Irresistible Integrals: Symbolics, Analysis and Experiments in the Evaluation of Integrals

Description

The problem of evaluating integrals is well known to every student who has had a year of calculus. It was an especially important subject in 19th century analysis and it has now been revived with the appearance of symbolic languages. In this book, the authors use the problem of exact evaluation of definite integrals as a starting point for exploring many areas of mathematics. The questions discussed here are as old as calculus itself. In presenting the combination of methods required for the evaluation of most integrals, the authors take the most interesting, rather than the shortest, path to the results. Along the way, they illuminate connections with many subjects, including analysis, number theory, algebra and combinatorics. This will be a guided tour of exciting discovery for undergraduates and their teachers in mathematics, computer science, physics, and engineering.

'I recommend this book highly as a source of rewarding projects for undergraduates (and others) to home their analytic skills and gain an appreciation for this area of mathematics. The authors clearly had great love for the material and their enthusiasm comes through in an infectious manner.' SIAM Review 'The authors have managed to write a very readable account about integrals, accessible even to advanced undergraduates. Some of the topics of the book could be used for undergraduate reading and research projects. This way the book could serve as a 'springboard to many unexpected investigations and discoveries in mathematics.' Zentralblatt MATH