Improper integral from -infinity to infinity

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SUMMARY

The improper integral of sin[x]/(1+x^2) from -infinity to infinity equals 0. This conclusion arises from the properties of odd and even functions, where sin[x] is an odd function and 1+x^2 is an even function. The integral can be bounded by the integral of 1/(1+x^2), which converges to π. Therefore, while the integral of sin[x] alone does not converge, the specific form of sin[x]/(1+x^2) allows for the integral to be evaluated as 0 due to its symmetry.

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RedReaper
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What is the improper integral of sin[x]/(1+x^2) from -infinity to infinity equal to? It doesn't seem to be integrable in the real number system.

Is it 0, because sin[x] is an odd function and 1+x^2 is an even function, and an odd function divided by an even function is equal to an odd function which has a rule that f(x) + f(-x) = 0?
 
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RedReaper said:
What is the improper integral of sin[x]/(1+x^2) from -infinity to infinity equal to? It doesn't seem to be integrable in the real number system.

Why do you say that? We have

\left|\frac{\sin(x)}{1 + x^2}\right| \leq \frac{1}{1 + x^2}

and the function on the right has a finite integral on the interval (-\infty,\infty). (Indeed, the integral equals \pi.) Therefore

\left|\int_{-\infty}^{\infty}\frac{\sin(x)}{1 + x^2} dx \right| \leq \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} \left|\frac{\sin(x)}{1 + x^2}\right| dx \leq \pi

Is it 0, because sin[x] is an odd function and 1+x^2 is an even function, and an odd function divided by an even function is equal to an odd function which has a rule that f(x) + f(-x) = 0?

Not all odd functions have zero integral. E.g. \int_{-\infty}^{\infty}\sin(x)dx doesn't converge. However, any odd function for which \int_{0}^{\infty}f(x)dx is finite will satisfy

\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} f(x) dx = \int_{-\infty}^{0} f(x) dx + \int_{0}^{\infty}f(x)dx = \int_{0}^{\infty}f(x)dx - \int_{0}^{\infty}f(x)dx = 0

So see if you can show that \int_{0}^{\infty}\sin(x)/(1 + x^2) dx is finite, using a similar argument to what I wrote above.
 
Question: A clock's minute hand has length 4 and its hour hand has length 3. What is the distance between the tips at the moment when it is increasing most rapidly?(Putnam Exam Question) Answer: Making assumption that both the hands moves at constant angular velocities, the answer is ## \sqrt{7} .## But don't you think this assumption is somewhat doubtful and wrong?

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