ABSTRACT
Many engineering problems require the calculation of a definite integral of a function bounded in the finite interval [a, b]
f(x)dx
Often it is difficult, or even downright impossible, to find the answer analytically. This can happen for several reasons:
• the indefinite integral of the given function is known, but its expression is very complex;
• the definite integral cannot be expressed in terms of elementary functions;
• it is not known if there exists an antiderivative of the given integrand; • no analytical expression of the integrand is known, but only a table of
x, f(x) pairs.
