Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
In numerous physical applications, such as those in the fields of optics and thermodynamics, the quantitative description of various phenomena requires evaluating certain definite integrals whose antiderivatives cannot be expressed using elementary functions. As a result, these integrals are typically evaluated numerically using a suitable program. However, it is possible to evaluate some of these types of integrals using a strategy known as Feynman’s Technique, an approach named after Richard Feynman, the American physicist who popularized the method during the mid-20th century. This project aims to highlight the usage of Feynman’s Technique for evaluating some of these integrals while applying the results to measured data from the associated phenomenon. This method of integration is a delightfully useful tool for solving integrals that could otherwise never be solved analytically using a more standard approach
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Randy Bybee - Chair of the Physics Department
Recommended Citation
Dingus, Dominick; Wengert, Christopher; and Barsoum, Madouna, "Using Feynman's Technique to Evaluate Non-elementary Integrals Used in Physics" (2025). Student Scholar Symposium. 53.
https://digitalcollections.lipscomb.edu/student_scholars_symposium/2025/Full_schedule/53
Included in
Using Feynman's Technique to Evaluate Non-elementary Integrals Used in Physics
In numerous physical applications, such as those in the fields of optics and thermodynamics, the quantitative description of various phenomena requires evaluating certain definite integrals whose antiderivatives cannot be expressed using elementary functions. As a result, these integrals are typically evaluated numerically using a suitable program. However, it is possible to evaluate some of these types of integrals using a strategy known as Feynman’s Technique, an approach named after Richard Feynman, the American physicist who popularized the method during the mid-20th century. This project aims to highlight the usage of Feynman’s Technique for evaluating some of these integrals while applying the results to measured data from the associated phenomenon. This method of integration is a delightfully useful tool for solving integrals that could otherwise never be solved analytically using a more standard approach