Integration by parts is a technique used in calculus to evaluate the integral of a product of two functions. It is derived from the product rule for differentiation and is the counterpart of the product rule for differentiation.
The formula for integration by parts is given by:
\[ \int u \, dv = uv - \int v \, du \]
where \( u \) and \( dv \) are differentiable functions of \( x \), and \( du \) and \( v \) are their respective differentials. The goal of integration by parts is to choose \( u \) and \( dv \) in such a way that the integral on the right-hand side of the equation is easier to evaluate than the original integral.
Note: We can use integration by parts to find an integral \( \int u \, \frac{dv}{dx} dx \) if the integral \( \int v \, \frac{du}{dx} dx \) is easier to find.
Deriving the Integration by Parts Formula:
Understanding how to differentiate a product is crucial. If we have \( y = uv \), the derivative \( \frac{dy}{dx} \) can be expressed as \( u \frac{dv}{dx} + v \frac{du}{dx} \). Rearranging this yields \( u \frac{dv}{dx} = \frac{d(uv)}{dx} - v \frac{du}{dx} \). By integrating both sides, we obtain \( \int u \frac{dv}{dx} \, dx = \int \frac{d(uv)}{dx} \, dx - \int v \frac{du}{dx} \, dx \). Simplifying the first term on the right side results in \( \int u \frac{dv}{dx} \, dx = uv - \int v \frac{du}{dx} \, dx \).
ILATE rule:
We have learned that in integration by parts, we must use the necessary formula when we are given the product of two functions. The left term is regarded as the first function and the second term as the second function when calculating the integral of the two functions. We call this technique the ILATE rule. For instance, when integrating \(x \cdot e^x\), we designate \(x\) as the first function and \(e^x\) as the second function, aligning with the ILATE Rule. This approach ensures that the chosen first function possesses a derivative that can be easily integrated.
Techniques for integration by parts
Using integration by parts more than once: "Repetitively using integration by parts in complex integration scenarios helps untangle complex integrals, exposing their underlying structure and making evaluation easier."
Using integration by parts by solving for the unknown integral: "When an elusive integral is encountered, using integration by parts to represent it in terms of itself frequently reveals a way to resolve it, turning ambiguity into clarity."
Using reduction formulas: "By simplifying difficult integrals into simpler forms through the use of reduction formulae in integration, one can expedite the process and find answers that previously seemed unattainable."
Finding recursive formula:
Find a recursive formula for \( \int x^n e^x \, dx \), where \( n \in \mathbb{N} \).
Solution:
a) For each \( n \in \mathbb{N} \cup \{0\} \), define \( I_n = \int x^n e^x \, dx \).
Now let \( n \in \mathbb{N} \). Using integration by parts, we find:
We have shown that \( I_n = x^n e^x - nI_{n-1} \) for all \( n \in \mathbb{N} \).
Using integration by parts for definite integrals: "Integration by parts provides a methodical way to compute areas bounded by curves when dealing with definite integrals. It does this by utilizing the interaction between functions to extract exact answers quickly and accurately."
We can also use integration by parts to evaluate definite integrals:
\[ \int_{a}^{b} u \frac{dv}{dx} \, dx = uv \bigg|_{a}^{b} - \int_{a}^{b} v \frac{du}{dx} \, dx \]
As you can see, we do not know how to evaluate the resultant integral so we would need to do another by-parts calculation. However, we already worked this out from the previous example so we can directly substitute it in.
Substituting our answer from the previous example into the above results in:
Although in the last two examples we have been able to confidently differentiate and integrate both functions, there are times when we cannot integrate a specific function.
Integrate:
\[ \int x \ln(x) \, dx \]
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Here we are forced to differentiate ln(x) and integrate x since we do not know how to integrate ln(x).
Therefore \( u = \ln(x) \) and \( v' = x \).
From this we obtain,
\( u' = \frac{1}{x} \) and \( v = \frac{1}{2}x^2 \)
Applying a u-substitution to help evaluate the 2nd integral (let \( u = x^2 \)) results in:
∴ \( \int \sin^{-1}(x) \, dx = x \sin^{-1}(x) - \frac{1}{2} \int \frac{1}{1 - u} \, du \)
Finally, simplifying the above we obtain:
∴ \( \int \sin^{-1}(x) \, dx = x \sin^{-1}(x) - \frac{1}{2}(1 - x^2) + C \), \( C \in \mathbb{R} \)
Example 5
Type 5: Difficult ones:
\(\int \sin(2x)cos(3x)dx \)
Although we were able to make at least one term into a zero, or something we knew how to differentiate in the previous examples, no matter how many times we apply the integration by parts formula we will never obtain an integral we know how to integrate or a zero :(
As a result, we need to use another method to integrate this.
We will begin as normal. Let \( u = \sin(2x) \) and \( v' = \cos(3x) \) (It does not matter which you choose since you can integrate and differentiate both)
Therefore, \( u' = 2\cos(2x) \) and \( v = \frac{1}{3}\sin(3x) \)
We have to make a choice and let one of the functions in the product equal \( u \) and one equal \( \frac{dv}{dx} \).
As a general rule, we let \( u \) be the function which will become simpler when we differentiate it. In this case, it makes sense to let \( u = x^2 \) and \( \frac{dv}{dx} = e^{3x} \).
Then, \( \frac{du}{dx} = 2x \) and \( v = \int e^{3x} \, dx = \frac{1}{3} e^{3x} \).
Then, using the formula for integration by parts,
\[ \int x^2 e^{3x} \, dx = \frac{1}{3} e^{3x} \cdot x^2 - \int \frac{1}{3} e^{3x} \cdot 2x \, dx \]
\[ = \frac{1}{3} x^2 e^{3x} - \int \frac{2}{3} xe^{3x} \, dx \]
The resulting integral is still a product. It is a product of the functions \( \frac{2}{3}x \) and \( e^{3x} \). We can use the formula again. This time we choose \( u = \frac{2}{3}x \) and \( \frac{dv}{dx} = e^{3x} \).
Then \( \frac{du}{dx} = \frac{2}{3} \) and \( v = \int e^{3x} \, dx = \frac{1}{3} e^{3x} \).
So,
\[ \int x^2 e^{3x} \, dx = \frac{1}{3} x^2 e^{3x} - \left( \frac{2}{9} x e^{3x} - \frac{2}{27} e^{3x} \right) + C \]
where \( C \) is the constant of integration. So we have done integration by parts twice to arrive at our final answer.
Example 7
Using integration by parts by solving for the unknown integral
Find the integral:
\[ \int e^x \cos(x) \, dx \]
Solution:
Let \( u = e^x \) and \( dv/dx = \cos(x) \). Then \( du/dx = e^x \) and \( v = \sin(x) \).
So, using integration by parts, we obtain:
\[ \int e^x \cos(x) \, dx = e^x \sin(x) - \int e^x \sin(x) \, dx \tag{1} \]
Similarly, we can use integration by parts to obtain:
\[ \int e^x \sin(x) \, dx = -e^x \cos(x) + \int e^x \cos(x) \, dx \tag{2} \]
a) Show that \( I_n = \frac{1}{n} \sin x \cos^{n-1} x + \frac{n-1}{n} I_{n-2} \).
Proof
Let \( I_n = \int \cos^n x \, dx \).
a) Show that \( I_n = \frac{1}{n} \sin x \cos^{n-1} x + \frac{n-1}{n}I_{n-2} \).
Using integration by parts with \( u = \cos^{n-1} x \) and \( dv = \cos x \, dx \), we have:
\[ du = -(n-1)\cos^{n-2} x \sin x \, dx \]
\[ v = \sin x \]
Using the integration by parts formula:
\[ \int u \, dv = uv - \int v \, du \]
We get:
\[ I_n = \sin x \cos^{n-1} x - \int \sin x (- (n-1)\cos^{n-2} x \sin x) \, dx \]
\[ I_n = \sin x \cos^{n-1} x + (n-1) \int \sin^2 x \cos^{n-2} x \, dx \]
Now, using the identity \( \sin^2 x = 1 - \cos^2 x \), we rewrite the integral:
\[ I_n = \sin x \cos^{n-1} x + (n-1) \int (1 - \cos^2 x) \cos^{n-2} x \, dx \]
\[ I_n = \sin x \cos^{n-1} x + (n-1) \int \cos^{n-2} x \, dx - (n-1) \int \cos^n x \, dx \]
Notice that the second term \( \int \cos^{n-2} x \, dx \) is \( I_{n-2} \). So, we have:
\[ I_n = \sin x \cos^{n-1} x + (n-1)I_{n-2} - (n-1)I_n \]
Solving for \( I_n \), we get:
\[ I_n + (n-1)I_n = \sin x \cos^{n-1} x + (n-1)I_{n-2} \]
\[ I_n(1 + n-1) = \sin x \cos^{n-1} x + (n-1)I_{n-2} \]
\[ I_n = \frac{1}{n} \sin x \cos^{n-1} x + \frac{n-1}{n}I_{n-2} \]