Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2005 / iii / Paper 79 / 1 / a / i / Solution

Let $h=\sqrt{1-m^2}$ be the complementary modulus of the complete elliptic integral of the first kind. With $\phi =\pi /2-\theta$, write the integrand as $({\sin }^2\phi +h^2{\cos }^2\phi {)}^{-1/2}$. Its logarithmic endpoint asymptotic of the complete elliptic integral comes from $\phi =O(h)$; an expansion at fixed $\phi$ alone misses the constant accompanying the logarithm.

Choose an intermediate cutoff $h\ll d\ll 1$. In the endpoint region, the integral isOutside this region, the leading integral isThe arbitrary cutoff cancels in this matched asymptotic expansion, leavingThese are the divergent logarithm and the finite constant, the requested first two terms. If terms are instead grouped by powers of the complementary modulus, the next refinement is $K(m)=\log (4/h)+(h^2/4)[\log (4/h)-1]+O(h^4\log (1/h))$; its coefficients agree with the DLMF expansion.