Calculus: Early Transcendentals 8th Edition

Published by Cengage Learning
ISBN 10: 1285741552
ISBN 13: 978-1-28574-155-0

Chapter 7 - Review - Concept Check - Page 537: 5

Answer

The statement is false: $$ \int_{0}^{4} \frac{x}{x^{2}-1} d x $$ Observe that the given integral is improper because $ f(x)= \frac{x}{x^{2}-1}$ has the vertical asymptote $x=1$. The infinite discontinuity occurs at the middle of the interval $ [0,4] $ at $x = 1$, The given improper integral $$ \int_{0}^{4} \frac{x}{x^{2}-1} d x= \infty $$ is divergent.

Work Step by Step

$$ \int_{0}^{4} \frac{x}{x^{2}-1} d x $$ Observe that the given integral is improper because $ f(x)= \frac{x}{x^{2}-1}$ has the vertical asymptote $x=1$. Since the infinite discontinuity occurs at the middle of the interval $ [0,4] $ at $x = 1$, we must use part (c) of Definition 3 with $ c=1 $: $$ \int_{0}^{4} \frac{x}{x^{2}-1} d x=\int_{0}^{1} \frac{x}{x^{2}-1} d x +\int_{1}^{4} \frac{x}{x^{2}-1} d x $$ where $$ \begin{split} \int_{0}^{1} \frac{x}{x^{2}-1} d x& = \lim _{t \rightarrow 1^{-}} \int_{0}^{t} \frac{x}{x^{2}-1} d x \\ & =\lim _{t \rightarrow 1^{-}}\left[\frac{1}{2} \ln \left|x^{2}-1\right|\right]_{0}^{t} \\ & =\lim _{t \rightarrow 1^{-}} \frac{1}{2} \ln \left|t^{2}-1\right| \\ & =\infty, \end{split} $$ so the integral $$ \int_{0}^{1} \frac{x}{x^{2}-1} d x $$ is divergent, and the given improper integral, $$ \int_{0}^{4} \frac{x}{x^{2}-1} d x $$ is divergent. Thus the statement is False.
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