Solve Insane Integral: Note do = 2*pi*sin(x) dx

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In summary, the conversation is discussing a difficult integral and the attempted solution involves using a substitution and integration by parts. The final result is the value of a^2 * pi.
  • #1
roeb
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Homework Statement


http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/4224/landau.png
http://g.imageshack.us/img4/landau.png/1/

Note: do = 2*pi*sin(x) dx

Well, as you can see this is an extremely painful integral.




Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



I have tried u = cos(1/2x) resulting in:
du = -sin(1/2 x) (1/2) dx
sin(x) = 2*sin(x/2)*cos(x/2)

(n^2 u - nu^2 - n + u)/(n^4 + 2n^2 - 4n^3 u + 4n^2 u^2 - 4nu) (by expanding both the top and bottom, but as you can see it's messy and useless, I'm also dropping the constant because I don't care about them right now).

I have no idea what kind of substitution to use for these beast... It evaluates to pi*a^2 with the integration limits 0 to X_max..

Anyone have any idea how to do this by hand? I am tempted to use Matlab, but I really am supposed to do it manually.
 
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  • #2
The substitution you used is fruitful and if you don't work out the parentheses you should have gotten the following integral. (note that as x goes from 0 to xmax u goes from 1 to 1/n)

[tex]
-2 a^2 n^2 \pi \int_1^{1/n} \frac{(n u-1)(n-u)}{(n^2+1-2 n u)^2}\,du
[/tex]

Now note that [tex] \frac{d}{du}(n u-1)(n-u) = n^2+1-2 n u [/tex] then use integration by parts. After some algebra you should get the value [tex] a^2 \pi[/tex].
 
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1. What is an integral?

An integral is a mathematical concept used to find the area under a curve. It is a fundamental tool in calculus and is often used to solve problems in physics, engineering, and other fields.

2. How do you solve an integral?

To solve an integral, you need to use integration techniques such as substitution, integration by parts, or partial fractions. You also need to have a good understanding of the fundamental theorem of calculus.

3. What is the difference between a regular integral and an insane integral?

An insane integral is a term used to describe an integral with a complex or difficult-to-solve integrand. This type of integral requires advanced techniques and may not have a simple closed-form solution like regular integrals.

4. How do you approach solving an insane integral?

To solve an insane integral, you need to identify the appropriate integration technique, manipulate the integrand to make it easier to integrate, and use mathematical tricks such as trigonometric identities or u-substitution.

5. Can you give an example of solving an insane integral?

For example, the insane integral in the given question can be solved using the substitution u = 2*sin(x). This will transform the integrand into a simpler form, which can then be integrated using the power rule. After substituting back in for u, the solution will be in terms of x.

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