# find minimum of a function defined by integration in Mathematica

I need to find the minimum of a function $f(t) = \int_0^1\!g(t,x)\,dx$. What I did in mathematica is as follows:

f[t_] = NIntegrate[g[t,x],{x,-1,1}]
FindMinimum[f[t],{t,t0}]


However mathematica halts at the first try, because NIntegrate does not work with the symbolic t. Although Plot[f[t],{t,0,1}] works perferctly, FindMinimum stops at the initial point.

Any way to get around it? Thanks!

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What's g[t,x]? If you have an explicit expression, we might manage to be more helpful. –  Ｊ. Ｍ. Aug 13 '10 at 8:18
Also, it should be f[t_]:=... ; you need delayed evaluation instead of immediate evaluation of the RHS. Also changing the LHS of the definition to f[t_?NumericQ] might help. This is because FindMinimum[], unlike Plot[], does not have the HoldAll attribute. –  Ｊ. Ｍ. Aug 13 '10 at 8:19
Bah, I don't really hang around in StackOverflow... XD too bad my comment was late! –  Ｊ. Ｍ. Aug 13 '10 at 8:40
thank you guys!. next time i will ask on SO instead. –  mr.gondolier Aug 13 '10 at 8:50

OP's equivalent question on Stack Overflow was already answered. This is the accepted answer by Andrew Moylan.

Try this:

In[58]:= g[t_, x_] := t^3 - t + x^2

In[59]:= f[t_?NumericQ] := NIntegrate[g[t, x], {x, -1, 1}]

In[60]:= FindMinimum[f[t], {t, 1}]

Out[60]= {-0.103134, {t -> 0.57735}}

In[61]:= Plot[f[t], {t, 0, 1}]


1. Define f with := instead of with =. This effectively gives a definition for f "later", when the user of f has supplied the values of the arguments. See SetDelayed.
2. Define f with t_?NumericQ instead of t_. This says, t can be anything numeric (Pi, 7, 0, etc). But not anything non-numeric (t, x, "foo", etc).