Welcome, future engineers. Today, we are going to dismantle a problem that looks intimidating at first glance but reveals a beautiful, simple truth once we peel back the layers.
We are dealing with an integral equation:
Many students freeze when they see an unknown function f(x) trapped inside an integral. But I want you to see this not as a cage, but as a challenge. Our goal is to liberate f(x) by transforming this integral equation into a differential equation.
The Transformation Phase
First, let us look at the term inside the integral: ex−t. Since the integral is with respect to t, the term ex is effectively a constant.
We can pull it out:
f(x)=1−2x+ex∫0xe−tf(t)dt
Now, the structure is much clearer. We have a product of ex and an integral that depends on x. This is the perfect setup for the Leibniz Rule.
The Calculus of Liberation
We differentiate both sides with respect to x. On the left, we get f′(x). On the right, the derivative of 1 is 0, and the derivative of −2x is −2.
For the integral term, we must use the product rule:
dxd(ex∫0xe−tf(t)dt)=ex∫0xe−tf(t)dt+ex⋅dxd(∫0xe−tf(t)dt)
Applying the Leibniz Rule to the derivative of the integral, we get e−xf(x). Notice the magic: ex⋅e−x=1. The exponential terms vanish!
We are left with:
f′(x)=−2+ex∫0xe−tf(t)dt+f(x)
The Linear ODE
We still have that integral term. But look back at our original equation! We can rearrange it to find that:
ex∫0xe−tf(t)dt=f(x)−1+2x
Substituting this into our derivative equation, we get:
f′(x)=−2+[f(x)−1+2x]+f(x)
Simplifying this, we arrive at:
This is a standard linear differential equation of the form dxdy+Py=Q. Our integrating factor is e∫−2dx=e−2x.
Multiplying through, we get:
Using integration by parts, we solve the right side to find:
The Final Reveal
We use the initial condition f(0)=1 to find that C=0. Our function is simply f(x)=1−x.
This is a straight line! The area bounded by y=1−x and the coordinate axes is a simple right-angled triangle with base 1 and height 1.
The area is:
We have turned a complex integral equation into a simple geometric shape. That is the power of calculus. The final answer is 1/2.