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Math Puzzles
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09-28-2022, 10:00 AM
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bizaro86
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
psyang
I hesitate to respond without giving hints, but I'll just reiterate that you don't need pen/paper to solve.
One comment I think is quite useful but isn't a solution.
Spoiler!
I think I can get part of the way there using the hint of no pen/paper as a hint, because there aren't many ways to solve an integral by inspection.
cos(x/2) is an even function. x^3 is an odd function. An even function multiplied by an odd function is odd, so cos(x/2)*x^3 is odd. Any definite integral of an odd function between a and -a is zero, which using integration by parts makes that whole term 0.
So if we distribute it that gets us down to the (1/2)*integral[sqrt(4-x^2)]
I don't think I can solve that piece - I suspect some sort of substitution is required.
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