How do you show that integration of xmeaxdx=xmeaxamaxm1eaxdx?

1 Answer
Dec 11, 2015

Set u=xm and dvdx=eax and then apply the integration by parts formula.

Explanation:

The integration by parts formula states that for continuous functions u(x) and v(x)

udvdxdx=uvvdudxdx

(A short proof of the integration by parts formula can be found here)


Starting from
xmeaxdx

we set u(x)=xm and dvdx=eax.

Then, differentiating and integrating gives us
dudx=mxm1 and v(x)=eaxa

Substituting these into the integration by parts formula gives the desired result of
xmeaxdx=xmeaxaeaxamxm1dx

=xmeaxamaxm1eaxdx