Boxlike Domains in the Complex Plane (Q4552033)

The authors introduce a new class of domains, called boxlike domains, which arise naturally from a generalization of one proof of Cauchy's theorem. Given two points \(z\) and \(w\) in the complex plane, the rectangle spanned by \(z\) and \(w\) is the rectangle (with sides parallel to the coordinate axes) that has opposite corners at \(z\) and \(w\). This rectangle together with its interior is denoted by \(R(z, w)\). A domain \(G\) is said to be boxlike with respect to a point \(z\) if \(R(z, w)\subset G\) for every \(w \in G\). In this case, \(z\) is called the boxlike center of \(G\). A domain \(G\) is said to be boxlike if it is boxlike with respect to some point. The following results are obtained. Suppose that \(f\) is holomorphic on a boxlike domain \(G\). Then \(f\) has an antiderivative on \(G\) and \(\int_\gamma f = 0\) for any closed curve \(\gamma\subset G\). A domain \(G\subset\mathbb C\) is boxlike with respect to the point \(z_0 = x_0 + iy_0\) iff there exist extended real numbers \(a < b\) and extended real-valued functions \(f(x)\) and \(g(x)\) defined on \((a, b)\) such that \(-\infty\leq a < x_0 < b\leq\infty\), \(g(x) < y_0 < f(x)\) on \((a, b)\), \(f(x)\) is monotonically increasing on \((a, x_0]\) and monotonically decreasing on \([x_0, b)\), \(g(x)\) is monotonically decreasing on \((a, x_0]\) and monotonically increasing on \([x_0, b)\), and \(G = \{z: z = x + iy, a < x < b\) and \(g(x) < y < f(x)\}\).