Why Does an Integrand Equaling Zero at x=1 Not Determine the Integral's Value?

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Hornbein
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I'm trying to calculate the volume of a truncated hypersphere. As part of it I want this integral.
Integral.jpg

hypergeometric.jpg


Clearly when x=1 the integrand is zero. But plugging this into the series give me a number greater than one. It is true that the series is not defined for x=1, but subtracting some tiny sum isn't going to make any difference.

I hope I'm missing something obvious.
 
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  • #2
I made a mistake in my previous post ( deleted it ).

$$
\begin{align}
\int (1-x^2)^n ~dx &= \int (-x^2+1)^n ~dx \nonumber\\
&=\int \sum_{k=0}^n \binom {n}{k} (-x^2)^k1^{n-k}~dx \nonumber\\
&=\sum_{k=0}^n (-1)^k \binom {n}{k} \int x^{2k}~dx \nonumber\\
&=\sum_{k=0}^n (-1)^k \frac { n!}{k!(n-k)!} \cdot \frac {x^{2k+1}}{2k+1} \nonumber\\
\end{align}
$$
 
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  • #3
Hornbein said:
Clearly when x=1 the integrand is zero. But plugging this into the series give me a number greater than one. It is true that the series is not defined for x=1, but subtracting some tiny sum isn't going to make any difference.

I hope I'm missing something obvious.

Why would the integrand being zero at [itex]x = 1[/itex] tell you anything about the value of the integral?
 

Related to Why Does an Integrand Equaling Zero at x=1 Not Determine the Integral's Value?

Why does an integrand equaling zero at x=1 not determine the integral's value?

An integrand equaling zero at a specific point does not determine the integral's value because the integral calculates the area under the curve of the function over a range of values, not just at a single point.

Does the value of the integrand at x=1 have any impact on the integral's value?

The value of the integrand at a specific point, such as x=1, may affect the integral's value if it changes the overall shape of the function over the range of integration. However, it is not the sole determining factor in calculating the integral.

Can an integrand equaling zero at x=1 result in a non-zero integral?

Yes, an integrand equaling zero at a specific point, such as x=1, can still result in a non-zero integral if the function has non-zero values elsewhere within the range of integration that contribute to the overall area under the curve.

What other factors besides the integrand value at x=1 determine the integral's value?

Other factors that determine the integral's value include the overall shape of the function, the range of values over which the integration is performed, and any other points where the integrand may have non-zero values that contribute to the area under the curve.

How does the concept of integration account for integrands equaling zero at specific points?

The concept of integration accounts for integrands equaling zero at specific points by considering the overall behavior of the function over the range of integration and calculating the total area under the curve, which may still be non-zero even if the integrand is zero at certain points.

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