Taking imaginary integral and derivative

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the differentiation and integration of a function involving complex numbers, specifically the expression e^(-kx) e^(icx), within the context of a quantum mechanics problem.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to differentiate the function using the product rule and expresses confusion regarding the treatment of complex constants. Some participants suggest that complex constants can be treated like real numbers in calculus.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively engaging with the problem, with some providing guidance on the treatment of complex numbers in differentiation. There are indications of confusion regarding the output from computational tools, with multiple interpretations being explored regarding how the input is processed.

Contextual Notes

There are mentions of discrepancies in results obtained from Wolfram Alpha, suggesting that the input may have been misinterpreted due to formatting issues. Participants express frustration over the time spent trying to resolve these discrepancies.

chaotic
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Homework Statement



when I am solving quantum problem, i see an equation like e^(-kx) e^(icx) i is imaginary. how can i take the integral and derivative of this function

Homework Equations



e^ix ) cosx + isinx

The Attempt at a Solution



actually i tried e^x(-k+ic) and i said the derivative is just (-k+ic)* e^x(-k+ic) :)

please help and teach me!
 
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What you did is correct. You can treat complex constants as if they were real in differentiation and integration. However, I would recommend getting some introductory text on complex analysis and study it at least until differentiation and integration are introduced.
 
That's because it is confused by the input. Note it treats "icx" as all caps CIX and assumes it is a constant.
 
agh :) thank you very much i understand now :)
 
chaotic said:
when i take the same derivative with wolfram i get another result http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=d(e^(-kx)+e^(icx))/dx
Wolfram seems to have treated the second x as some constant X. In fact, it looks suspiciously as though it has interpreted "icx" as Roman Numerals "CIX" (109). Bizarre.
 
yes it is very confusing I am trying to find solution for 2 hours just because of that it is funny it takes my precious time :)
 
A space after i and before c does wonders. But the output is still a bit odd.
 
voko said:
A space after i and before c does wonders. But the output is still a bit odd.
Yes, [itex]\ \ i(c+i k) e^{-k x+i c x}\ \[/itex] is a bit odd, isn't it?
 

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