Some Handy Integrals

Gaussian Functions
1
0 eax2 dx = 2 a
1
0 x2 eax2 dx = 4a a
3
0 x4 eax2 dx = 8a2 a
135(2n1)
0 x2n eax2 dx =
a
2n+1an

1
dx = 2a

0 x eax

1
2a2
1
0 x5 eax2 dx = a3
n! 1
0 x2n+1 eax2 dx = 2 an+1

0 x3 eax

dx =

Exponential Functions
n!

0 xn eax dx = n+1
a
Integrals from - to : Even and Odd Functions
The integral of any even function taken between the limits - to is twice the integral from 0 to
. The integral of any odd function between - and is equal to zero, see Figure 1.
even

y
odd

0
x

integrals cancel

integrals add
2

(a). f(x) = eax

(b). [g(x) f(x)] = x eax

even

odd*even

Figure 1. Even and odd integrals.

To determine if a function is even, check to see if f(x) = f(-x). For an odd function, f(x) = f(-x).
Some functions are neither odd nor even. For example, f(x) = x is odd, f(x) = x2 is even, and
f(x) = x + x2 is neither odd nor even. The following multiplication rules hold:
even*even = even

odd*odd =even

odd*even = odd

Consider the integral of f(x) = eax , Figure 1a. The function is even so that - = 20 . Next
2
consider g(x) = x, which is odd, giving [g(x) f(x)] = x eax as overall odd (Figure 1b). The
integral is zero for the product function.
2

Colby College