Question

How do you integrate e^(-x^2)? If we can't actually do out the integral, is there a general formula?

Answer 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaussian_integral

Answer 2

So far as everything points to which I've been taught - and I'm sorry if this isn't helpful - you don't :-P

Answer 3

Basically the page says, there is no elementary solution to the integral without limits, but if you take the integral from negative to positive infinity, you get square root of pi (with a proof on the page)

Answer 4

ok, thanks. that explains a lot. the integral was in my QM textbook, but they didn't do it out so i had no idea how they were getting the root pi over two (with constants) term. thanks a bunch!