Integrating Exp, Trig Composite function

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
3 replies · 3K views
NickKnack
Messages
2
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


Hey, I've been working through a book and one problem just gets me that I know should be a piece of cake. I don't know if I'm just being an idiot or not seeing something but the problem is to take int e^(ax)cos(bx)dx and int e^(ax)sin(bx)dx simultaneously by multiplying the second integral by i, combine and integrate, and then separate back out the real and imaginary parts of the answer to get both solutions. By looking on an integral table i know that my answer isn't right and i can tell that it obviously isn't right because I'm not explicitly integrating the trig functions. Anyway, here's what I have so far.


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



int(e^(ax) cos(bx))dx + i*(int e^(ax)sin(bx)dx)
int(e^(ax)(cos(bx) + isin(bx))dx)
int(e^(ax+ibx)dx)
int(e^(x(a+ib)))dx
1/(a+ib)e^(ax)(cos(bx) + isin(bx)) => 1/a*e^ax*cosbx and 1/b*e^ax*sin(bx) ?!?

I know I'm doing something simple and stupid incorrectly or maybe it's good and in the wrong form but this is driving me crazy!
thanks in advance for any help. oh, and sorry about the typing, i couldn't get the latex thing to work right.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I assume you intend your last expressions to be [tex]\frac1a e^{ax} \cos bx[/tex] and [tex]\frac1b e^{ax} \sin bx[/tex]; if so, you need to parenthesize: (1/a)*e^(ax)*cos(bx) and so on.

Given that: the real part of [tex]\frac1{a + ib}[/tex] is not [tex]1/a[/tex], and the imaginary part is not [tex]1/b[/tex]. Review the arithmetic of complex numbers to find how to compute the real and imaginary parts of the reciprocal of a complex number.
 
thanks ystael,
i figured that it was because i can't do algebra. finished it out and it works :)