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Exercise 2077Calculus › Single-variable calculus › Integration › Improper integralsM1Added 2 Nov 2026

The integral of sin x / x

#improper integrals#conditional convergence#integration by parts

Statement

  1. Show that ∫0+∞sin⁡xx dx\displaystyle\int_0^{+\infty}\frac{\sin x}x\,dx converges.
  2. Show that it is not absolutely convergent: ∫0+∞∣sin⁡x∣x dx=+∞\displaystyle\int_0^{+\infty}\frac{|\sin x|}x\,dx=+\infty.
Hint

At 00 the integrand extends continuously. At infinity, integrate by parts to gain a factor 1x\frac1x. For part 2, bound ∫kπ(k+1)π∣sin⁡x∣x dx\int_{k\pi}^{(k+1)\pi}\frac{|\sin x|}x\,dx from below.

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Solution

Near 00. Since sin⁡xx→1\frac{\sin x}x\to1, the integrand extends to a continuous function on [0,1][0,1]: no problem there.

1. At infinity. For R>1R>1, integrate by parts with u=1xu=\frac1x, v′=sin⁡xv'=\sin x:
∫1Rsin⁡xx dx=[−cos⁡xx]1R−∫1Rcos⁡xx2 dx=cos⁡1−cos⁡RR−∫1Rcos⁡xx2 dx.\int_1^R\frac{\sin x}x\,dx=\left[-\frac{\cos x}x\right]_1^R-\int_1^R\frac{\cos x}{x^2}\,dx=\cos1-\frac{\cos R}R-\int_1^R\frac{\cos x}{x^2}\,dx.
As R→+∞R\to+\infty, cos⁡RR→0\frac{\cos R}R\to0, and ∫1∞∣cos⁡x∣x2dx≤∫1∞dxx2<∞\int_1^\infty\frac{|\cos x|}{x^2}dx\le\int_1^\infty\frac{dx}{x^2}<\infty, so ∫1Rcos⁡xx2dx\int_1^R\frac{\cos x}{x^2}dx converges. Hence ∫1Rsin⁡xxdx\int_1^R\frac{\sin x}xdx has a limit: the integral converges.

2. Not absolutely. On [kπ,(k+1)π][k\pi,(k+1)\pi], x≤(k+1)πx\le(k+1)\pi and ∫kπ(k+1)π∣sin⁡x∣ dx=2\int_{k\pi}^{(k+1)\pi}|\sin x|\,dx=2, so
∫kπ(k+1)π∣sin⁡x∣x dx≥2(k+1)π.\int_{k\pi}^{(k+1)\pi}\frac{|\sin x|}x\,dx\ge\frac2{(k+1)\pi}.
Summing over k=0,…,N−1k=0,\dots,N-1 gives at least 2π∑k=1N1k=2πHN→+∞\frac2\pi\sum_{k=1}^N\frac1k=\frac2\pi H_N\to+\infty (harmonic series). So the absolute integral diverges.

Remark. The integral converges only thanks to cancellations between positive and negative lobes. Its exact value is π2\frac\pi2 (the Dirichlet integral).