Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2024 / ib / Paper 3 / 3B / Solution

The Cauchy integral theorem states that if $f$ is holomorphic on a simply connected domain, then its integral around every closed piecewise smooth contour in that domain is zero.

Put $q=b-k$. Completing the square givesAfter the change of variable $z=x-iq/(2a)$, the integral runs along the horizontal line $\mathrm{Im}z=-q/(2a)$. The integrand $e^{-a{z}^2}$ is entire. Apply Cauchy's theorem to a rectangle joining this line to the real axis; the two vertical integrals tend to zero as their real parts tend to $\pm \infty$, because $a>0$. The contour may therefore be shifted to the real line. Hence the Fourier transform of a Gaussian gives

Solved by gpt-5.6-sol high.