Telling whether an improper integral converges

3 replies · 1K views · last reply
Mr Davis 97
Messages
1,461
Reaction score
44
Say we have the following result: ##\displaystyle \int_0^{\infty} \frac{\log (x)}{1 - bx + x^2} = 0##. We see that the denominator is 0 for some positive real number when ##b \ge 2##. Thus, we obtain a two singularities under that condition. Here's my question. Can we go ahead and say that the integral does not exist in the case that ##b \ge 2##? Could it ever be possible that for a specific ##b \ge 2##, when we take the limits around the singularities we get an integral that still converges to 0?
 
you can consider the integral in sense of p.v. when b>2
 
zwierz said:
you can consider the integral in sense of p.v. when b>2
I know that I could do that, but what I am asking is whether if b > 2 the integral could still converge to 0 in the normal sense, and if not why not.
 
in the "normal sense" (not in p.v. sense) this integral does not exist. In p.v. sense it is a priori strange why such a function of b must be identical zero for all b. Extract the singularity and try a numerical experiment first