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Re: Integrating Abs[Sin[]^2]

  • To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
  • Subject: [mg38936] Re: Integrating Abs[Sin[]^2]
  • From: "David W. Cantrell" <DWCantrell at sigmaxi.org>
  • Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 06:09:24 -0500 (EST)
  • References: <b032m9$mv4$1@smc.vnet.net> <b05qsi$2a7$1@smc.vnet.net> <b0jg1t$t97$1@smc.vnet.net>
  • Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Jos R Bergervoet <antispam at nospam.com> wrote:
> David W. Cantrell wrote:
> >
> > Jos R Bergervoet  <jos.bergervoet at philips.no_s_p_a_m.com>
> >>
> >>   result = Integrate[ Abs[Sin[k x]]^2, {x,0,1}]
> >>   N[ result /. k->I+1 ]
> >>
> >> (*  Analytical approach gives 0.261044 + 0.616283 I,  WRONG !!! *)
> >>
> >>   k=I+1; NIntegrate[ Abs[Sin[k x]^2], {x,0,1}]
> >>
> >> (*  Numerical check gives 0.679391  *)
> >>
>  ...
> >> What should I do to circumvent such errors?
> >
> > One thing that works in Mathematica (as well as in the other CAS) is to
> >
> >  Integrate[ Abs[Sin[(a+b*I) x]]^2, {x,0,1}].
> >
> > This gives  (a*Sinh[2*b] - b*Sin[2*a]) / (4*a*b),
> >
> > which agrees with your result below.
>
> But again it is wrong! It only is correct if a and b happen
> to be real quantities, which is nowhere stated!

Well, let me state it now here:

I was merely trying to provide a "workaround" which would give you a
correct result in the event that your coefficient k was complex. (I was
not trying in any way to exonerate Mathematica!) In that event, k may be
written, _without loss of generality_, as a+b*I, where a and b are both
REAL.

> So the main question still is: Why is Mathematica making
> these very silly errors? One could expect it from an early
> version of a product, but that is not what Mathematica 4.x
> is!

Yes, the main question remains.

David


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