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One definition of integration over a continuous interval [a,b] into n subintervals with equal width $\Delta x$, and from each interval choose a point $x_i^*$. Then the definite integral of $f(x)$ from a to b is $$\int_{b}^{b}f(x)dx = \lim_{n\to\infty}\sum f(x_i^*) \Delta x$$.

What happens if the summation ($\sum$) is replaced with a product ($\prod$)? Is there a name for this type of infinite product?

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  • $\begingroup$ Stieltjes integral? $\endgroup$
    – Wuestenfux
    Commented Feb 15, 2019 at 17:13
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    $\begingroup$ Nice question. There is such a thing, and it is called the product integral. $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 15, 2019 at 18:43
  • $\begingroup$ Yes, this is exactly what I was imagining $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 15, 2019 at 20:01

1 Answer 1

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For positive quantities, $\prod_i x_i=\exp\sum_i\ln x_i$ allows us to make a "continuous product" by exponentiating an integral. If quantities are real but allowed to be negative, we run into a problem: can we count the number of sign changes, when it might be countably or uncountably infinite? But with complex numbers we can write $\prod_i r_i\exp\mathrm{i}\theta_i=\exp\sum_i(\ln r_i+\mathrm{i}\theta_i)$, which again allows the exponentiated-integral trick to work. It comes up a lot in quantum field theory.

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