TITLE: Prove that an analytic function, real-valued on radii $[0, 1)$ and $[0, e^{i\pi\sqrt 2})$, is constant on the open unit disk
QUESTION [6 upvotes]: Suppose $f$ is analytic in the open unit disc and real valued on the radii $[0, 1)$ and $[0, e^{i \pi \sqrt 2})$.  Prove that $f$ is constant. I'm not sure how to solve this.

REPLY [2 votes]: $f$ is analytic so we can write:
$$
f(z) = \sum_{n=0}^\infty a_nz^n
$$
Specifically for $x \in [0,1)$:
$$
f(x) = \sum_{n=0}^\infty a_nx^n = \sum_{n=0}^\infty \text{Re}a_nx^n + i\sum_{n=0}^\infty \text{Im}a_nx^n
$$
Since $f$ is real valued in $[0, 1)$ we get for $x \in [0,1)$:
$$
\sum_{n=0}^\infty \text{Im}a_nx^n = 0
$$
This is a Tayolr series with real coefficients of the real $0$ function and so $\text{Im}a_n$ must all be $0$ (because of the uniqueness of the Taylor series) meaning that $a_n$ are all real numbers.
So we got that $f(z) = \sum_{n=0}^\infty a_nz^n$ and $a_n$ are real.
Now for $z \in [0,e^{i\pi\sqrt{2}})$ we write $z = te^{i\pi\sqrt{2}}$ where $t \in [0,1)$
And then:
$$
f(z) = \sum a_nz^n = \sum a_n(te^{i\pi\sqrt{2}})^n = \sum a_nt^ne^{i\pi n\sqrt{2}} = 
$$
$$
\sum a_nt^n\cos\pi n\sqrt{2} + i\sum a_nt^n\sin\pi n\sqrt{2}
$$
Since $f$ is real valued in $[0,e^{i\pi\sqrt{2}})$, and $a_n$ are real we get that for $t \in [0,1)$
$$
\sum a_n\sin\pi n\sqrt{2}t^n = 0
$$
And from here we get that $a_n\sin\pi n\sqrt{2} = 0$ for all $n$.
For $n > 0$ it must be that $a_n=0$ but $a_0$ may or may not be $0$.
So in total we got that $f(z) = a_0$