Complex integration is giving the wrong answer by a factor of two

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The integral $$\int_{0}^{2\pi } (1+2\cos t)^{n}\cos(nt) dt$$ is being evaluated using complex integration techniques, leading to a discrepancy between the calculated result and the book's answer of $$2\pi$$. The main error identified in the calculations involves neglecting a factor of $$\frac{1}{2i}$$ in the integrand, which affects the residue calculation at the pole. Participants in the discussion emphasize the importance of correctly applying the residue theorem and the need to account for all relevant terms in the derivative expansions. The conversation also touches on alternative methods for solving the integral without relying on complex residues. The consensus is that the original approach was flawed due to oversights in the manipulation of the integrand and the residue calculations.
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Homework Statement
.
Relevant Equations
.
$$\int_{0}^{2\pi } (1+2cost)^{n}cos(nt) dt$$

$$e^{it} = z, izdt = dz$$

$$\oint (1+e^{it}+e^{-it})^{n}\frac{e^{nit}+e^{-nit}}{2} \frac{dz}{iz} = \oint (1+z+z^{-1})^{n}\frac{z^{n}+z^{-n}}{2} \frac{dz}{iz}$$

$$\oint (z+z^{2}+1)^{n}\frac{z^{2n}+1}{z^{2n+1}} \frac{dz}{2i} = \pi Res = \pi \frac{d^{2n}}{(2n)! dz^{2n}}((z+z^{2}+1)^{n}(z^{2n}+1))$$

$$= \pi \sum \begin{pmatrix}
2n\\ \beta
\end{pmatrix} \frac{d^{\beta} {(z^{2n}+1)}}{dz^{\beta}(2n)!} \frac{d^{2n-\beta}}{dz^{2n-\beta}}(z+z^{2}+1)^{n}$$

Since the pole is at z=0, all terms above vanish apart from ##\beta = 2n##, in this case:

$$= \pi \frac{d^{2n} {(z^{2n}+1)}}{(2n)!dz^{2n}} \frac{d^{0}}{dz^{0}}(z+z^{2}+1)^{n} $$
$$= \pi \frac{(2n)!}{(2n)!} (1) = \pi $$

The answer provided by the book is ##2 \pi##

I can't really find the error i supposedly did :/
 
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Take a look at the integral and integrand to figure out the residue term without the cumbersome derivatives: You are just interested in ## z^{2n} ##, (in the numerator), and you have ## z^{2n}+1 ##, multiplied by ##(z^2+z+1)^n ##. For the ## (z^2+z+1)^n ##, you need the ## z^{2n} ## and the ## 1 ##, (the end terms on either side in the expansion). None of the other terms in the expansion will give a ## z^{2n} ## term when multiplied by ## z^{2n}+1 ##. When multiplied through and summed, it is clear that you get ## 2 z^{2n} ## as the term in the numerator that will give you the residue term, i.e. ## \frac{b}{z} ##, where ## b=2 ##.
 
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Charles Link said:
Take a look at the integral and integrand to figure out the residue term without the cumbersome derivatives: You are just interested in ## z^{2n} ##, (in the numerator), and you have ## z^{2n}+1 ##, multiplied by ##(z^2+z+1)^n ##. For the ## (z^2+z+1)^n ##, you need the ## z^{2n} ## and the ## 1 ##, (the end terms on either side in the expansion). None of the other terms in the expansion will give a ## z^{2n} ## term when multiplied by ## z^{2n}+1 ##. When multiplied through and summed, it is clear that you get ## 2 z^{2n} ## as the term in the numerator that will give you the residue term, i.e. ## \frac{b}{z} ##, where ## b=2 ##.
I can see your approach. But i really would like to know what error did i comitted :c i still did't find it
 
You have omitted
\frac{1}{(2n)!}\binom{2n}{0} \frac{d^{0}}{dz^0}(z^{2n}+1)\frac{d^{2n}}{dz^{2n}} ((z^2 + z + 1)^n) = \frac{1}{(2n)!}(z^{2n} + 1)(2n)!.
 
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Herculi said:
I can see your approach. But i really would like to know what error did i comitted :c i still did't find it
I think you also get a term from ## \beta=0 ## in the derivative summation. (The product rule with multiple derivatives is clumsy, but I think that's the term you missed).

Edit: and I see @pasmith agrees with me=he posted just as I was posting.
 
Herculi said:
Homework Statement:: .
Relevant Equations:: .

$$\int_{0}^{2\pi } (1+2cost)^{n}cos(nt) dt$$

$$e^{it} = z, izdt = dz$$

$$\oint (1+e^{it}+e^{-it})^{n}\frac{e^{nit}+e^{-nit}}{2} \frac{dz}{iz} = \oint (1+z+z^{-1})^{n}\frac{z^{n}+z^{-n}}{2} \frac{dz}{iz}$$

$$\oint (z+z^{2}+1)^{n}\frac{z^{2n}+1}{z^{2n+1}} \frac{dz}{2i} = \pi Res = \pi \frac{d^{2n}}{(2n)! dz^{2n}}((z+z^{2}+1)^{n}(z^{2n}+1))$$

$$= \pi \sum \begin{pmatrix}
2n\\ \beta
\end{pmatrix} \frac{d^{\beta} {(z^{2n}+1)}}{dz^{\beta}(2n)!} \frac{d^{2n-\beta}}{dz^{2n-\beta}}(z+z^{2}+1)^{n}$$

Since the pole is at z=0, all terms above vanish apart from ##\beta = 2n##, in this case:

$$= \pi \frac{d^{2n} {(z^{2n}+1)}}{(2n)!dz^{2n}} \frac{d^{0}}{dz^{0}}(z+z^{2}+1)^{n} $$
$$= \pi \frac{(2n)!}{(2n)!} (1) = \pi $$

The answer provided by the book is ##2 \pi##

I can't really find the error i supposedly did :/
Why is it not ##2\pi i Res## in
$$\oint (z+z^{2}+1)^{n}\frac{z^{2n}+1}{z^{2n+1}} \frac{dz}{2i} = \pi Res = \pi \frac{d^{2n}}{(2n)! dz^{2n}}((z+z^{2}+1)^{n}(z^{2n}+1))$$

The residue at z=0 is $$\frac 1 i$$
 
The OP simplified using the factor of ##2i## in the denominator of the integrand. It made me look twice too.
 
I still don't see it..
$$ \oint (1+z+z^{-1})^{n}\frac{z^{n}+z^{-n}}{2} \frac{dz}{iz}=2\pi i~Res \left[(1+z+z^{-1})^{n}\frac{z^{n}+z^{-n}}{2} (-i)\right]_{z=0} $$ $$=2\pi$$
 
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The OP is finding the residue of the integrand without the factor of ##2i##.
 
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  • #10
Apologies I don't know what you mean. The value of the integral is ##2\pi## and this is how you find it. He gets the wrong value...
 
  • #11
hutchphd said:
Apologies I don't know what you mean. The value of the integral is ##2\pi## and this is how you find it. He gets the wrong value...
The OP was somewhat sloppy in changing the function of interest by dropping a factor of ## 1/2 i ##, ( using it to cancel the ## 2i ## of ##2 \pi i ##). In any case, he uses a derivative formula to isolate the term of interest in the series, (the coefficient ## b ## of the ## \frac{b}{z } ## term), and when he did, he miscalculated the derivative.
 
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  • #12
Wow that is a strange manipulation. Got it. Thanks.
I know it was mentioned by @Charles Link but the OP needs to understand his error was occasioned by doing the problem in a most ill-advised manner. That needs to be the take-away IMHO. The Residue Theorem is troo voodoo.
 
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  • #13
In response to the previous post by @hutchphd , I do see a way to work this problem without using the residue theorem, where you can use ## \int\limits_{0}^{2 \pi} e^{imt} \, dt=0 ## for all integers ## m ##, except ## m=0 ##.
 
  • #14
Don't get me wrong I love Cauchy, but I always feel that I am summoning the occult. Sticking pins in the complex plane as it were. It works so well. I suppose when I really feel at home with Euler's Equation the feeling will abate. But anyway no derivatives are necessary to get to the residue term in this case.
 
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