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I have: $$ F(a)=\int_0^a(x^2+1)e^{-x/2} dx $$

I have done the integration: $$ \int(x^2+1)e^{-x/2}=-2e^{-x/2}(x^2+4x+9)+C$$

What is (if possible): $$ lim_{a \to \infty} F(a)$$

I tried: $$ (-2e^{-a/2}(a^2+4a+9))-(-2e^{-0/2}(0^2+4*0+9)=$$ $$ -2e^{-a/2}(a^2+4a+9)-(-2*9)=$$ $$ -2e^{-a/2}(a^2+4a+9)+18$$

$lim_{a \to \infty}$ $$ -2e^{-\infty/2}(\infty^2+4*\infty+9)+18=$$

$$ -2*0*\infty+18=18$$

So I get: $$ lim_{a \to \infty} F(a)=18$$ But the answer is said to be: $$ lim_{a \to \infty} F(a)=0$$

I can't find where i did wrong, can someone help?

peppa
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  • Can't be possible that $\lim_{a\to +\infty} F(a)=0$, since you always integrate positive functions (hence the integral is increasing and greater than 0). – Milly Oct 20 '14 at 14:49
  • Do you acknowledge that : $e^{-x}*x^n$ -> 0 , when x->+inf, for any integer n? If so, the expression : $-2e^{-x/2}(x^2+4x+9)$ ->0 , when x-> +inf So your limit is C, which you will have to calculate – mvggz Oct 20 '14 at 14:50
  • Careful, the form $0 \times \infty$ is indeterminate, and not always zero. Luckily, this time it did end up being zero. – GFauxPas Nov 04 '14 at 01:54

1 Answers1

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I'm going to use integration by parts, integrating $e^{-\frac{x}{2}}$ and differentiating $x^2 +1$ but before trying to take the limit $a \rightarrow +\infty$:

$ F(a)=\int_0^a(x^2+1)e^{-x/2} \,dx = [-2\cdot e^{-x/2}\cdot (x^2+1)]_0^a +4\cdot \int_0^ax\cdot e^{-x/2} \,dx$

Same here: $ F(a) = 2-2\cdot e^{-a/2}\cdot (a^2+1) +4\cdot ([-2\cdot x\cdot e^{-x/2}]_0^a +2\cdot \int_0^ae^{-x/2} \,dx ) $

$\implies F(a) = 2 -2\cdot e^{-a/2}\cdot (a^2+1) -8\cdot a\cdot e^{-a/2} +8\cdot \int_0^ae^{-x/2} \,dx $

$:x \rightarrow e^{-\frac{x}{2}} $ is integrable on $[0;+\infty[$ , $ x^n\cdot e^{-\frac{x}{2}} \rightarrow 0 $ , when $ x \rightarrow +\infty$ for any n , so F has a limit in $+ \infty$:

$F(a)-> F =2+8\cdot \int_0^{∞}e^{-x/2} \,dx = 2+ 16\cdot \int_0^{∞}e^{-x} \,dx = 18 $

You should avoid writing things like : $-2e^{-\infty/2}(\infty^2+4\cdot \infty+9)$, always study the limit first and put it instead of this. This is not the proper way to manipulate infinite limits, you may make mistakes you would have avoided and get criticized while you did not mean to write false things. I know some people don't like to read calculations made on infinite quantity.

Przemysław Scherwentke
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mvggz
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