Contour Integration: finding residues

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In summary, the conversation discusses finding the residue for the function \int{\frac{1}{z^4+1}} by writing it as a product of its roots and applying Cauchy's residue theorem. The conversation also mentions using the fact that if f(z)=\frac{g(z)}{h(z)} where h(z) has a simple zero at c, the residue at c is \frac{g(z)}{h'(c)} and considering the expansion of 4i\sqrt{i}.
  • #1
Piano man
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Hi, I'm stuck on this problem:

[tex]\int{\frac{1}{z^4+1}}[/tex]

Writing it as a product of its roots, we get:

[tex]\frac{1}{(z-e^{\frac{i\pi}{4}})(z-e^{\frac{3i\pi}{4}})(z-e^{\frac{5i\pi}{4}})(z-e^{\frac{7i\pi}{4}})}[/tex]

Then applying Cauchy's residue theorem for simple poles:
[tex]\mbox{Res}(f,c)=\lim_{z\rightarrow c}(z-c)f(z)[/tex]

It's here that I'm stuck - I've got the poles and the function, how do I get the residues in this case?
 
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  • #2
For the limit, the (z-c) that you're multiplying by will cancel with the (z-c) in the denominator and you can just plug in the value for the limit. However, you kind of have a mess left to multiply out. It's a lot easier to use the fact that if [tex]f(z)=\frac{g(z)}{h(z)}[/tex] where h(z) has a simple zero at c, the residue at c is [tex]\frac{g(z)}{h'(c)}[/tex] if you've seen this before
 
  • #3
Thanks for that.

Trying both ways, I come out with the same residue for [tex]c = e^{\frac{i\pi}{4}}[/tex]
of [tex]\frac{1}{-2\sqrt{2}+2i\sqrt{2}}[/tex]

But the answer I'm looking for is [tex]\frac{1}{4i\sqrt{i}}[/tex] because that's what you get when you expand the Laurent series.

So any ideas where I've gone wrong?

Thanks :)
 
  • #4
Have you considered expanding [itex]4i\sqrt{i}[/itex] in the form a+ bi? You might find that those are the same.
 

FAQ: Contour Integration: finding residues

What is contour integration?

Contour integration is a mathematical technique used to evaluate complex integrals by deforming the original path of integration into a more convenient shape, often a closed contour.

What are residues in contour integration?

Residues are the coefficients of the negative powers of the variable in a Laurent series expansion of a function. In contour integration, they are used to determine the value of an integral by calculating the residues at the poles of the integrand.

How do you find the residues of a function?

To find the residues of a function, first factorize the function into its partial fraction form. Then, identify the poles of the function by setting the denominator equal to zero. Finally, calculate the residue at each pole by using the formula Res(f(z),z0) = limz→z0 (z-z0)f(z).

What is the Cauchy residue theorem?

The Cauchy residue theorem states that the value of an integral around a closed contour is equal to 2πi times the sum of the residues of the function inside the contour. This theorem is often used to evaluate integrals using contour integration.

What are some applications of contour integration?

Contour integration has many applications in mathematics, physics, and engineering. Some examples include solving differential equations, evaluating improper integrals, and calculating complex line integrals. It is also used in signal processing, control theory, and image processing.

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