Integrate the master piece

Calculus Level 5

I ( n ) = 0 π sin 4 ( x + sin ( n x ) ) d x I(n) = \int_0^\pi \sin^4\big(x + \sin(nx)\big)\ dx

If integral I ( n ) I(n) is defined as above and I ( 3 ) = a π b , I(3) = \frac {a\pi}b, what is a b 6 ? \frac {ab}6?


The answer is 4.

This section requires Javascript.
You are seeing this because something didn't load right. We suggest you, (a) try refreshing the page, (b) enabling javascript if it is disabled on your browser and, finally, (c) loading the non-javascript version of this page . We're sorry about the hassle.

2 solutions

Mark Hennings
Sep 9, 2018

Let I ( m , n ) = 0 π cos m ( x + sin n x ) d x m , n N I(m,n) \; = \; \int_0^\pi \cos m\big(x + \sin nx\big)\,dx \hspace{2cm} m,n \in \mathbb{N} Then, using some symmetry and the complex substitution z = e i x z = e^{ix} , I ( m , n ) = 1 2 π π cos m ( x + sin n x ) d x = 1 2 π π e i m ( x + sin n x ) d x = 1 2 z = 1 z m e 1 2 m ( z n z n ) d z i z = 1 2 i z = 1 F m , n ( z ) d z z \begin{aligned} I(m,n) & = \; \tfrac12 \int_{-\pi}^\pi \cos m\big(x + \sin nx\big)\,dx \; = \; \tfrac12 \int_{-\pi}^\pi e^{im(x + \sin nx)}\,dx \\ & = \; \tfrac12 \int_{|z|=1} z^m e^{\frac12m(z^n-z^{-n})}\,\frac{dz}{iz} \; = \; \tfrac{1}{2i} \int_{|z|=1} F_{m,n}(z)\,\frac{dz}{z} \end{aligned} where F m , n ( z ) = z m e 1 2 m ( z n z n ) F_{m,n}(z) \; = \; z^m e^{\frac12m(z^n-z^{-n})} is holomorphic on C \ { 0 } \mathbb{C} \backslash \{0\} , and has an isolated essential singularity at 0 0 . Thus I ( m , n ) = π R e s z = 0 z 1 F m , n ( z ) I(m,n) \; =\; \pi \mathrm{Res}_{z=0} z^{-1}F_{m,n}(z) is equal to π \pi times the constant term in the Laurent expansion of F m , n ( z ) F_{m,n}(z) about 0 0 . But since F m , n ( z ) = u , v 0 ( 1 2 m ) u + v ( 1 ) v u ! v ! z m + n ( u v ) z 0 F_{m,n}(z) \; = \; \sum_{u,v \ge 0} \frac{(\frac12m)^{u+v}(-1)^v}{u!v!}z^{m+n(u-v)} \hspace{2cm} z \neq 0 we see that I ( m , n ) = 0 I(m,n) = 0 except when n n divides m m . This is all we need for this question (the integrals I ( k n , n ) I(kn,n) can be evaluated in terms of Bessel functions, however).

Since sin 4 θ 1 8 cos 4 θ 1 2 cos 2 θ + 3 8 \sin^4\theta \; \equiv \; \tfrac18\cos4\theta - \tfrac12\cos2\theta + \tfrac38 we deduce that 0 π sin 4 ( x + sin 3 x ) d x = 1 8 I ( 4 , 3 ) 1 2 I ( 2 , 3 ) + 3 8 π = 3 8 π \int_0^\pi \sin^4\big(x + \sin 3x\big)\,dx \; = \; \tfrac18I(4,3) - \tfrac12I(2,3) + \tfrac38\pi \; = \; \tfrac38\pi making the required answer 3 × 8 6 = 4 \tfrac{3\times8}{6} = \boxed{4} .

@Mark Hennings I found using wolfram alpha that the integral is equal to 3pi÷8 for all whole numbers except n=1,2,4. Can you help me out why its so???

Aaron Jerry Ninan - 2 years, 3 months ago
Alessandro Fenu
Oct 8, 2018

I guessed. Too hard for me.

0 pending reports

×

Problem Loading...

Note Loading...

Set Loading...