University College London

Department of Physics and Astronomy

2B21 Mathematical Methods in Physics & Astronomy
Suggested Solutions for Problem Sheet M8 (2003–2004)

1. Using integration by parts

Z Z Z
I= sin nx sinh x dx = sin nx d(cosh x) = sin nx cosh x−n cos nx cosh x dx
Z
= sin nx cosh x − n cos nx d(sinh x) = sin nx cosh x − n cos nx sinh x − n2 I .
Hence
1 [4]
I= [cosh x sin nx − n cos nx sinh x] .
1 + n2

Alternative methods include writing the sin and sinh functions in terms of
exponentials or using sinh(x) = −i sin(ix), but both are significantly longer.
The sinh function
f (x) = sinh x
in the interval −π ≤ x ≤ π, is clearly odd. [1]
All the coefficients of the cosine terms in
∞
X ∞
X
f (x) = 21 a0 + an cos nx + bn sin nx
n=1 n=1

must therefore vanish since the cosine function is even, i.e. an = 0. [1]
Turning to the sine coefficients,
1Zπ
bn = sinh x sin nx dx .
π −π
+π
1 2 n

= cosh x sin nx − n cos nx sinh x = sinh π(−1)n+1 2 · [3]
π −π π n +1

The Fourier series is therefore

∞
2 n
(−1)n+1 2
X
f (x) = sinh π sin nx . [1]
π n=1 n +1

Parseval’s theorem states that the average value of f 2 is given by

 2 ∞
2 1 Z +π 2 a0 1X
< f (x) > = [f (x)] dx = + (a 2 + bn2 ) . [2]
2π −π 2 2 n=1 n

1
 2 1 Z +π 2 1 Z +π
< f (x) > = sinh x dx = (cosh 2x − 1)
2π −π 4π −π
+π
1 1

= sinh 2x − 2x = [sinh 2π − 2π] [2]
8π −π 4π

Parseval’s identity then gives

!2 ∞
1 1 2 sinh π X n2
[sinh 2π − 2π] = ,
4π 2 π n=1 (n2 + 1)2

from which we get

∞
X n2 π (sinh 2π − 2π)
= · [2]
n=1 (n2 + 1)2 8 sinh2 π

2. The required Fourier transform is the integral

1 Z +1 −ax iωx 1 1
g(ω) = √ e e dx = √ · [2]
2π 0 2π (a − iω)

Parseval’s theorem (for Fourier transforms) states that

Z +∞ Z +∞
2
|f (x)| dx = |g(ω)|2 dω . [1]
−∞ −∞

Z ∞ 1
Now LHS = e−2ax dx = · [1]
0 2a

!  ∞
1 Z∞ 1 dω 1 x 1

RHS = tan−1 = · [3]
2π −∞ a + ω 2
2 d= 2πa a −∞ 2a

Parseval’s theorem survives!