Integration involving trigonometric substitutions

In summary: CP.S. You might find some other methods of doing these integrals if you look in some standard calculus books (for example, the ones by Stewart, Swokowski, or Larson).Re: Integration of inverse Trig functionsThere is a very simple method that you will see if you understand the concept of the derivative.You know how to integrate $\frac{1}{u}$, and now you are integrating \frac{1}{x^2-x+2}. You can really understand the second integral if you understand the concept of the derivative, and it is really easy if you understand the concept of the derivative.The idea behind the concept of the derivative is that the derivative of a function at a point
  • #1
paulmdrdo1
385
0
Please tell me if i worked out the problem correctly.

1. ∫(dx/x2-x+2)

completing the square of the denominator i have,

∫[dx/(x-1)2+12]

a=1, u=x-1; du=dx

∫(du/a2+u2)

1/1*tan-1x-1/1 + c = tan-1x-1 + C -->> final answer

2. ∫[dx/(15+2x-x2)1/2]

∫[dx/(14-(x-1)2)1/2]

∫{dx/([(14)1/2]2-(x-1)2)}

a = (14)1/2; u = x-1; du = dx

= 1/(14)1/2*sin-1x-1/(14)1/2 + C --->>final answer

and P.S how to use that font that you are using?
 
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  • #2
Re: Integration of inverse Trig functions

paulmdrdo said:
Please tell me if i worked out the problem correctly.

1. ∫(dx/x2-x+2)

completing the square of the denominator i have,

∫[dx/(x-1)2+12]

a=1, u=x-1; du=dx

∫(du/a2+u2)

1/1*tan-1x-1/1 + c = tan-1x-1 + C -->> final answer
Method is right, algebra is wrong. In fact, $x^2-x+2 = \bigl(x-\frac12\bigr)^2 + \frac74$.

paulmdrdo said:
and P.S how to use that font that you are using?
To typeset those fonts you need to learn http://www.mathhelpboards.com/f26/math-help-boards-latex-guide-pdf-1142/.
 
  • #3
Re: Integration of inverse Trig functions

my new answer to 2 is this 2/(7)1/2*tan-12x-1/(7)1/2

are my answers to 1 and 2 now correct?
 
  • #4
Re: Integration of inverse Trig functions

In your first attempt at 2.) you completed the square incorrectly:

\(\displaystyle 15+2x-x^2=16-(x-1)^2=4^2-(x-1)^2\)
 
  • #5
Re: Integration of inverse Trig functions

1/4*sin-1x-1/4 + C --->> is this the correct answer for 1?

2/(7)1/2*tan-12x-1/(7)1/2 ---> answer for 2.

are they now correct? sorry for not typing my solution. I'm in a rush.
 
Last edited:
  • #6
Re: Integration of inverse Trig functions

paulmdrdo said:
Please tell me if i worked out the problem correctly.

1. ∫(dx/x2-x+2)

completing the square of the denominator i have,

∫[dx/(x-1)2+12]

a=1, u=x-1; du=dx

∫(du/a2+u2)

1/1*tan-1x-1/1 + c = tan-1x-1 + C -->> final answer

2. ∫[dx/(15+2x-x2)1/2]

∫[dx/(14-(x-1)2)1/2]

∫{dx/([(14)1/2]2-(x-1)2)}

a = (14)1/2; u = x-1; du = dx

= 1/(14)1/2*sin-1x-1/(14)1/2 + C --->>final answer

and P.S how to use that font that you are using?

Since the OP has gotten the correct answer to Q1 and is very close to getting the correct answer to Q2, I will post how I would approach these problems, which involves trigonometric or hyperbolic substitutions.

Q1.

\(\displaystyle \displaystyle \begin{align*} \int{ \frac{dx}{x^2 - x + 2}} &= \int{ \frac{dx}{ \left( x - \frac{1}{2} \right) ^2 + \frac{7}{4} } } \end{align*}\)

Now make the substitution \(\displaystyle \displaystyle \begin{align*} x - \frac{1}{2} = \frac{\sqrt{7}}{2}\tan{(\theta)} \implies dx = \frac{\sqrt{7}}{2}\sec^2{(\theta)}\,d\theta \end{align*}\) and the integral becomes

\(\displaystyle \displaystyle \begin{align*} \int{ \frac{dx}{ \left( x - \frac{1}{2} \right) ^2 + \frac{7}{4} } } &= \int{ \frac{\frac{\sqrt{7}}{2}\sec^2{(\theta)}\,d\theta}{ \left[ \frac{\sqrt{7}}{2}\tan{(\theta)} \right] ^2 + \frac{7}{4} } } \\ &= \frac{\sqrt{7}}{2} \int{ \frac{\sec^2{(\theta)}\,d\theta}{\frac{7}{4}\tan^2{(\theta)} + \frac{7}{4}} } \\ &= \frac{\sqrt{7}}{2}\cdot \frac{4}{7} \int{\frac{\sec^2{(\theta)}\,d\theta}{\tan^2{( \theta )} + 1}} \\ &= \frac{2\sqrt{7}}{7} \int{ \frac{\sec^2{(\theta)}\,d\theta}{\sec^2{(\theta)}} } \\ &= \frac{2\sqrt{7}}{7}\int{1\,d\theta} \\ &= \frac{2\sqrt{7}}{7} \theta + C \\ &= \frac{2\sqrt{7}}{7}\arctan{\left[ \frac{2\sqrt{7}}{7}\left( x - \frac{1}{2} \right) \right] } + C \end{align*}\)

Q2.

\(\displaystyle \displaystyle \begin{align*} \int{\frac{dx}{\sqrt{15 + 2x - x^2}}} &= \int{\frac{dx}{\sqrt{-\left( x^2 - 2x - 15 \right) } } } \\ &= \int{ \frac{dx}{\sqrt{-\left[ x^2 - 2x + (-1) ^2 - (-1)^2 - 15 \right] }}} \\ &= \int{ \frac{dx}{\sqrt{- \left[ (x - 1)^2 - 16 \right] }}} \\ &= \int{ \frac{dx}{\sqrt{16 - (x - 1)^2}}} \end{align*}\)

Now make the substitution \(\displaystyle \displaystyle \begin{align*} x - 1 = 4\sin{(\theta)} \implies dx = 4\cos{(\theta)}\,d\theta \end{align*}\) and the integral becomes

\(\displaystyle \displaystyle \begin{align*} \int{\frac{dx}{\sqrt{16 - (x-1)^2}}} &= \int{\frac{4\cos{(\theta)}\,d\theta}{\sqrt{16 - \left[ 4\sin{(\theta)} \right] ^2 }}} \\ &= 4\int{\frac{\cos{(\theta)}\,d\theta}{\sqrt{16 - 16\sin^2{(\theta)}}}} \\ &= 4\int{\frac{\cos{(\theta)}\,d\theta}{\sqrt{16 \left[ 1 - \sin^2{(\theta)} \right] }}} \\ &= 4\int{\frac{\cos{(\theta)}\,d\theta}{\sqrt{16\cos^2{(\theta)}}}} \\ &= 4\int{\frac{\cos{(\theta)}\,d\theta}{4\cos{(\theta)}}} \\ &= \int{ 1\,d\theta} \\ &= \theta + C \\ &= \arcsin{\left[ \frac{1}{4} \left( x - 1 \right) \right] } + C \end{align*}\)
 
  • #7
Re: Integration of inverse Trig functions

how did you know this substitution?
\begin{align*} x - \frac{1}{2} = \frac{\sqrt{7}}{2}\tan{(\theta)} \implies dx = \frac{\sqrt{7}}{2}\sec^2{(\theta)}\,d\theta \end{align*}

why is \begin{align*} x - \frac{1}{2} equal to \frac{\sqrt{7}}{2}\tan{(\theta)}\end{align*} ?

please tell me. i want to know different techniques.
 
  • #8
Re: Integration of inverse Trig functions

Consider the Pythagorean identities:

\(\displaystyle \sin^2(\theta)+\cos^2(\theta)=1\)

\(\displaystyle \tan^2(\theta)+1=\sec^2(\theta)\)

\(\displaystyle 1+\cot^2(\theta)=\csc^2(\theta)\)

You want to use a substitution that allows you to utilize one of these identities. In the problem to which you refer, the integrand is:

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{\left(x-\frac{1}{2} \right)^2+\frac{7}{4}}\)

We should observe that either the second or third identity above will be suitable. Like Prove It, I would choose the third. And so we wish to have:

\(\displaystyle \left(x-\frac{1}{2} \right)^2=\frac{7}{4}\tan^2(\theta)\)

This way, the \(\displaystyle \frac{7}{4}\) may be factored out, leaving us with an expression to which we may apply the third Pythagorean identity above. So, taking the positive root, we find::

\(\displaystyle x-\frac{1}{2}=\frac{\sqrt{7}}{2}\tan(\theta)\)

and differentiating, we find:

\(\displaystyle dx=\frac{\sqrt{7}}{2}\sec^2(\theta)\,d\theta\)

and now our integral is:

\(\displaystyle \frac{2}{\sqrt{7}}\int\frac{\sec^2(\theta)}{\tan^2(\theta)+1}\,d\theta\)

Using the Pythagorean identity, we find we have:

\(\displaystyle \frac{2}{\sqrt{7}}\int\frac{\sec^2(\theta)}{\sec^2(\theta)}\,d\theta=\frac{2}{\sqrt{7}}\int\,d\theta=\frac{2}{\sqrt{7}}\theta+C\)

Now we need to back substitute for $\theta$, and so we take:

\(\displaystyle x-\frac{1}{2}=\frac{\sqrt{7}}{2}\tan(\theta)\)

and solve for $\theta$:

\(\displaystyle \frac{2x-1}{\sqrt{7}}=\tan(\theta)\)

\(\displaystyle \theta=\tan^{-1}\left(\frac{2x-1}{\sqrt{7}} \right)\)

And now we may conclude:

\(\displaystyle \int\frac{dx}{x^2-x+2}=\frac{2}{\sqrt{7}}\tan^{-1}\left(\frac{2x-1}{\sqrt{7}} \right)+C\)
 
  • #9
uhmm. i still could not see the relation of this to that identity that you use.
can you show me explicitly how would you arrive to this
\begin{align*} x - \frac{1}{2} equal to \frac{\sqrt{7}}{2}\tan{(\theta)}\end{align*}
 
  • #10
First of all, please use an equals sign "=" instead of writing "equals to".

Second, you are allowed to substitute in ANY function that you like. We make this choice because we know that the function chosen simplifies with the Pythagorean Identity, and we also know that this simplification is very similar (in fact, identical) to the derivative of the substituted function, which means it will cancel, leaving a VERY easy function to integrate in terms of the new variable.
 

FAQ: Integration involving trigonometric substitutions

What is a trigonometric substitution?

A trigonometric substitution is a technique used in calculus to solve integrals that involve trigonometric functions. It involves replacing a variable in the integral with a trigonometric function, such as sine, cosine, or tangent, in order to simplify the integral and make it easier to solve.

When should I use a trigonometric substitution?

Trigonometric substitutions are most useful when the integral contains a radical expression involving a quadratic equation, such as √(x² + a²) or √(a² - x²). These types of integrals can be simplified using a trigonometric substitution, making it easier to solve.

How do I choose which trigonometric function to substitute?

The choice of trigonometric function to substitute depends on the form of the integral. For integrals with a radical expression involving a² - x², use the substitution x = a sin θ. For integrals with a radical expression involving x² + a², use the substitution x = a tan θ. And for integrals with a radical expression involving x² - a², use the substitution x = a sec θ.

Are there any special cases when using trigonometric substitutions?

Yes, there are a few special cases to keep in mind when using trigonometric substitutions. If the integral contains a² - x² and the variable x is substituted with a sine function, it may be necessary to use the Pythagorean identity to simplify the integral further. Also, if the integral contains a radical expression with a negative coefficient, the substitution may need to be adjusted to account for this.

Can I use a trigonometric substitution for all integrals?

No, trigonometric substitutions are only useful for solving integrals that involve trigonometric functions. If the integral does not contain any trigonometric functions, then a different integration technique, such as substitution or integration by parts, should be used instead.

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