A simple integral
The problem is to compute the following integral
Solution
There is a way to find this integral actually without
computing integrals at all. Well, almost.
References
- R. Honsberger, More Mathematical Morsels, MAA, New Math Library, 1991
- G.-C. Rota, Indiscrete Thoughts, Birkhauser, 1997
Copyright © 1996-2009 Alexander Bogomolny
Solution
First of all, observe that
Therefore, summing up the two and using the well known identity, we get that their sum equals 2π. In particular,
This solves the problem. However, several integrals may be obtained with no additional effort. For one, the second integral above is also π. Now, since the period of sin²(x) is actually π, we easily get another integral
Finally, taking into account the symmetry of sin, sin(π - x) = sin(x), we also obtain
On a flippant note, every time we halved the interval of integration, the integral got halved as well. Would it be
right to expect that the next time we'll get an integral equal to one eighth of π?
In a similar vein, consider the following integral:
The values taken by the integrand f(x), as x runs from 0 to π/2,
are exactly the same as taken on by f(π/2 - x) on the same
interval, except that they are generated in reverse order. Consequently, the integrals of the two functions are equal:
Summing up,
Since I = J, so I = π/4. What does exponent 25 have to do with that? Nothing! For, the integrand falls into an even more general framework, by far.
Some sums, too, can also be found without employing any calculations.
Copyright © 1996-2009 Alexander Bogomolny
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