Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2007 / Paper 2 / 4 / Solution

The residue theorem states that the contour integral of a meromorphic function around a positively oriented simple closed contour equals $2\pi i$ times the sum of its enclosed residues, provided there are no singularities on the contour. The roots of $1+z^n$ are $z_k=e^{(2k+1)i\pi /n}$, $k=0,\dots ,n-1$. They are simple poles, with residues $1/(n{z}_k^{n-1})=-z_k/n$.

Use the sector contour of angle $2\pi /n$, running outward along the positive axis and inward along the rotated ray. It encloses only $z_0=e^{i\pi /n}$. The large-arc contribution is $O(R^{1-n})$, hence vanishes. With $J={\int }_0^{\infty }dx/(1+x^n)$, the two ray contributions giveSince $1-e^{2i\alpha }=-2i{e}^{i\alpha }\sin \alpha$,For the second integral, use $z^{n/2}/(1+z^n)$ on a branch continuous across the sector away from zero, with a small inner arc of radius $ϵ$. Its large arc is $O(R^{1-n/2})$ and its small arc is $O({ϵ}^{1+n/2})$, both vanishing for $n\ge 3$. On the rotated ray, $z^{n/2}$ changes by $e^{i\pi }=-1$, so the two radial contributions add rather than subtract. The enclosed residue is $z_0^{1-n/2}/n=-i{e}^{i\pi /n}/n$. ConsequentlyBoth answers are instances of the Mellin integral of a reciprocal binomial. The direct contour argument also tracks the branch needed when $n$ is odd.