Search code examples
mathsymbolic-mathmapleintegralcalculus

Performing an integral from -infinity to infinity in Maple

I'm trying to perform the following integral in Maple:

simplify(int(a*x^2*e^(-a*x^2), x = -infinity .. infinity))

But instead of returning an answer, Maple just returns back the integral statement itself:

int(a*x^2*e^(-a*x^2), x = -infinity .. infinity)

In the prettier form though (with the actual integral sign, etc). I've tried removing the "simplify()" but it doesn't make any difference.

Any idea why that is? It should return a value.

Solution

  • You may have just a syntax problem. The exponential function applied to x is exp(x) not e^x.

    > int(a*x^2*exp(-a*x^2), x = -infinity .. infinity);
                /               (1/2)           \
                |             Pi                |
       piecewise|csgn(a) = 1, --------, infinity|
                |                (1/2)          |
                \             2 a               /