On Kahan's Rules for Determining Branch Cuts

Abstract

In computer algebra there are different ways of approaching the mathematical concept of functions, one of which is by defining them as solutions of differential equations. We compare different such approaches and discuss the occurring problems. The main focus is on the question of determining possible branch cuts. We explore the extent to which the treatment of branch cuts can be rendered (more) algorithmic, by adapting Kahan's rules to the differential equation setting.