Further Complex Methods, Examples sheet 1 (C8a) Lent Term 2025

Mathematical Tripos Part II - C Course Professor Peter Haynes

Comments and corrections: e-mail to [email protected].
Questions 1-7, 12 and 13 revise material presented in IB Complex Methods. Questions 8-11
contain material that is new in Further Complex Methods.
Starred questions or parts of questions are intended as extras: attempt them if you have time,
but not at the expense of unstarred questions.

1 Show that:

∞
dx π
Z
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(i) = ;
0 (x2 2 2
+ 1) (x + 4) 18

∞
cos x dx π
Z
(ii) = e−a where a > 0 ;
−∞ x2 + a2 a

∞
x − sin x π
Z
(iii) 3
dx = ;
−∞ x 2

2 Show that
∞
xβ dx
Z
(i) , where β ∈ C, converges for −1 < Re β < 0.
0 1+x
Z
(ii) (1 + tanh z) dz, where {γ : z = seiα , 0 ≤ s < ∞} and α ∈ R, converges for
γ
α ∈ (−π, −π/2) ∪ (π/2, π). Does the integral converge at α = π?

3 Let f (t) be analytic at t = 0 with f (0) = 0 and f ′ (0) 6= 0. Let C be a circle centred on
the origin, with interior D, such that f is analytic in D and the inverse of f exists on f (D).
For a fixed point z within C, let w = f (z). Assuming that w is small, show (using the
residue theorem) that
1 tf ′ (t)
Z
z= dt,
2πi C f (t) − w
∞
bn wn , where
P
and hence that z =
n=1
n
dn−1

1 tf ′ (t) 1 1 1 t
Z Z
bn = n+1
dt = dt = lim .
2πi C (f (t)) 2πin C (f (t))n n! t→0 dtn−1 f (t)

Show that the equation w = ze−z has a solution, for sufficiently small w (how small?),
∞
X nn−1
z= wn .
n!
n=1

Find also one solution of the equation w = 2z − z 2 .

1
 4 Let φ(x, y) be a harmonic function. Show that φ is the real part of any analytic function
f (z) of the form

f (z) = 2φ (z + 1)/2, (z − 1)/2i − φ(1, 0) + ic
where c is a real constant (provided φ is such that the right hand side exists). Use this formula
to find analytic functions whose real parts are (i) x/(x2 + y 2 ) and (ii) tan−1 y/x.

[Note: You might like to start by considering a harmonic conjugate ψ(x, y), where
P∞ φ and ψ obey
the Cauchy-Riemann conditions, and then write f (z) = φ(x, y) + iψ(x, y) = n=0 an (z − 1)n .]
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5 Let P (z) be a polynomial of degree n, with n roots, none of which lie on a simple closed
contour L. Show that
1 P ′ (z)
Z
dz = number of roots lying within L ,
2πi L P (z)

where the roots should be counted according to their multiplicity.

[Note: Try to do this question without assuming a factorization for P (z).]

6 Consider a rectangular contour C, with corners at (N + 12 )(±1 ± i) to evaluate

1 π cot πz coth πz
Z
dz.
2πi C z3

In the limit as N → ∞, show that

∞
X coth nπ 7 3
= π .
n3 180
n=1

7 Evaluate
∞
xm−1
Z
dx, 0 < m < 2.
0 x2 + 1
Why is it necessary for m to satisfy the above restrictions?

8 Let ∞
euz
Z
F (z) = du .
−∞ 1 + eu
For what region of the z-plane is the integral defined?
Show by closing the contour (use a rectangle) in the upper half plane that, when the
integral is defined,
F (z) = π cosec πz .
Explain how this result provides the analytic continuation of F (z).

9 Evaluate the following integrals, where, in (ii), |f (z)/z| → 0 as |z| → ∞ and f (z) is
analytic in the upper half plane (including the real axis):
2
∞
eix ∞
f (x) ∞
dx ∞
e−x
Z Z Z Z
(i) P dx (ii) P dx (iii) P (iv) P dx.
−∞ x −∞ x(x − i) −∞ x−i −∞ x

Which of the integrals (i), (iii) and (iv) is real?

2
 10 Use the principal value technique to evaluate
Z ∞
sin x
dx.
0 x(x2 + 1)

11 By considering the function

eiz − 1
,
z
compute the Hilbert transforms of
Copyright © 2023 University of Cambridge. Not to be quoted or reproduced without permission.

cos x − 1 sin x
and .
x x

1
12 Let f1 (z) be the branch of (z 2 − 1) 2 defined by branch cuts in the z-plane along the
real axis from −1 to −∞ and from 1 to ∞, with f1 (z) real and positive just above the latter
1
cut. Let f2 (z) be the branch of (z 2 − 1) 2 defined by a cut along the real axis from −1 to
+1, with f2 (x) real and positive for (x − 1) real and positive. Show that f1 (z) = f1 (−z) but
f2 (z) = −f2 (−z).

13 ∗ By integrating the function

(ln z)2
z2 + 1
around an appropriate contour, compute the following integrals:

(ln x)m
Z ∞
dx, m = 1, 2.
0 x2 + 1