an esoteric matchbox

Question

Seeing a vast repository of matchstick puzzles, Professor Moriarty determined to create one of his own. Behold, his greatest crime yet, the best and worst matches puzzle to ever grace this earth with its presence. Move as few matches as you can to make another equation that is still true. (Turning the = into ≠ is frowned upon.)

By the way, this is read as this (or if you want to be like @Someone, it can be read as something else): $$\int x \, dx = \frac{x^2}2 +C$$

Note: If you wish to move more than the minimum matchsticks, or do something cool/interesting, that may be acceptable as well.

If you want the link to the primitive Google Slideshow I used to create the graphic, you can make a copy of the slideshow and manipulate the puzzle much more easily, either for your own answer or just to mess with it in a more concrete way. The slideshow is here.

Answer 1

Using the same equation (as other answers), by moving

One match from + and add to C.
$\int x \, dx = \frac{x^2}2 - t $

Second attempt: I have moved

3 matchsticks



$$\int x^6 \, dx = \frac{x^7}{7} - C$$

First attempt: I have moved

8 matchsticks



$$\int \frac{1}{x} \, dx = \ln |x| +C$$

Answer 2

How about only moving

1 matchstick?

It's kind of a trivial solution, but:



or, $$\int x \, dx = \frac{1x^2}2 -C$$

Answer 3

How about this?

2 matchsticks - I removed one matchstick to get a minus, and rotated another one to get an equals sign. If you want, the removed matchstick can be placed anywhere to double a line.

$$\int x \, dx - \frac{x^2}2 = C$$