Does integration commute with substitution t=0?

In summary, the equation ##g(x,t)=\int f(k,x,t)\,dk## holds true for all values of ##t##, including ##t=0## where we can obtain the value of ##g(x,0)## by either substituting ##t=0## into ##g(x,t)## or by first substituting ##t=0## into ##f(k,x,t)## and then integrating with respect to ##k##. The integration limits are from negative infinity to positive infinity and the equation does not depend on linearity, but rather on the fact that the integral is a function of ##t## and only of ##t##. This means that for a given value of ##t##, the integral
  • #1
Happiness
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Let ##g(x,t)=\int f(k,x,t)\,dk##

Under what conditions is the following true?

##g(x,0)=\int f(k,x,0)\,dk##

That is, we can get the value of ##g(x,t)## when ##t=0##, by
(1) either substituting ##t=0## into ##g(x,t)## or
(2) by first substituting ##t=0## into ##f(k,x,t)## and then integrating wrt ##k##.

Does it work for non-zero values of ##t##?

EDIT: ##g(x,t)=\int f(x,t)\,dx## corrected to ##g(x,t)=\int f(k,x,t)\,dk##.
 
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  • #2
Can you say something about the integration limits? As it stands, the integral is a function of ##t## and only of ##t##. Thus ##g(x,t)=\int f(x,t)dx = F(t)## and ##F(0) = g(x,0)## as ##t## is treated as a constant in the integral.
 
  • #3
fresh_42 said:
Can you say something about the integration limits? As it stands, the integral is a function of ##t## and only of ##t##. Thus ##g(x,t)=\int f(x,t)dx = F(t)## and ##F(0) = g(x,0)## as ##t## is treated as a constant in the integral.

The integration is from ##-\infty## to ##\infty##.
Screen Shot 2017-05-17 at 3.51.14 AM.png
 
  • #4
So the integration limits don't have a hidden dependency on ##t## and the above remains valid. The equation has to hold for all values of ##t## for which it is defined and thus especially for ##t=0##.
 
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  • #5
fresh_42 said:
So the integration limits don't have a hidden dependency on ##t## and the above remains valid. The equation has to hold for all values of ##t## for which it is defined and thus especially for ##t=0##.

Is the equation true because integration is a linear operator, i.e., ##\int t\,f(x)\,dx = t\int f(x)\,dx##? If so, how can we proof it using linearity?
 
  • #6
Happiness said:
Is the equation true because integration is a linear operator, i.e. ##\int t\,f(x)\,dx = t\int f(x)\,dx##? If so, how can we proof it using linearity?
No, it doesn't have anything to do with linearity and as ##t## is in the exponent, it even isn't linearly depending on ##t##
It is much simpler: We have a function ##\int f(x,t) dx##. But what if we wrote ##f(x,t_0)=:h(x)##. As long as ##t_0## is constant, this is allowed. We haven't changed anything. The original equation can be thought of as: ##\textrm{For all values } t=t_0 \textrm{ we have } g(x,t_0)=\int f(x,t_0)dx## and therefore also for ##t=t_0=0##. The integration has nothing to do with ##t## so ##t## is constant for the integration. One could even redefine ##h(x)=f(x,t)## and the integral would be the same, only that ##t## is now somewhere hidden in the definition of ##h(x)##, say ##h_t(x)##. Then ##g(x,t)= \int h_t(x)dx## again for all defined values ##t##, e.g. for ##t=0##.

I'm getting the feeling that the more I explain the more it might confuse you. At least it starts to confuse me. Maybe we should simply write ##t=c## and the entire equation looks a lot better: ##g(x,c)=g_c(x)=\int f(x,c)dx = \int f_c(x)dx##.
 
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Related to Does integration commute with substitution t=0?

1. What is integration?

Integration is a mathematical process used to find the area under a curve or the accumulation of a quantity over a given interval. It involves finding the antiderivative of a function and evaluating it at the specified limits.

2. What is substitution in integration?

Substitution, also known as the u-substitution method, is a technique used in integration to simplify a given integral by substituting a new variable for the original variable in the integrand.

3. What does it mean for integration to commute with substitution t=0?

When integration commutes with substitution t=0, it means that the order in which we perform the two operations does not affect the final result. In other words, we can substitute t=0 first and then integrate, or we can integrate first and then substitute t=0, and we will still get the same answer.

4. Why is it important to know if integration commutes with substitution t=0?

Knowing if integration commutes with substitution t=0 is important because it allows us to simplify integrals and make them easier to solve. It also helps us to avoid making mistakes when evaluating integrals by hand.

5. How can I determine if integration commutes with substitution t=0 for a specific integral?

To determine if integration commutes with substitution t=0 for a specific integral, you can use the substitution method and see if the integral remains the same after substituting t=0. If the integral changes, then integration does not commute with substitution t=0 for that particular integral.

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