Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2017 / Paper 2 / 4

A simple zero of an analytic function has a local factorization $f(z)=(z-z_0)u(z)$, where $u$ is an analytic function and $u(z_0)=f^{\prime }(z_0)\ne 0$. Since $1/u$ is also an analytic function near $z_0$, its Taylor series givesThe nonzero coefficient of $(z-z_0{)}^{-1}$ proves that this is a simple pole, withMultiplying by the Taylor series $g(z)=g(z_0)+O(z-z_0)$ similarly givesThe assumption $g(z_0)\ne 0$ ensures that the pole is not canceled. In either formula the residue is precisely the coefficient of $(z-z_0{)}^{-1}$ in the Laurent series.

Clear the apparent negative power of $z$ to obtain the rational functionLet $\Delta =\sqrt{a^2-1}>0$. Its denominator factors as $(z-z_{-})(z-z_{+})$, withThese are distinct simple poles. Since $(a-\Delta )(a+\Delta )=1$ and $a+\Delta >1$, we have $0<a-\Delta <1$: only $z_{-}$ lies inside the unit circle. The apparent singularity at $z=0$ in the original expression is a removable singularity, with the continued value $h(0)=0$; it is not another pole.

Using the residue formula from part (a), with denominator derivative $2z-2ia$, givesThere are no other finite singularities of the continued rational function.

First use $\sin \theta /(a-\sin \theta )=a/(a-\sin \theta )-1$. If $J={\int }_{-\pi }^{\pi }(a-\sin \theta {)}^{-1}d\theta$, the required integral is $aJ-2\pi$.

Set $z=e^{i\theta }$. The unit circle is traversed counterclockwise once, $d\theta =dz/(iz)$, and $\sin \theta =(z-z^{-1})/(2i)$. ThusThe function $h(z)/z=-2i/(z^2-2iaz-1)$ is regular at zero. Its only enclosed pole is $z_{-}$ from part (b), and its residue isBy the residue theorem, $J=(1/i)2\pi i/\Delta =2\pi /\Delta$. ThereforeAs a sign and scale check, this is positive and behaves as $\pi /a^2$ for large $a$, in agreement with expanding the integrand and integrating its first nonzero, ${\sin }^2\theta /a^2$, term.