Read · 1 min
This is a common misconception about integration. An indefinite integral yields a function. That is,
The result will be a function in terms of (with the one exception being ).
However, a definite integral is the indefinite integral defined on a certain timespan, so as long as has an antiderivative:
is a real number. According to the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, is found by .
In summary, we only get a number with definite integration, and we get a function at no specific value of with indefinite integration.