Valence of complex-valued planar harmonic functions

Abstract

The valence of a function $f$ at a point $w$ is the number of distinct, finite solutions to $f(z) = w$. Let $f$ be a complex-valued harmonic function in an open set $R \subseteq \mathbb{C}$. Let $S$ denote the critical set of $f$ and $C(f)$ the global cluster set of $f$. We show that $f(S) \cup C(f)$ partitions the complex plane into regions of constant valence. We give some conditions such that $f(S) \cup C(f)$ has empty interior. We also show that a component $R_0 \subseteq R \backslash f^{-1}(f(S) \cup C(f))$ is a $n_0$-fold covering of some component $Ω_0 \subseteq \mathbb{C} \backslash (f(S) \cup C(f))$. If $Ω_0$ is simply connected, then $f$ is univalent on $R_0$. We explore conditions for combining adjacent components to form a larger region of univalence. Those results which hold for $C^1$ functions on open sets in $\mathbb{R}^2$ are first stated in that form and then applied to the case of planar harmonic functions. If $f$ is a light, harmonic function in the complex plane, we apply a structure theorem of Lyzzaik to gain information about the difference in valence between components of $\mathbb{C} \backslash (f(S) \cup C(f))$ sharing a common boundary arc in $f(S) \backslash C(f)$.