Evaluate definite integral $\int_{-1}^1 \exp(1/(x^2-1)) \, dx$

Question

How to evaluate the following definite integral:

$$\int_{-1}^1 \exp\left(\frac1{x^2-1}\right) \, dx$$

It seems that indefinite integral also cannot be expressed in standard functions. I would like any solution in popular elementary or non-elementary functions.

Answer 1

Using the symmetry $x \to -x$ and change of variables $t = 1/\sqrt{1-x^2}$ we get $2 \int_1^\infty \dfrac{e^{-t^2}}{t^2 \sqrt{t^2-1}} dt$, which Maple 16 can then evaluate as ${{\rm e}^{-1/2}} \left( {{\rm K}_1\left(1/2\right)}- {{\rm K}_0\left(1/2\right)} \right) $.

Answer 2

The symmetry of the integrand and variable substitution $t=1/(1-x^2)-1$ can be used to transform your integral as follows: $$ I=\int_{-1}^1 \exp\left(\frac{1}{x^2-1}\right)dx=\int_0^1 2\exp\left(\frac{1}{x^2-1}\right)dx =\frac{1}{e}\int_0^{\infty}\frac{e^{-t}dt}{\sqrt{t}(1+t)^{3/2}}\,, $$ Maple can evaluate this integral in terms of Meijer's $G$-function, just as obtained by J.M. after "coaxing" his Mathematica. Alternatively, this integral can be recognised as Whittaker's function $W$. The same conclusion can also be arrived at by noting that this integral is, effectively, a Laplace transform and using an appropriate command of Maple (or Mathematica), with the result $$ I=\sqrt{\frac{\pi}{e}} W_{-\frac{1}{2},-\frac{1}{2}}(1) \approx 0.44399\,. $$ This answer is only slightly more elegant than J.M.'s; it's still not elementary and I am unsure whether you would describe Whittaker's function as "popular". You may also consider reformulating this in terms of confluent hypergeometric function.

Updated 15/05/2012: It seems that you can avoid using Whittaker's function after all, at the cost of computing a modified Bessel function and a certain continued fraction. Specifically, identities 13.17.3 and 13.18.9, given in the "new" DLMF, lead to the simple result: $$ I=\frac{K_0(1/2)}{C\sqrt{e}}\,, $$ with constant $C$ given by the following continued fraction: $$ C=1+\frac{1/2}{1+}\,\frac{3/2}{1+}\,\frac{3/2}{1+}\,\frac{5/2}{1+}\,\frac{5/2}{1+}\, \frac{7/2}{1+}\,\frac{7/2}{1+}\,\cdots =\frac{W_{0,0}(1)}{W_{-\frac{1}{2},-\frac{1}{2}}(1)}\approx 1.2628295456\,. $$ In terms of functions involved, this is a lot more "elementary". From the computational point of view, I suspect that the original answer above is more practical.