3: Integrals
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If we have a function f(x) which is well-defined for some a≤x≤b, its integral over those two values is defined as ∫badxf(x)=limN→∞N∑n=0Δxf(xn)wherexn=a+nΔx,Δx≡(b−aN). This is called a definite integral, and represents the area under the graph of f(x) in the region between x=a and x=b, as shown in the figure below. The function f(x) is called the integrand, and the two points a and b are called the bounds of the integral. The interval between the two bounds is divided into N segments, of length (b−a)/N each. Each term in the sum represents the area of a rectangle, and as N→∞, the sum converges to the area under the curve.

A multiple integral involves integration over more than one variable. For instance, when we have a function f(x1,x2) that depends on two independent variables, x1 and x2, we can perform a double integral by integrating over one variable first, then the other variable: ∫b1a1dx1∫b2a2dx2f(x1,x2)≡∫b1a1dx1F(x1)whereF(x1)≡∫b2a2dx2f(x1,x2).