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Even sums can be odd! - Solution

Graphs of Even Functions and their Integrals with t0=0



y=1 



From the plot it appears that the integral is an odd function because if the integral graph is reflected in the y axis it results in an upside down version of itself (i.e. a reflection in the t-axis of the original plot).
Graph of y=1 and its integral with t0=0. Mathematics for Electrical Engineering and Computing plotXpose app problem

y=|t| using |t|=(t*t)^0.5


Mod t graph and its integral with t0=0. Mathematics for Electrical Engineering and Computing plotXpose app problem


From the plot it appears that the integral is an odd function because if the integral graph is reflected in the y axis it results in an upside down version of itself (i.e. a reflection in the t-axis of the original plot).

y=cos(t)


cos(t) graph and its integral with t0=0. Mathematics for Electrical Engineering and Computing plotXpose app problem


From the plot it appears that the integral is an odd function.

y=t^2


t squared graph and its integral with t0=0. Mathematics for Electrical Engineering and Computing plotXpose app problem


y=t^4


t to the power of 4 graph and its integral with t0=0. Mathematics for Electrical Engineering and Computing plotXpose app problem


y=cosh(t) using cosh(t)=0.5*(e^t+e^(-1*t))



cosh(t) graph - using cosh(t)=0.5*(e^t+e^(-1*t)) - and its integral with t0=0. Mathematics for Electrical Engineering and Computing plotXpose app problem



The Maclaurin series for a general function, f(t), defined around t=0 and with all its derivatives defined at t=0 is given by:

The Maclaurin series for a general function, defined around t=0 and with all its derivatives defined at t=0. Mathematics for Electrical Engineering and Computing plotXpose app problem

If a function is even then it will only have even powers of t in its Maclaurin series, i.e. f'(0) and f'''(0) and f(n)(0) for n odd, must all be 0.


So, for an even function the Maclaurin series is:

If a function is even then it will only have even powers of t in its Maclaurin series. Mathematics for Electrical Engineering and Computing plotXpose app problem


Integrating above we get
The power series for the derivative of an even function. We see that the power series for the integral (with t0=0) of an even function consists of only odd powers of t and therefore is odd.



Providing t0=0.

As all the terms in the above are even powers of t then the integral is even, providing t0=0. For non-zero t0=0, no such conclusion can be made as the lower bound of the integration can result in a non-zero constant term, meaning that the integral is no longer even.

An example of the integral where t0 is non zero is given below.

y=cosh(t) using cosh(t)=0.5*(e^t+e^(-1*t)) and integral with t0=-5


cosh(t) graph - using cosh(t)=0.5*(e^t+e^(-1*t)) - and its integral with t0=-5. The integral is not odd.. Mathematics for Electrical Engineering and Computing plotXpose app problem


The integral is not an odd function in this case.



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