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Evaluate the following integrals or state that they diverge. $$\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} x e^{-x^{2}} d x$$

Short Answer

Expert verified
#Answer#: The integral of the function $$f(x) = xe^{-x^{2}}$$ over the range $$(-\infty, \infty)$$ is equal to 0, as f(x) is an odd function and its integral over a symmetric interval will cancel out the positive and negative parts.

Step by step solution

01

Observing the Symmetry of the Function

The function has an interesting property: it is an odd function. An odd function satisfies the property $$f(-x) = -f(x)$$. In this case, $$f(-x) = (-x)e^{-(-x)^{2}} = - xe^{-x^{2}} = -f(x)$$ This symmetry property will be useful when we calculate the integral.
02

Evaluating the Integral of an Odd Function

When integrating an odd function over a symmetric interval, like $$(-\infty, \infty)$$, the integral will equal zero. This is because the positive and negative parts of the function will exactly cancel each other out. Symbolically, for an odd function, we have $$\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} f(x) dx = \int_{-\infty}^{0} f(x) dx + \int_{0}^{\infty} f(x) dx = \int_{0}^{\infty} (-f(x)) dx + \int_{0}^{\infty} f(x) dx = 0$$ Therefore, the integral of the given function is simply zero.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

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