Question #05911

1 Answer
Jan 17, 2017

#int_0^1e^(x^2)dx~~1.4627#

Explanation:

The power series for #e^x# is #sum_(n=0)^oox^n/(n!)#. Substituting in #x^2# for #x#, we get

#e^(x^2) = sum_(n=0)^oo(x^2)^n/(n!) = sum_(n=0)^oox^(2n)/(n!)#

Substituting this in, we have

#int_0^1e^(x^2)dx = int_0^1sum_(n=0)^oox^(2n)/(n!)dx = sum_(n=0)^ooint_0^1x^(2n)/(n!)dx#

where the second equality is valid due to #x^(2n)/(n!) >= 0# for all #x, n#.

Evaluating the new integral, we have

#sum_(n=0)^ooint_0^1x^(2n)/(n!)dx = sum_(n=0)^oo1/(n!)int_0^1x^(2n)dx#

#=sum_(n=0)^oo1/(n!)[x^(2n+1)/(2n+1)]_0^1#

#=sum_(n=0)^oo1/(n!(2n+1))#

At this point we only need to calculate enough terms of the above sum to get an answer accurate to #4# decimal places. We could either keep calculating them until it becomes obvious, or do a little more work to get a bound on how many terms we need. In either case, calculating enough terms shows us that

#sum_(n=0)^oo1/(n!(2n+1)) = 1.46265... ~~1.4627#