Further Complex Methods, Examples sheet 2 (C8b) Lent Term 2025

Mathematical Tripos Part II - C Course Professor Peter Haynes

Comments and corrections: e-mail to phh1@cam.ac.uk.
Starred questions or parts of questions are intended as extras: attempt them if you have time,
but not at the expense of unstarred questions.

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1 Define the branch of f (z) = (1 − z 2 ) 2 by the branch cut along the real axis from −1 to
−∞ and from 1 to ∞, with f (0) = 1. Use this branch and a suitably chosen semi-circular
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contour (with finite radius R greater than 1) in the upper half plane to evaluate
Z 1 1
(1 − x2 ) 2 dx .
−1

2 The function sin−1 z is defined, for 0 ≤ arg z < 2π, by

Z z
dt
sin−1 z = √ ,
0 1 − t2
where the integrand has a branch cut along the real axis from −1 to +1 and takes the value
+1 at the origin on the upper side of the cut. The path of integration is a straight line for
0 ≤ arg(z) ≤ π and is curved in a positive sense round the branch cut for π < arg z < 2π.
Express sin−1 (eiπ z) (0 < arg z < π) in terms of sin−1 z and deduce that sin(φ − π) = − sin φ.
Hint: sin−1 (eiπ z) = −π + sin−1 z, as can be derived by calculating the integral half way round
the cut and remembering that the integrand is an odd function.

3 Let ωm,n = mω1 + nω2 , where (m, n) are integers not both zero, and let
∞  
1 X 1 1
℘(z) = 2 + −
z m,n
(z − ωm,n )2 ωm,n 2

be the Weierstrass elliptic function with periods (ω1 , ω2 ) such that ω1 /ω2 is not real. Show
that, in a neighbourhood of z = 0,
1 1 1
℘(z) = + g2 z 2 + g3 z 4 + O(z 6 )
z 2 20 28
where X X
g2 = 60 (ωm,n )−4 , g3 = 140 (ωm,n )−6 .
m,n m,n

Deduce that ℘ satisfies a 1st order nonlinear ODE

(℘′ )2 = 4℘3 − g2 ℘ − g3 .

1
 4 (a) Show that
!2
℘′′ (z)
4℘(2z) − + 8℘(z) = 0.
℘′ (z)
(b)∗ Show that
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1 ℘′ (z) − ℘′ (w) 2
℘(w + z) = [ ] − ℘(z) − ℘(w).
4 ℘(z) − ℘(w)

The result in (a) is a special case of the result in (b).

5 What is the contour integral of a doubly-periodic function around the boundary of a

fundamental cell? You may assume that the function does not have any singularities on the
boundary of the fundamental cell.

6 By using a contour consisting of the boundary of a quadrant, indented at the origin,

show that (for a range of z to be stated)
Z ∞
1
tz−1 e−it dt = e− 2 πiz Γ(z).
0

Hence evaluate (again, for ranges of z to be stated)

Z ∞ Z ∞
tz−1 cos t dt and tz−1 sin t dt.
0 0
∞ ∞ ∞
cos t sin t sin t
Z Z Z
Use your results to evaluate dt , dt and dt .
0 t1/2 0 t 0 t3/2

7 Starting with the infinite product representation of the Gamma function (Weierstrass
canonical product) and using the definition of γ, derive the Euler’s product formula, i.e.

n! nz
Γ(z) = lim .
n→∞ z(1 + z)(2 + z) . . . (n + z)

2
 8
√ 1
(a) Use Stirling’s approximation 2πe−n nn+ 2 /n! → 1 as n → ∞ and the Euler’s product
formula to show that √ 1
2πe−n nz+n+ 2
Γn (z) := → Γ(z)
z(z + 1) · · · (z + n)
as n → ∞.
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Hence, prove that

22z Γ(z)Γ(z + 12 )
Γ(2z)
1
is a constant independent of z. Then, by letting z → 2 evaluate the relevant constant and
thus establish the following identity:
1 √
22z−1 Γ(z)Γ(z + ) = πΓ(2z).
2
1
(b) ∗ Furthermore, by constructing Γn (z)Γn (z + m ) · · · Γn (z + m−1
m )/Γnm (mz), prove the Gauss
multiplication formula
1 2 m−1 m−1 1
Γ(z)Γ(z + )Γ(z + ) . . . Γ(z + ) = (2π) 2 m 2 −mz Γ(mz),
m m m
for m = 1, 2, . . . and mz 6= 0, −1, −2, . . ..

9 Using t = sτ , s > 0, it follows that

∞
Γ(z)
Z
= e−sτ τ z−1 dτ.
sz 0
Letting z = 1 and integrating the resulting formula with respect to s from 1 to t, show that
Z ∞ 
−τ −tτ dτ
ln t = e −e .
0 τ
Using this formula in the expression for Γ′ (z), prove that
Z ∞ 
Γ′ (z) −τ 1 dτ
= e − z
.
Γ(z) 0 (1 + τ ) τ
Hence, deduce that
∞ 
1 dτ
Z
−τ
γ=− e − .
0 1+τ τ

3
 10 Show that
∞
e−t k2
Z
E1 (k) = dt = −γ − ln k + k − + O(k 3 ), k → 0+ .
k t 4
Hint:
Z k
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∞ ∞  
dt 1 dt 1 dt
Z Z
−t −t
E1 (k) = + e − − e − .
k t(t + 1) 0 t+1 t 0 t+1 t

π
sin2p−1 θ cos2q−1 θ dθ and prove that
R
11 Derive the formula B(p, q) = 2 0
2

B(z, z) = 21−2z B(z, 21 ).

For which values of z does this result hold?

12 Show, using properties of the B function, that

Z 1
dx 1

2
√ = √32π Γ( 41 )
0 1 − x4
1
Using the change of variable x = t(2 − t2 )− 2 , deduce that

2
K( √12 ) = √4
π
Γ( 54 ) ,

1
dt
Z
where K(k) is the complete elliptic integral p .
0 (1 − t )(1 − k 2 t2 )
2