Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematical-methods-i-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2013/2/solution

Let satisfy and put . The exponential definition of the complex sine gives
The quadratic formula therefore gives . Taking the complex logarithm yields the multivalued complex inverse sine formula
The two quadratic roots have product , so neither is zero and their logarithms exist as multivalued quantities. If is one local inverse value, the complete set of values is and , with .
Branch qualification: the source's formula describes the branches of the complex inverse sine, not two interchangeable expressions for a single chosen inverse branch. At , the plus sign with the usual local choices gives , whereas the minus sign with gives . Thus both signs cannot simultaneously equal the principal inverse at zero. A principal complex inverse sine requires compatible square-root and logarithm branches, normalized to at zero and continued on the chosen cut domain.

New to topics? Read the docs here!