Applications of complex variable residue theory to the evaluation of irrational definite integrals. III (Q1330086)

[For part II see the first author in ibid. 39, No. 3, 177-189 (1990; Zbl 0722.30024).] The authors give expansions for the integral \[ \int_ 0^{2\pi} \cos^ q \theta(a+ \cos^ p)^ \alpha d\theta, \] for \(\alpha= \pm{1\over 2}\), \(p,q=1,2\). Each expansion is derived individually by the use of residue theory. The paper also contains extensive tables of the non-trivial integrals for \(a= 2,3,4\). The paper shows no-signs of being carefully refereed, in each table the parameter \(a\) is given as \(A\), and in some of the expansions obvious simplifications are not made. This is the latest in a series of papers by the authors which is devoted to the calculation of integrals which are no more than school exercises. A competent pupil would have stated that the results are not valid for \(| a|<1\), a restriction which the authors do not mention. It is not clear why this and the previous papers were accepted for publication. The results are not important, the methods used are not appropriately and the tables contain an overwhelming amount of redundant information. There is no estimate of the errors. The table also contains values of the integrals calculated by repeated Simpson's rule, again without error estimates or any indication why this was done. The paper closes with a table of binomial coefficients (described as Pascal's triangle) and the four binomial expansions which the authors use, again without restriction on the size of the independent variable. Even if the results had been worth publishing they could have been presented in a tenth of the space occupied by the present one.