Chapter 7: Problem 10
Find the integrals Check your answers by differentiation. $$\int x e^{-x^{2}} d x$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The integral is \( -\frac{1}{2} e^{-x^2} + C \).
Step by step solution
01
Identify the Method of Integration
For the integral \( \int x e^{-x^{2}} \, dx \), we notice that the integrand contains a product of a polynomial \( x \) and an exponential function \( e^{-x^2} \). This suggests the use of substitution might be effective.
02
Choose an Appropriate Substitution
Let \( u = -x^2 \). Then, \( du = -2x \, dx \), or equivalently \( x \, dx = -\frac{1}{2} du \). This will simplify the integral.
03
Substitute and Simplify the Integral
Substitute into the integral: \[\int x e^{-x^2} \, dx = \int e^u \left(-\frac{1}{2} \right) du = -\frac{1}{2} \int e^u \, du\]Simplify this to obtain:\[-\frac{1}{2} e^u + C\]
04
Back-Substitute to Original Variable
Return to the original variable:\[-\frac{1}{2} e^{-x^2} + C\]This is the antiderivative of \( \int x e^{-x^2} \, dx \).
05
Differentiate to Check Your Work
Now differentiate the found function to see if it matches the original integrand:\[d\left(-\frac{1}{2} e^{-x^2} + C\right)/dx = \left(-\frac{1}{2}\right)(-2x)e^{-x^2} = x e^{-x^2}\]This confirms that our integration is correct, as taking the derivative gives us the original function.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Substitution Method
The substitution method is a powerful technique when it comes to integration, especially helpful for integrals that involve composite functions. The key idea is to change the variable of integration to something simpler:
- We find a substitution that simplifies the integrand. Often, this involves setting a part of the integrand equal to a new variable, like choosing a complex expression to become a single variable.
- In our example, we set \( u = -x^2 \). This cleverly transforms the variable and makes the exponential function easier to handle, as it removes the complexity of \(-x^2\).
- After substituting, remember to adjust the differential as well. We found \( du = -2x \, dx \), so \( x \, dx = -\frac{1}{2} du \).
Exponential Functions
Exponential functions are key to understanding many natural phenomena, described by expressions like \( e^{x} \), where \( e \) is Euler's number, approximately equal to 2.718. A notable aspect is their unique property:
- When differentiating or integrating exponential functions like \( e^{u} \), the operation doesn’t alter the function’s form.
- For integration in our example, \( e^{-x^2} \) changed to \( e^{u} \) due to substitution. This allowed us to proceed with resolving \( \int e^{u} du \).
- As we saw, integrating gives us \( e^{u} + C \), where \( C \) is a constant of integration.
Differentiation
Differentiation is the counterpart to integration, where we determine the rate of change of a function. It plays a crucial role in verifying the correctness of an integral:
- In our process, after finding an antiderivative, we differentiated \( -\frac{1}{2} e^{-x^2} + C \) to ensure it matched \( x e^{-x^2} \), the original integrand.
- The differentiation involved using the chain rule. Since \( e^{-x^2} \) had an inner function \(-x^2\), its derivative gave \(-2x e^{-x^2} \).
- Combining this with the constant multiplier \(-\frac{1}{2}\) results in \( x e^{-x^2} \), affirming our integration was conducted correctly.