Math 185 - Spring 2015 - Homework 4 - Solution sketches

R∞ R∞
Problem 1. Compute 0 sin(x2 ) dx and 0 cos(x2 ) dx.
2
We define f (z) = e−z (which is entire) and for R > 0 let γR be the union of [0, R], {Reiθ : 0 ≤
θ ≤ π/4} and {reiπ/4 : 0 ≤ r ≤ R} with counter-clockwise orientation. We know that
Z R √
2 π
lim e−x dx = .
R→∞ 0 2
2
On the ray (oriented ‘toward the origin’) we have f (reiπ/4 ) = e−ir = cos(r2 ) − i sin(r2 ), so
Z  Z ∞ Z ∞ 
iπ/4 2 2
lim f (z) dz = e − cos(x ) dx + i sin(x ) dx .
R→∞ ray 0 0
For the arc we claim that we have
Z
lim f (z) dz = 0.
R→∞ arc
To see this we note
2
|f (z)| ≤ e−R cos 2θ
for z on the arc. Thus we find the integral is bounded by
Z π/4
2
Re−R cos 2θ dθ.
0
We need to be a little careful to estimate this term since cos 2θ → 0 as θ → π/4. So to estimate
this, given ε > 0 we decompose [0, π4 ] into [0, π4 − Rε ] ∪ [ π4 − Rε , π4 ]. On the second interval we use
that the length of the interval is Rε to get an estimate of ε for the integral. On the other interval
we have a lower bound cos 2θ ≥ cε R for some c > 0 and we use that for any ε > 0
lim Re−cεR = 0.
R→∞
Putting it all together we get that the integral over the arc vanishes in the limit.
Thus by Cauchy’s theorem and all of the computations above we find
Z ∞ Z ∞ √
2 2 −iπ/4 π
cos(x ) dx − i sin(x ) dx = e .
0 0 2
Taking real and imaginary parts we have
Z ∞ Z ∞ √
π
cos(x2 ) dx = sin(x2 ) dx = √ .
0 0 2 2
R∞ dx
Problem 2. Compute 0 1+xn for all integers n ≥ 2.
1
Consider f (z) = 1+z n . Let R > 0 and let γR be the contour consisting of [0, R], the arc {Reiθ :
2πi
0 ≤ θ ≤ 2π n }, and the ray {re
n : 0 ≤ r ≤ R}, oriented counter-clockwise. For all large R the
πi
function f has only one pole inside γR , namely the pole at e n .
R ∞ dx 2πi
Defining I = 0 1+xn and noting that (e n )n = 1, we find that the integral along the ray
(oriented ‘toward the origin’) is given by
Z R
2πi dx 2πi
−e n n
→ −e n I as R → ∞.
0 1+x
Moreover the integral over the arc can be bounded by
CR
Rn
1
2

for some C > 0 for large R and hence vanishes in the limit (since n ≥ 2). Thus by the residue
theorem we find
2πi πi
(1 − e n )I = 2πiResz0 f, z0 = e n ,
and so
2πi
2πi Resz0 (f ).
I=
1−e n
It remains to calculate the residue. To this end we factor
n−1
1 Y 1
n
= i(2k+1)π
,
1+z z − e n
k=0

so that
n−1 n−1
Y 1 1 Y 1
Resz0 (f ) = πi i(2k+1)π
= (n−1)iπ 2kiπ .
k=1 e −e e k=1 1 − e
n n n n

Thus
n−1
2πi 1 Y 1
I= (n−1)iπ 2πi 2kiπ . (∗)
e n 1−e n
k=1 1−e n

We now claim that

n−1
Y 1 1
2kiπ = . (∗∗)
1−e n n
k=1
To see this, we first factor
z n − 1 = (z − 1)(z n−1 + z n−2 + · · · + z + 1).
However we can also compute the nth roots of 1 and factor
n−1
Y 2kiπ
n
z − 1 = (z − 1) (z − ei n ).
k=1

Equating the two formuals for z n − 1 we find

n−1
Y 2kiπ
(z − ei n ) = z n−1 + z n−2 + · · · + z + 1,
k=1

and evaluating at z = 1 yields the result (since there are n terms on the right-hand side).
Thus continuing from (∗) and using Euler’s formula we find
2πi 1 π
I= = π .
n eiπ [e− iπ iπ
n − e n ] n sin( n)

R 2π dθ
Problem 3. Compute 0 2+cos2 θ
.

If we write z = z(θ) = eiθ and z 0 (θ) = iz(θ) for θ ∈ [0, 2π] then we can recognize this as an
integral over ∂B1 (0). In this case e−iθ = z(θ)
1
and so cos θ = 12 (z(θ) + z(θ)
1
). Then we have

z 0 (θ) dθ
Z 2π Z 2π
dθ
=
0 2 + cos2 (θ) 0 iz(θ)(2 + 14 (z(θ) + z(θ)
1 2
) )
 Z 
1 4z dz
= 2π .
2πi ∂B1 (0) z 4 + 10z 2 + 1
 3

So we just need to find the poles of the function

4z
f (z) =
z4 + 10z 2 + 1
inside thepunit circle and compute the residues at each pole. One computes that there are simple
√ p √ 1
poles at i 5 − 2 6 and −i 5 − 2 6 and the residue at each pole equals 2√ 6
. Thus by the residue
theorem
Z 2π
dθ 1 2π
2
= 2π · 2 · √ = √ .
0 2 + cos (θ) 2 6 6
R∞ 2
Problem 4. Compute −∞ (1+x2x)(4+x2 ) dx.

Let γR denote the union of the line segment [−R, R] and the semicircle {Reiθ : θ ∈ [0, π]}. We
first note that Z ∞
x2 z2
Z
2 2
dx = lim .
−∞ (1 + x )(4 + x ) R→∞ γR (1 + z 2 )(4 + z 2 )

Indeed, this follows from the fact that for R sufficiently large, the integral over the semicircle is
3
bounded by CR R4
for some C > 0, and hence vanishes in the limit as R → ∞. By the residue
theorem, we can compute the limit as 2πi times the sum of the residues contained in the upper
half plane.
We can compute there are two poles in the upper half plane, namely i and 2i, and that the
residues at these poles are 61 i and − 13 i, respectively. Thus
Z ∞
x2 1 1
π
2 2
dx = 2π − = .
−∞ (1 + x )(4 + x ) 3 6 3

R∞ cos x
Problem 5. Compute −∞ x2 +a2 dx for a > 0.
iz
We use the curve γR from Problem 4. We let f (z) = z 2e+α2 . Then
Z ∞
eix eiz
Z
2 2
dx = lim dx.
−∞ x + a R→∞ γR z 2 + a2

The integral over the semicircle goes to zero in the limit as R → ∞, since for large R (much larger
than a, say) the integral is bounded by CR
R2
for some C > 0. Furthermore writing eix = cos x+i sin x
and noting that
Z R
sin x
lim dx = 0
R→∞ −R x2 + a2

(since sin is an odd function), we find

Z ∞
cos x
dx
−∞ x2 + a2
is equal to 2πi times the residues of the poles of f (z) in the upper half plane. We now compute
−a
that f has a single pole at ia with residue equal to e2ia . Thus
Z ∞
cos x πe−a
2 2
dx = .
−∞ x + a a
R∞ x3 sin x
Problem 6. Compute −∞ x4 +16 dx.
4

iz 3
Consider the function f (z) = ze4 +16
z
over the contour γR from the previous two problems. We
can estimate the contribution of the integral over the semicircle by
CR3 π −R sin θ
Z
Re dθ
R4 0
for large R and for some C > 0. We now note that since sin θ ≥ cθ for some small c > 0 for all
θ ∈ [0, π/2] we can write
Z π Z π/2 Z π/2
−R sin θ −R sin θ
Re dθ = 2R e dθ ≤ 2R e−cRθ dθ ≤ C
0 0 0
for some C > 0 and all R > 0. Thus the integral over the semicircle goes to zero as R → ∞. So we
find Z ∞ 3
x sin x
4 + 16
dx
−∞ x
is the imaginary part of 2πi times the sum√ of the residues
√ of f in the upper half plane. √ √
We compute that f has simple poles at 2(1+i) and 2(−1+i), with residues equal to 14 e− 2+i 2
√ √
and 41 e− 2−i 2 . Thus
Z ∞ 3
x sin x √
− 2
√
4
dx = πe cos 2.
−∞ x + 16
R∞
Problem 7. Compute −∞ (1+xdx 2 )n+1 for all integers n ≥ 0.

Once again take γR as above. The function f (z) = (1+z12 )n+1 has one pole at i of order n + 1 in
the upper half plane. The integral over the semicircle is bounded by
CR
R 2(n+1)

for some C > 0 and hence vanishes in the limit as R → ∞. Thus we find
Z ∞
dx
2 n+1
= 2πiResi f.
−∞ (1 + x )
We need to compute
n (n+1)···(2n)
1 d n 1 d n
[(z − i)n+1 f (z)] = lim n! [(z + i)−(n+1) ] = (−1)n!(2i)



Resi f = lim n! dz dz 2n+1 .
z→i z→i
Thus the integral equals
2πi(−1)n (n + 1) · · · (2n) (2n!) 1 · · · 2n π
2 n 2n
= 2n
π=
n!2(i ) 2 i n!n!2 2 · · · 2 2n n!n!
[1 · 3 · 5 · · · (2n − 1)]n! 1 · 3 · 5 · · · (2n − 1)
= π= π.
2n n!n! 2 · 4 · 6 · · · 2n