[Math] Finding the inverse Laplace transform of $\arctan \left(\frac{1}{s} \right)$using contour integration

complex-analysiscontour-integrationlaplace transform

Using contour integration, I want to show that $$\mathcal{L}^{-1} \left\{\text{arctan} \left(\frac{1}{s}\right) \right\}(x)= \frac{\sin x }{x}.$$

In other words, I want to show that $$ \frac{1}{2 \pi i} \int_{a – i \infty}^{a + i \infty} \text{arctan}\left(\frac{1}{s}\right) e^{xs} \ ds =\frac{\sin x}{x} ,$$ where $a$ is a constant greater than the real parts of all the singularities of $\text{arctan}\left(\frac{1}{s}\right)$.

We can define $\arctan \left(\frac{1}{s} \right)$ in terms of the complex logarithm.

Specifically, $$\arctan \left(\frac{1}{s} \right) = \frac{i}{2} \left[\log\left(1-\frac{i}{s}\right) – \log \left(1+\frac{i}{s}\right) \right]. $$

If we use the principal branch of the logarithm, then we need a branch cut on the imaginary axis from $-i$ to $i$.

I don't understand how to close contour.

Best Answer

I haven't worked out the integral along the contour yet, but here's a contour I had in mind:

enter image description here

This is definitely a sticky one.

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