Past exam of the short options paper shared by Prelims and Parts A and B of the physics course of the University of Oxford / 2015 / S1 / 3 / a / Solution

For $t>0$, close the real-axis contour in the upper half-plane: $|e^{izt}|=e^{-t\mathrm{Im}z}$ supplies decay. The only enclosed simple pole is $z=i$, with residue $e^{-t}/(2i)$. Thus $h(t)=2\pi i{e}^{-t}/(2i)=\pi e^{-t}$.

For $t<0$, close downwards. The clockwise orientation contributes $-2\pi i$ times the residue $e^t/(-2i)$ at $z=-i$, givingAt $t=0$, direct integration of $1/(1+p^2)$ gives $\pi$, consistent with the continuous extension. The large arc tends to zero by Jordan's lemma for nonzero $t$, or the denominator estimate when $t=0$.