Calculating Improper Integral of x^3/(x^4-3)^1/2

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the improper integral of the function x^3 divided by the square root of (x^4 - 3), specifically from the limits of 1 to infinity. Participants are exploring the implications of the integral's behavior as it approaches infinity.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the evaluation of the integral and the limits involved, noting the emergence of expressions that lead to infinity and undefined values due to negative numbers under a square root. There is also mention of potential algebra errors and the divergence of the integral.

Discussion Status

The conversation indicates that multiple interpretations of the integral's behavior are being explored, with some participants suggesting that it diverges and questioning the validity of the expressions derived during the evaluation process. There is no explicit consensus on the resolution of the problem.

Contextual Notes

Participants are grappling with the implications of the integral being divergent and the presence of complex numbers in the context of the problem. There is an acknowledgment of potential algebraic mistakes leading to the current conclusions.

FancyNut
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I stopped at the last step while calculating this improper integral:

integral of x^3\ ( x^4 - 3)^1\2 with limits from 1 to infinity...

that's x cubed over the square root of x raised to 4 minus 3...



after replacing infinity with b and taking the limits it seems that I have to take limits of two expressions one that goes to infinity which is ( (b^4 - 3)^1\2) / 8 but the other is undefined since I have a negative 2 inside a square root. The second expression is the square root of negative two all over 8.


Thanks for any help XD
 
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Just to make sure, that's:
[tex]\int_1^{\infty} \frac{x^3}{\sqrt{x^4-3}} dx[/tex]
Which is divergent.

Perhaps there was an algebra error leading up to this?
 
Not only is it divergent, but it makes no sense outside the field of complex analysis..
 
Yeah that's it.

I end up with two expressions and when taking the limit of the first it's infinity but the second has a negative inside the sqaure root. I guessed it's divergent since whatever mistake I did doesn't change (I think..) that the second expression is a constant anyway... I guess. :p

Thanks dudes. ^_^
 

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