Misunderstood notation in Applied Linear Algebra book.

Question

Exercise 2.3 on page 42 of this book by Boyd & Vandenberghe gives the following hint.

Hint: $$s'(t) = s'(0) + \int_0^tF(\tau) \,\mathrm d \tau$$

In this context what is $\tau$?

Answer 1

In that context, $\tau$ is just a dummy variable. The author might as well have written that$$s'(t)=s'(0)+\int_0^tF(x)\,\mathrm dx.$$