Oscillating Function Converges?

Calculus Level 2

Is the following working correct?

0 sin x d x = 0 π sin x d x + π sin x d x \int_0^\infty \sin x \, dx = \int_0^\pi \sin x \, dx +\int_\pi^\infty \sin x \, dx

The first integral in RHS is equal to [ cos x ] 0 π = cos 0 cos π = 2 [ -\cos x ]_0^\pi = \cos 0 - \cos \pi = 2 .

For the second integral in RHS, we use a substitution y = x π y = x - \pi , then x = y + π x = y + \pi . So sin x = sin ( y + π ) = sin y \sin x = \sin(y + \pi) = -\sin y . We have

0 sin x d x = 2 0 sin y d y = 2 0 sin x d x 2 0 sin x d x = 2 0 sin x d x = 1. \begin{aligned} \int_0^\infty \sin x \, dx &=& 2 - \int_0^{\infty} \sin y \, dy \\ &=& 2 - \int_0^{\infty} \sin x \, dx \\ 2 \int_0^\infty \sin x \, dx &=& 2 \\ \int_0^\infty \sin x \, dx &=& 1. \\ \end{aligned}

No Yes

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1 solution

J D
Jul 24, 2016

You can't add anything finite to infinity

0 sin x d x \displaystyle \int_0^\infty \sin x \, dx is not equal to infinity.

Pi Han Goh - 4 years, 10 months ago

We can but the result isn't finite

Deepak Kumar - 4 years, 10 months ago

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