Practice Problems: Improper Integrals

Written by Victoria Kala

vtkala@math.ucsb.edu
December 6, 2014
Solutions to the practice problems posted on November 30.

For each of the following problems:

(a) Explain why the integrals are improper.
(b) Decide if the integral is convergent or divergent. If it is convergent, find which value it
converges to.
Z ∞
1
1. √4
dx
0 1+x
Solution:
(a) Improper because it is an infinite integral (called a Type I).
(b) Rewrite:
Z ∞ Z t Z t t
1 1 −1/4 4 3/4 
√ dx = lim √ dx = lim (1 + x) dx = lim (1 + x)
4
t→∞ 0 4 1 + x t→∞ 3

0 1+x t→∞ 0 0

4 4
lim (1 + t)3/4 − = ∞
t→∞ 3 3
So the integral diverges. 

Z 2
1
2. 2
dx
−2 x
Solution: This question was on my subject GRE.
(a) Improper because the function x12 is discontinuous at x = 0 (called a Type II).
(b) There are two ways to do this problem, so I will post both solutions.
One way: Split up the integral at x = 0:
Z 2 Z 0 Z 2 Z t Z 2
1 1 1 1 1
2
dx = 2
dx + 2
dx = lim 2
dx + lim 2
dx
−2 x −2 x 0 x t→0 −
−2 x s→0 +
s x
   
−1 t −1 2 −1 1 1 1
= lim−  + lim+  = lim− − − + lim+
t→0 x −2 s→0 x s t→0 t 2 2 s→0 s
Both of the limits diverge so the integral diverges.
Another way: x12 is an even function, so it is symmetric about x = 0:
Z 2 Z 2 Z 2  
1 1 1 −1 2 1
2
dx = 2 2
dx = lim+ 2 2
dx = lim+ 2  = −1 + 2 lim+ = ∞
−2 x 0 x t→0 t x t→0 x t t→0 t
So the integral diverges. 

1
 Z 0
3. 2r dr
−∞
Solution:
(a) Improper because it is an infinite integral (called a Type I).
(b) Rewrite:
0 0
2r 0 2t
Z Z    
r r 1 1 1
2 dr = lim 2 dr = lim = − lim = −0 =
ln 2 t ln 2 t→−∞ ln 2 ln 2 ln 2

−∞ t→−∞ t t→−∞

Convergent! 

Z ∞
4. (y 3 − 3y 2 ) dy
−∞
Solution:

(a) Improper because it is an infinite integral (called a Type I).

(b) Need to split it up, try about y = 0:
Z ∞ Z 0 Z ∞
(y 3 − 3y 2 ) dy = (y 3 − 3y 2 ) dy + (y 3 − 3y 2 ) dy
−∞ −∞ 0

0 s
y4
Z Z   4  
0 y s
= lim (y 3 −3y 2 ) dy+ lim − y 3  + lim
(y 3 −3y 2 ) dy = lim − y3 
t→−∞ t s→∞ 0 t→−∞ 4 t s→∞ 4 0
 4   4 
t s
= − lim − t3 + lim − s3
t→−∞ 4 s→∞ 4
Both of these limits diverge, so the integral diverges. 

Z ∞
5. cos πt dt
−∞
Solution:
(a) Improper because it is an infinite integral (called a Type I).
(b) Need to split it up, try about t = 0:
Z ∞ Z 0 Z ∞ Z 0 Z r
cos πt dt = cos πt dt + cos πt dt = lim cos πt dt + lim cos πt dt
−∞ −∞ 0 s→−∞ s r→∞ 0
       
1 0 1 r 1 1
= lim sin πt  + lim sin πt  = − lim sin πs + lim sin πr
s→−∞ π s r→∞ π 0 s→−∞ π r→∞ π

Both of these limits diverge, so the integral diverges. 

2
 Z 1
ln x
6. √ dx
0 x
Solution:
ln
√x
(a) Improper because is undefined at x = 0 (called a Type II).
x
√ 1
(b) Try a u-substitution first. Let u = x, du = 2√ x
dx ⇒ 2du = √1x dx. When x = 0, u = 0
and when x = 1, u = 1:
Z 1 ln √x2
 
Z 1 Z 1 Z 1
ln x
√ dx = √ dx = ln(u2 ) du = 2 ln u du
0 x 0 x 0 0

This is still improper because ln u is undefined at u = 0. Rewrite with a limit:

Z 1 Z 1
2 ln u du = lim 2 ln u du
0 t→0+ t
R
Use integration by parts (we did ln xdx in class once upon a time...):
1
= lim+ 2 (u ln u − u)  = −2 − lim+ 2 (t ln t − t) = −2 − 2 lim+ t ln t + 2 lim+ t

t→0 t t→0 t→0 t→0

= −2 − 2 lim+ t ln t + 0 = −2 − 2 lim+ t ln t
t→0 t→0
The right limit is what we call indeterminate because if we take the limit we get some-
thing that looks like 0 · −∞, which is no bueno. So we need to use L’Hôpital’s Rule
(Section 4.4, pg 301 in your textbook):
1
ln t (ln t)0 t −t2
lim+ t ln t = lim+ 1 = lim+
= lim+
1 0 −1 = lim+ = lim+ −t = 0
t→0 t→0
t
t→0 t→0
t2
t→0 t t→0
t

This shows that our integral is convergent, and it converges to −2 − 2 limt→0+ t ln t =

−2 − 0 = −2. 

∞
ex
Z
7. dx
0 e2x + 3
Solution:
(a) Improper because it is an infinite integral (called a Type I).
(b) Let’s do a u-substitution first. Let u = ex , then du = ex dx. When x = 0, u = 1 and
when x → ∞, u → ∞:
Z ∞ Z ∞ Z ∞ Z t
ex ex 1 1
2x
dx = x 2
dx = 2
du = lim 2
du
0 e +3 0 (e ) + 3 1 u +3 t→∞ 1 u + 3
     
1 −1 u t 1 −1 t 1 −1 1
= lim √ tan √  = lim √ tan √ − √ tan √
t→∞ 3 3 1 t→∞ 3 3 3 3
1 π 1 π 1 π π π
=√ · −√ · =√ − = √
3 2 3 6 3 2 6 3 3
Convergent! 

3
 Z 5
w
8. dw
0 w−2
Solution:
w
(a) Improper because the function w−2 is discontinuous at w = 2 (called a Type II).
(b) Try a u-substitution first. Let u = w −2, then w = u+2, du = dw. When w = 0, u = −2,
and when w = 5, u = 3:
Z 5 Z 3 Z 3 
w u+2 2
dw = du = 1+ du
0 w−2 −2 u −2 u

This is still a Type II integral since function 1 + u2 is discontinuous at u = 0. Need to

split up the integral:
Z 3  Z 0  Z 3 
2 2 2
1+ du = 1+ du + 1+ du
−2 u −2 u 0 u
Z t   Z 3  t 3
2 2
= lim− 1+ du+ lim+ 1+ du = lim− (u + 2 ln |u|)  + lim+ (u + 2 ln |u|) 
 
t→0 −2 u s→0 s u t→0 −2 s→0 s

= lim− (t + 2 ln |t|) + 2 − 2 ln 2 + 3 + 2 ln 3 − lim+ (s + 2 ln |s|)

t→0 s→0

Both of the limits diverge, so the integral diverges. 

Use the Comparison Theorem to decide if the following integrals are convergent or divergent.
Z ∞
1 + e−x
9. dx
1 x
Solution:
(a) Improper because it is an infinite integral (called a Type I).
(b) Let’s guess that this integral is divergent. That means we need to find a function smaller
−x
than 1+ex that is divergent. To make it smaller, we can make the top smaller or the
bottom bigger. Let’s make the top smaller:
1 + e−x 1
≥
x x
Then take the integral:
Z ∞ Z t t
1 1
dx = lim dx = lim ln x = lim ln t = ∞

1 x t→∞ 1 x t→∞ 1 t→∞

R∞ R∞ −x
So the integral diverges. Since 1 x1 dx diverges, then 1 1+ex dx diverges. 

π
sin2 x
Z
10. √ dx
0 x
Solution:

4
 2
sin
√ x
(a) Improper because the function x
is undefined at x = 0 (called a Type II).
(b) Let’s guess that this integral is convergent. That means we need to find a function bigger
2
than sin
√ x that is convergent. To make it bigger, we can make the top bigger or the
x
bottom smaller. Let’s make the top bigger:

sin2 x 1
√ ≤√
x x

Then take the integral:

Z π
1
Z π
1 √ π √ √ √ √
√ dx = lim √ dx = lim 2 x = 2 π − lim t = 2 π − 0 = 2 π
0 x t→0 +
t x t→0 + t t→0 +

Rπ Rπ 2
So the integral converges. Since √1 dx converges, then sin
√ x dx converges. 
0 x 0 x