Integrating By Parts: Is 4 Times Best for \int {x^4 e^x dx}?

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
3 replies · 2K views
danago
Gold Member
Messages
1,118
Reaction score
4
Hi. When evaluating an integral such as:

[tex] \int {x^4 e^x dx} [/tex]

Is integrating by parts 4 times the best method, or is there a more efficient way?

Thanks in advance,
Dan.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Well if the problem was a definite integral for example say:
[itex]\int_{0}^{1} x^4e^x dx[/itex]

you could easily make a reduction formula for easy calculations. But that is a different question altogether. As previously stated you would have to integrate by parts at 4 times