Some Handy Integrals

Gaussian Functions 1 1/2 2 e-ax dx = 2 a 0

0

1 2 x e-ax dx = 2a
0

x2 e-ax2

1 1/2 dx = 4a a

1 x3 e-ax2 dx = 2 2a 0 1 x5 e-ax2 dx = 3 a 0 n! 1 x2n+1 e-ax2 dx = n+1 2 a 0

3 1/2 x4 e-ax2 dx = 2 8a a 0 135(2n-1) 1/2 x2n e-ax2 dx = a 2n+1an

0

Exponential Functions n! xn e-ax dx = n+1 a 0

Integrals from - to : Even and Odd Functions

The integral of any even function taken between the limits - to is twice the integral from 0 to . The integral of any odd function between - and is equal to zero, see Figure 1.
even function

odd function

0 integrals add

x ->

x -> integrals cancel out (b)

(a) Figure 1. Even and odd integrals.

To determine if a function is even, check to see if f(x) = f(-x). For an odd function, f(x) = f(-x). Some functions are neither odd nor even. For example, f(x)=x is odd, f(x)=x2 is even, and f(x)=x+x2 is neither odd nor even. Also the following multiplication rules hold: even*even=even odd*odd=even odd*even=odd 2 For example, for f(x)=x, which is odd, and g(x)= e-ax , which is even (see Figure 1a), then f(x)*g(x)= x e-ax2 is odd (see Figure 1b).