11 - Contour-Integration Methods and Applications

Summary

In this chapter, the student learns how to perform certain classes of definite integrals using contour integration methods. Although the integration variable is real for most integrals of interest, such as the inverse Fourier transform, analysis of the integral is extended to complex values of the integration variable and theorems related to integrating around closed contours on the complex plane are used to solve classes of definite integrals. The key theorems include Cauchy’s theorem for integrating so-called analytic functions, Jordan’s lemma, and the residue theorem for the important case where inside a closed contour on the complex plane, the integrand has places called singularities at which the function is not well behaved. Contour integration is used to analyze and derive results for the constitutive laws of a material when the current response depends not just on current forcing but also on the history of the forcing. This topic is called delayed linear response, which is developed at length. Contour integration, when combined with Fourier transforms, provides the solution of various types of initial-value and boundary-value problems in infinite and semi infinite domains.