7.8 *Improper Riemann Integrals 441
Solution. We consider two separate improper integrals:
/
+ oo 1
r;;; dx.
1 yxex
1
1 1
r;;; dx and
o yxex
(a) Consider f
1
; dx. For 0 < x < 1, ex > 1 so fiex > ft, so
Jo yxex
1 1 f
1
1
Vx < vx· In Example 7.8.4 we proved that Jn Vx dx converges, so by the
co::arison xtest, f
1
; dx converges.
0
x
Jo yxex
(b) Consider /+oo ; dx. For x > 1, ft > 1, so fiex > ex, so
1 yxex
r;;;^1 < -.^1 Now, hm. lb -x
v xex ex b-->oo^1 e dx = b-->oo lim [-e-x]~ = b-->oo lim [~ e - b lb] = l/e.
/
+oo 1
Thus, r;;; dx converges.
1 yxex
1
+00 1
(c) By (a) and (b) together, r;;; dx converges. D
o yxex
FINAL CAUTION ON IMPROPER INTEGRALS
Care must be taken not to conclude that improper integrals behave alge-
braically like ordinary integrals. They do not. For example, we know that if f
and g are integrable over [a, b], then so is their product f g. But it is not true
that if the improper integrals l: f and l: g converge, then so does l: f g. For
fl 1 fl ( 1 ) 2
example, Jo Vx dx converges, but Jo Vx dx does not. For further exam-
ples showing that improper integrals do not obey a ll the algebraic properties
of ordinary integrals, see Exercises 4 and 5 below.
EXERCISE SET 7.8-B
l. Determine the convergence or divergence of each of the following improper
integrals. Find the values of those that converge.