Definite integrals: solving with residue theory and contour integration

eschiesser
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Homework Statement



I need to solve this integral for a>0:

\int _0^{\infty }\frac{\text{Sin}[x]}{x}\frac{1}{x^2+a^2}dx


The Attempt at a Solution



Using wolfram mathematica, I get that this integral is:

\frac{\pi -e^{-x} \pi }{2x^2}=\frac{\pi (1-\text{Cosh}[a]+\text{Sinh}[a])}{2 a^2}

I cannot get to this result. I have tried to split the sine into exponentials, and use the upper/lower infinite semi-circle contours, which results in

I =\frac{\pi }{2} \text{Res}\left[\frac{ e^{-i x}}{x}\frac{1}{x^2+a^2},\left\{x,a e^{i \frac{3\pi }{2}}\right\}\right]-\frac{\pi }{2} \text{Res}\left[\frac{ e^{i x}}{x}\frac{1}{x^2+a^2},\left\{x,a e^{i \frac{\pi }{2}}\right\}\right]=\frac{\pi \text{Sinh}[a]}{2 a^2}

I also tried to add a branch point and solve with that method but then I get the same answer...

Does the "removable singularity" at z=0 have something to do with this? Please steer me in the right direction!
 
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If you split sine into exponentials and then split the integrals, then each integral has a pole at x=0 as well.
 
But then, isn't my contour running over the pole in each integral?
 
eschiesser said:
But then, isn't my contour running over the pole in each integral?

Tell you what, how about you forget that problem for now and just try and solve:

\oint \frac{e^{iz}}{z}\frac{1}{z^2+a^2} dz

where the contour is the upper half-disc with an indentation around the pole at the origin. Take the limit as the radius of the indentation goes to zero and let the radius of the large arc go to infinity. Then you have:

\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} f(x)dx+\lim_{\rho\to 0}\int_{\pi}^0 f(z)dz+\lim_{R\to\infty}\mathop\int_{\text{half-arc}} f(z)dz=2\pi i r

Won't that work? See if it does. I don't know for sure.
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
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