When you integrate 1/x , why dont you get -(x^0)/0?-Collection of common programming errors

• Because integrating a function is anti-differentiation, and the derivative of ln(x) is 1/x: y = ln(x) e^y = x e^y * dy = dx dy / dx = 1 / e^y

  dy / dx = 1 / x

• The integration of 1/x^a for a not 1 is 1/(1-a) * x^(1-a). If you look at the primitive F_a such that F_a(1) = 1, then F_a(x) = ( x^(1-a) – 1) / (1-a).

  If now you plug in a = 1, you get non sense but if you make a tend to 1, then you obtain a derivative with respect to a, that is ln (x).

Originally posted 2013-11-09 22:48:57.