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The hyperbolic cosine is the even functionIt has derivative $\sinh x$ and second derivative $\cosh x>0$, so it is a strictly convex function. Its unique global minimum is $\cosh 0=1$, and its image is $[1,\infty )$. For example, $\cosh (-1)=\cosh 1\approx 1.543081$. On the unit hyperbola, the hyperbolic cosine is the horizontal coordinate; as a graph against $x$, it is a symmetric bowl.

Its Taylor series beginsThe positive fourth-order term explains why the bowl resembles a parabola near its minimum yet differs from one away from it. Restricting to $x\ge 0$ gives the inverse hyperbolic cosine.

The meetings occur where Bob's constant position $x=\alpha c{t}_0$ intersects Alice's positive-$x$ branch of the hyperbolic motion:Bob is at rest in this inertial frame, so his elapsed proper time is

Parametrize Alice's world line bySince $t$ increases with $\eta$, the proper time element isAt the meetings, $\cosh \eta =\alpha$, giving endpoints $\eta =\pm \mathrm{arcosh}\alpha$. Thus Alice's elapsed proper time isHere $\mathrm{arcosh}$ is the nonnegative real inverse hyperbolic cosine. As a check, if $\alpha =\cosh {\eta }_{\ast }$ with ${\eta }_{\ast }>0$, then Bob ages by $2t_0\sinh {\eta }_{\ast }$ and Alice by $2t_0{\eta }_{\ast }$; $\sinh {\eta }_{\ast }>{\eta }_{\ast }$ confirms that Bob again ages more.

For $0<a<1$, the phase has an interior minimum atThe inverse hyperbolic cosine selects the positive stationary point. At this point,Expanding the phase to second order and evaluating the resulting Gaussian integral by Laplace's method yieldsThe exponential grows because the minimum of $S$ is negative; the original integral remains convergent because $a\sinh t$ dominates $t$ at infinity.

Set $w=e^z\ne 0$. The hyperbolic cosine equation becomes $w+w^{-1}=-4$, hence $w^2+4w+1=0$. Its two polynomial roots are $w=-2\pm \sqrt{3}$, both negative. Taking every value of the complex logarithm yieldsSince $(2-\sqrt{3})(2+\sqrt{3})=1$, their real logarithms have opposite signs. All solutions are thereforeThe positive real constant is also $\mathrm{arcosh}2$, the inverse hyperbolic cosine of $2$. Substitution gives $\cosh z=-\cosh (\ln (2+\sqrt{3}))=-2$ for both signs and every integer $k$.

At $u=1$, the integrand is unbounded but integrable: $1/\sqrt{u^2-1}\sim [2(u-1){]}^{-1/2}$. Thus the lower-limit integral is understood as an improper integral. With $z=u+\sqrt{u^2-1}$,The lower endpoint corresponds to $z=1$, givingThe limiting value at $x\downarrow 1$ is zero. Here $\mathrm{arcosh}$ is the inverse hyperbolic cosine.

For the upper Apollonius circle, let its constant ratio be $P>1$. Matching the center and radius from part (i) givesSubtracting their squares yields $\boxed{b=\sqrt{y_0^2-R^2}}$. AlsoThe relevant inverse hyperbolic cosine is positive. Now $\log |(z+ib)/(z-ib)|$ is the real part of a local holomorphic logarithm, hence a harmonic function away from $z=\pm ib$. The point $ib$ is inside the excluded disk, because $0<y_0-b<R$, while $-ib$ is below the real axis. Thus neither singularity lies in the physical domain.

On $y=0$ the numerator and denominator have equal modulus, so the logarithm is zero. On the circular boundary its value is $\log P=\mathrm{arcosh}(y_0/R)$. Therefore the harmonic potential between a grounded line and a circular boundary isThis verifies Laplace's equation and both prescribed Dirichlet boundary conditions. It also tends to zero at infinity. A uniqueness assertion on this unbounded domain would require an additional boundedness or infinity condition; the displayed function is the natural decaying solution requested.