Integral problem reverse order

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around evaluating a double integral by reversing the order of integration. The original integral is presented with specific limits, and participants are exploring the implications of changing the order of integration.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the correct limits of integration when reversing the order and the necessity of adjusting these limits based on the region of integration. There is also a mention of the challenges faced when integrating certain functions, particularly the exponential function.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants providing insights on the limits of integration and the need for a visual representation of the integration region. Some participants express confusion regarding the limits and the integration process, indicating that multiple interpretations are being explored.

Contextual Notes

There is a mention of homework constraints and the complexity of the integral involved, particularly regarding the non-elementary nature of the anti-derivative of the exponential function.

Damascus Road
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Integral problem "reverse order"

Greetings,
This is from an online homework question:

Evaluate the integral by reversing the order of integration.

[tex]\int^{1}_{0}\int^{8}_{8y} e^{x^{2}}dxdy[/tex]

Although, I fail to see how this works, if I switch the order I get:


[tex]\int^{8}_{8y}\int^{1}_{0} e^{x^{2}}dydx[/tex]


after integrating wrt y, it boils down to

[tex]\int^{8}_{8y} e^{x^{2}}dy[/tex]

which won't give me a number... did I do something wrong?
 
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The limits of your integral depend on y, so you can't just switch the order of integration without changing the limits accordingly. Your integration region is {y: [0,1], x: [8y,8]}, so to switch the order of integration you need to figure out what the limits of y are in terms of x and what the constant limits of x are.

It helps to draw a picture of the region of integration. y runs from 0 to 1 along the y-axis, and since x is from 8y to 8, it runs from 0 to 8 along the x-axis, but you're only considering the area below the line x = 8y, or equivalently y = x/8.

So, the limits could equivalently be written as x: [0,8], y:[x/8,1]. So, when you go to integrate over y, you need to switch to these limits when you integrate.
 


Ohhh, thanks Mute. My bad.

So, after integrating wrt y, it becomes

[tex]\int^{8}_{0}[e^{x^{2}} - \frac{x}{8}e^{x^{2}}] dx[/tex]

requiring integration by parts, with a substitution...etc. Yes?
 


The outer integral is from 0 to 1/8, not from 0 to 8.
[tex]\int xe^{x^2} dx[/tex]
can be integrated by the substitution u= x2.

But
[itex]\int e^{x^2} dx[/tex[<br /> does not have any elementary function as it anti-derivative.[/itex]
 


So, your saying y runs from 0 to 1/8 and x runs from 1 to 1/8?

that doesn't make sense to me...
 

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