g

(15)

THE SCHWARZ-CHRISTOFFEL MAPPING F O R M U L A

95

where U(9 -- a) is the unit function and 8(9 -- a) is its derivative, the delta function. If 0o(9) is a step-function with discontinuities in m a g n i t u d e of ~n at 9n, n = l, 2 . . . . N, then the Stieltjes integral in (14) degenerates to the sum -- 1/~ ~ ~n in ( w - 9n), and we obtain (1) as a special case. Our proof of (2) is now complete. F r o m fig. 2 it is a p p a r e n t t h a t 0(9 ) cannot be chosen arbitrarily, b u t m u s t satisfy
OO

f d00(9) = 2z~ -- ft.

--OO

(16)

W h e r e 00 is continuous we write d00 = 00(9)d9 in (14). and the required mapping function follows from a knowledge of 00 = 0o(9) and two integrations. In practical problems however i.t will be the shape of _P t h a t is known, and not the relation 00(9). This case is s o m e w h a t more difficult and is considered in w 3.' F r o m (14) it follows t h a t
W
Oo

z=z
O0 --0o

dOo(9)Id,,

(17)

where z~ is the value of z at the point P. The value of the factor K depends on the scale of the mapping and the orientation of the contour F in the z-plane. Its value will be fixed if two other corresponding points, say z0 and w0 are assigned. Thus for the unique definition of the mapping we h a v e to assign the two correspondences
Z~ - + oo, ,alld zo - + WO.

An alternative m e t h o d of determining the modulus of K is frequently useful. For simphcity consider the case in which no points of P are at infinity -- the general case can be treated b y a similar method. If s is the distance measured around F in an anti-clockwise direction from P, i.e. f r o m 9 = oo, we find from (17) and (18) t h a t s(9 ) ---- Igl 3 e x p [ and l = ]KI
--OO

19" -

dg,

(18)

xp

---OO

In 19" -- 91 d00(9*)

dg,

(19)

96

L.C. WOODS

where l is the length o f / ' . Thus, for a given distribution is directly proportional to l.

Oo(~), [K[

w3. The bgsic integral'equation o/ mapping theory. Knowledge of the shape of F enables us to compute its intrinsic equation s = ~0), and hence its radius of curvature R = s'(O). On ~ = constant " \dg/
so o n V ----0

\dg/J'

1
-

ds d~

- -

ds d00 d0o d~
-

RO'o(q,).

(20)

On F at w ---- 9<~the real part of (14) yields

oo

in --=

In

- --oo

in

d0o(9*),

and combining.this with (20) we arrive at the basic integro-differential equation for 0o(9), namely
c o

in 00(~o ) = in [K[ -- In R{0o(9)} --

Ifoo(9)
--oo

In [~* -- 9[ dg*, (21)

where [K[ itself is % function of 0o(9) determined b y (19) when / ' is finite, and an equation similar to (19) in the general case. The function 00(~) can be a delta function at a finite number of points in the range. W h e n / ' is finite, we have

in O~(9)=tn[~exp {
~oo

-~-J o0(r
--oo

1 /,o,
1

dq~*

}] --In --R l {00(90)}

de*,

[00(r
J --oo

hi

(22)

an equation quite beyond the standard methods of solution. Numerical or iterative methods must be employed. When 00(9) is found from (22) it is substituted in (14) t o g i v e the required mapping relation.

T H E S CHWAI~Z-CI-gRISTOFFET.

MAPPING FORMULA

9."7~"

ProbaBly the best method of solving !(22).is as ~ellews. First r is approximated to by a figure comprised of sections: over each
of which 00'(90)has a constant value, i.e. 00,(90)is a step f,nction, W h e n the constant value is zero the section~will be a straight line,. otherwise it will be curved having a slowly varying curvature. Convergence of the integral in (22) requires that we choose 00,(90), to vanish in the intervals bounded by 90.= --oo and .90= oo, Irt practice we can start with an approximating polygon, then round off those corners not corresponding to comers on F b y giving 0o(90 ) a non-zero value, over intervals containkn, g these corners, If 0o(90 ) = k in the interval 90o -- 89 K 90 _< q00 + {a containing a comer of the polygon corresponding to a discontinuity irt,00, of ~ in this interval, then a and k must be chosen t9 satisfy T = ak. Other choices of 0o(90 ) are of course possible (see w and with experience it is not difficult to select ,0o(90 ) so as to obtain a fair approximas to F.

Fig. 3. A p p r o x i m a t i o n to a curved contour.

F, - - . approxima'~e polygon, .................... rounding off. Denote the approximating curve by F1, and let 01(9) be the known distribiit-ion of 0 ori F1. Also let {he length o f F 1 be equal: to l, the length of .th~ given curve F. Then the substitutioia of the function 0~(90) in (i8):'~and (19) gives the corresponding~fiihcfi6n s1(90). The next step-is to make the approximation s(90)= s1(90) (we have already set s(oo)-= l = sr(~o))..-Then from the., tmow~,. relations R(s), O(s) on F we find the approximate :functions .RS,{q0~)j 0~(90) :and 0'~,(90), using our approximate :s(90) relation'. With R9.~(.9):. and O's(9) in the left hand side of (22) we 0btz:i.n, a . n e w ~ a p p m ~ t i ~ r ~ ~ for 00(90 ), say 03(90)., from the left hand sic~ e of"(22)_. ~his.,..i6 now,:inserted in (18) and (1 9) to yield .the corresponding ~fam; r we then. set s(90) = s3(90), and so. on, un,tfl~the process has:corl~er~ed:.

98

L.C. WOODS

From the author's experience it seems that convergence is always quite rapid, hnd~f F1 is reasonably close to F, the contour resulting from the distribution 0~(9) will be undistinguishable from F for practical purposes. A:#imilar method can be applied to the case when F has some points, at infinity. In this case a separate Sl(9) function has to be derived for each section of F, and of course s has to be measured from some point on F close to, b u t not at infinity. In all but the simplest cases the integrals in (18), (19) and (21) have to be evaluated numerically, b u t once a numerical scheme has been worked out for one example subsequent problems can be handled quite quickly. w 4. M a p p i n g points within F on to in/inity. If a point P within F is to be mapped on to the point at infinity in the w-plane then F must map on to a finite section of the real axis of the w-plane. Let this be ---a_< fo_< a, then the lines 9 ~ - 4 - a correspond to opposite sides of some curve AP, where A lies on F (see fig. 4).

o
-,

~
o

ID'
A'

I A

It'

ra

w-pl~e

Fig. 4. Mapping a singly-connected domain onto a semi-infinite strip.

Curves ~v = constant must enclose P, which is the "curve" ~v = oo. Thus the domain within F maps on to the semi-infinite strip O < ~p<<_ oo, - - a < 9 < a. Each complete cycle about contours ~v = constant increases 9 b y 2a, so that the domain within F can be regarded as being mapped .on to each of .the strips 0 _< ~o _< oo, ( 2 n - 1)a < 9 <--_< (2n + 1)a, a = 0, -r 1, 4- 2, . . . -t- oo. Therefore the boundary

THE SCHWARZ-CHRISTOFFEL MAPPING FORMULA

99

value 00(9) is periodic over -- co < 9 ' < co, i.e. satisfies 0o(9) = -----0o(9 + 2a). Using this condition in (13) we get *)
a

dr
dw

1 lim

d00(9)
9 + 2ha - - w

z~ .v-~oo ~=g

Using a well-known result for the hmit of the sum in this equation we arrive at
a

dr 1 [ c o t ~z d-w -- 2--aJ 2--a- (9 -- w) d00(~).

--a

(23)

Integration now gives r = in K -- --z~J In sm ~

--5

1 r

z~

(w - - 9) dOo(9);

(24)

which is the required generalization of equation (2). 'The special form taken b y this equation when F is a polygon, and the integral degenerates to a sum is due to B i c k l e y 2). This equation is particularly useful for the mapping of nearly circular domains, which occur frequently in practical problems. First consider a circle of radius R, centre z = z0. If z0 is mapped on to w = co, then b y s y m m e t r y 0'(9) will be constant, and clearly equal to 2zc/2a = z~/a. Substituting this value in (24) and evaluating the const,ants we arrive at r ~ in (iz~R/a) + in-w/a, so
z = Zo + R e i ~ l a .

(25)

With nearly'circular domains we can set s/l = 9 / 2 a in order to commence the iterative process described in w 3, and furthermore we can take advantage of the fact that 0'(9 ) - - ~/a will be small over most of the range - - a _ _ %9 ~ a. It is sometimes useful to map these domains on to unit circle in the ~-plane b y ~ e i~to/a, (cf. (25)), b u t in most applications the semi-infinite strip in the w-plane is more convenient.' The~value of z~, i.e. the position of the point P which is mapped
*) Note f r o m the equation preceding (12) t h a t t h e m e a n i n g to be given to

7 is
-oo

lira f R, i.e. the Cauchy Principal Value at infinity. R~oo - / ~

100

L.c.. WOODS

on to w = o% can be found from

1

a
(26)

z~-,= ~ a Jz(9) dg,

--oo

after the integro-differential equation implicit in (24) (derived as in'Xw3) is solved. Equation (26) follows by taking the limit w --> oo in

z(w)- 2ai l j z(9 ) c o t - ~ a

tb

--a

(9 -- w) d 9

which follows from Cauchy's integral for z(w) in the upper half plane, and the periodic nature of z(9 ) (cf. (23)).

w5. Doubly-connected regions. In order to map the region between two curves F and F', such as shown in fig. 5, into a suitable canonical
domain, we first make it singly-connected b y inserting a barrier AB,

z-plane

B
-A
W-

]~,
plane
0

a"
A'

~'

Fig. 5. Mapping a doubly-connected region onto a rectangle. then m a r the resulting region onto the rectangle - - a < 9--< a, 0 _< W < h. In this rectangle , is '~an analytic function of given imaginary parts 00 on ~v = 0 and S~ on ~v = h. and periodic in the 9-direction, having a period o~f 2a. The .solution to this problem can be derived b y the same technique as employed in w2 and w 4, b u t we shall omit the details, and refer the reader to a recent paper ( W o o d s ~)), which contains the required solution in a slightly different form. Converting

TI-IE SCI-IWARZ-C~RIST0iv-IEEL I~IAPPZNG FORMUL~

:ItQ~l

equation (65) of the author's earlier pa~er fo the present problem we have
Q

r ---- In K ---a a

in #i ~

(~ -- w)

d0o(~)

(27)
--a

where the notation employed for the theta functions is the same as in W h i t t a k e r and W a t s o n ' s text.C). Equation (.27) contains the S--C mapping formula, and our earlier generalizations of this formula, as special cases. When the exponential Of (27) is integra-ted to give a fortnula for z(w) there will be four unknown constants appearing in the equation, namely k, ,a, h and one additional c0nstant of integrati0n. In general this will, require that, four CorresPonding l~6~ia,ts in the z- and w-planes must be specifie'd for a unique mapping, By a calculation similar to that given .in w w e c a n derive a pair of simultaneous integro-differential equations from (27)_for 00(~) and O',(q~), and these can b e solved b y t h e same type. of iterative process as that 0utlin'ed for the simpler "case.
Received 18th-September, 1957.

REFERENCES 1) B e c k e n b a c h , E. F., Construction and Applications bf'Conformal' Maps, l~ational Bureau of Standards. Applied Maths Series "I'8'UiS. Gov. Printing Office, V~asl~ag~on 25, D.C., 1952. 2) Bicl~ley, W. G., Phil. Trans. A 2 2 8 (1929) 235. 3)" Leathern, I. G., Phil. Trans. A~-15 {1915) 439. 4) w h i t t a . k e r , E. T. and G. N. W a t s S n , Moderxi An~ysis, .Cambfidge~ University Press, 19"52. 5) Woods, L. C., Proc. Roy. Soc. A 229 (1955) 63.