How to calculate this? lim_(x->oo)1/x int_0^xdt/(2+cost).

2 Answers
May 16, 2017

The limit is not defined.

Explanation:

Note that int_0^oodt/(2+cost) diverges. Without having to integrate the function, we see that lim_(trarroo)1/(2+cost) oscillates between values 1/(2+1)=1/3 and 1/(2-1)=1 since cost has a range from -1 to 1.

As the function is always positive and never converges to 0, the area under the curve will also diverge, and the integral increases without bound.

Then, we see that lim_(xrarroo)1/x int_0^xdx/(2+cost) is really in the form oo/oo, where int_0^xdt/(2+cost) is the numerator that approaches oo and x is the denominator.

We can then apply l'Hopital's rule since we have the indeterminate form oo/oo by taking the derivative of the numerator and denominator separately.

lim_(xrarroo)1/x int_0^xdt/(2+cost)=lim_(xrarroo)1/(d/dx(x))(d/dxint_0^xdt/(2+cost))

The derivative of the integral is found through the Second Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.

=lim_(xrarroo)1/1(1/(2+cosx))=lim_(xrarroo)1/(2+cosx)

As we already determined, this is an oscillating function and it doesn't converge.

May 17, 2017

1/sqrt3

Explanation:

1/(2+cost) is a periodic positive function with period T=2pi so we have

lim_(x->oo)1/x int_0^x (dt)/(2+cost) =1/(2pi) int_0^(2pi) (dt)/(2+cost)=1/sqrt3

NOTE:

lim_(x->oo)1/x int_0^x (dt)/(2+cost) = lim_(k->oo)1/(2pi k)(k int_0^(2pi) (dt)/(2+cost)) = 1/(2pi)int_0^(2pi)(dt)/(2+cost)=1/sqrt3