Integration- the basics

Integration
Integration is used to find areas under curves.

Integration is the reversal of differentiation hence functions can be integrated

by indentifying the anti-derivative.
However, we will learn the process of integration as a set of rules rather than
identifying anti-derivatives.

Terminology

Indefinite and Definite integrals
There are two types of integrals: Indefinite and Definite.
Indefinite integrals are those with no limits and definite integrals have
limits.

When dealing with indefinite integrals you need to add a constant of

integration. For example, if integrating the function f(x) with respect to x:

∫ f (x )dx = g(x) + C
where g(x) is the integrated function.

C is an arbitrary constant called the constant of integration.

dx indicates the variable with respect to which we are integrating, in this
case, x.

The function being integrated, f(x), is called the integrand.

Dr. Mundeep Gill 1

Brunel University
 Integration- the basics

The rules

The Power Rule
x n+1
∫ x dx =
n
+ C provided that n ≠ -1
n +1

x6
∫ x dx =
5
Examples: +C
6
x -3
∫ x dx =
-4
+C
-3

When n = -1
1
∫x ∫ x dx
-1
dx = = ln x + C

Constant rule

∫ k dx = kx + C where k is a constant

Example: ∫ 2 dx = 2x + C

Exponentials
1 kx
∫e
kx
dx = e +C
k

1 9x
∫e
9x
Example: dx = e +C
9

∫e
x
dx = e x + C

Trig functions
- Cos

∫ cos(x ) dx = sin(x) + C
1
∫ cos(kx ) dx = k sin(kx ) + C where k is a constant

1
Example: ∫ cos(12x ) dx = sin(12x ) + C
12

2
 Integration- the basics

- Sin

∫ sin (x ) dx = -cos(x) + C
1
∫ sin (kx ) dx = − k cos(kx ) + C where k is a constant

1
Example: ∫ sin (10x ) dx = − 10 cos(10x ) + C
1
∫ sin (- 5x ) dx = 5 cos(- 5x ) + C

Linearity
Suppose f(x) and g(x) are two functions in terms of x, then:

∫ [f (x ) ± g(x )]dx = ∫ f (x )dx ± ∫ g(x )dx

Additionally, if A and B are constants, then

∫ [Af (x ) ± Bg(x )]dx = A ∫ f (x )dx ± B ∫ g(x )dx

Examples:

∫ (2x )
+ 3x 5 dx = ∫ 2x 4 dx + ∫ 3x 5 dx
4

= 2∫ x 4 dx + 3 ∫ x 5 dx

 x5   x6 
= 2  + 3  + C
 5   6 
2x 5 x 6
= + +C
5 2

∫ (5cos(3x ) − 3e )dx = ∫ 5cos(3x )dx - ∫ 3e

7x 7x
dx

= 5 ∫ cos(3x ) dx - 3 ∫ e 7x dx

1  1 
= 5 sin(3x ) − 3 e 7x 
3  7 
5 3
= sin(3x ) − e 7x
3 7

3
 Integration- the basics

Questions (General rules):

Integrate the following functions:

1. ∫ (x
6
− x2 +
3
1
x5
)dx
∫ (3x )
8
2. + x − 5 dx

∫ (9x )
2
3. − 3x -1 dx

∫ (sin(4x ) + e )dx
3x
4.

∫ (cos(7x ) + 7x )dx
2
5.

(Solutions on page 8)

Definite Integrals
Earlier we saw that

∫ f (x )dx = g(x) + C

Suppose now we are given limits, i.e.

b (where a is the lower limit

∫ f (x )dx = g(x) + C
a and b is the upper limit)

This can be interpreted as:

(value of g(x) + C at x = b) – (value of g(x) + C at x = a)

In other words, since C will cancel out:

b
∫ f (x )dx = g(b) – g(a)
a

The full calculation of definite integrals is usually written out as:

b
∫ f (x )dx = [g(x )]
b
a = g(b) – g(a)
a

i.e. integrate the function first (find g(x)) then substitute in the given limits
(always substitute the upper limit first).

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 Integration- the basics

Examples
1
1 1 3 1 3
1. ∫0 x dx =  3 x  0 = 3 x
2
[ ] 1
0 = 1
3 {(1)3 – (0)3} = 1
3 (1 – 0) = 1
3

3
 2 
(2x + 1) dx =  2x + x  = x 2 + x
3
2. ∫ [ ] 3
1 = {(32 + 3) – (12 + 1)}
1
 2 1
= {(9 + 3) – (1 + 1)} = 12 – 2 = 10
π π

∫ cos (x ) dx = [sin(x )] 02 = {(sin( π2 )) – (sin(0))}

2
3.
0

=1–0=1

Questions (Definite integrals):

Integrate the following functions:
2
∫ (3x )
2
1. − 2x + 5 dx
1

1
∫e
7x
2. dx
0

π
3. ∫0
sin(2x ) dx

∫ (12e )
4
4x
4. + 4 x dx
1

(Solutions on page 9)

2
Integration that leads to log functions Example: y = ln(2x + 5)
2
t = 2x + 5 y = ln t
dy 1 dt dy 1
We know that if we differentiate y = ln(x) we find = . = 4x =
dx x dx dt t
We also know that if y = ln f(x), this differentiates as:
dy 1 4x 4x
= 4x x = =
dy f ' (x ) dx t t 2
2x + 5
=
dx f (x )
If we can recognise that the function we are trying to integrate is the derivative
of another function, we can simply reverse the above process. So if the
function we are trying to integrate is a quotient, and if the numerator is the
derivative of the denominator, then the integral will involve a logarithm, i.e.
f ' (x )
∫ f (x ) dx = ln (f(x)) + C

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 Integration- the basics

5
Example 1: ∫ 3 + 5x dx
The derivative of the denominator is 5 which is the same as the
numerator, hence
5
∫ 3 + 5x dx = ln (3 + 5x) + C

x
Example 2: ∫ 1+ x 2
dx

The derivative of the denominator is 2x. This is not the same as the
numerator but we can make it the same by re-writing the function
x 1 2x
2
as ⋅ , therefore
1+ x 2 1+ x2
x 1 2x
∫ 1+ x 2
dx =
2 ∫ 1+ x2
dx = 1
2 ln (1 + x2) + C

1
Example 3: ∫ xln(x ) dx
1
The derivative of ln x is x , so we can rewrite the function as:
1
x
. Hence
ln(x )
1 1

∫ xln(x ) dx = ∫ ln(x ) dx = ln(ln(x)) + C

x

2 3 3 
Example 4: ∫ 1
 − dx
 x x + 1
2 3 3  2 1 1 
∫1
 − dx = 3 ∫1  -
 x x + 1
dx
 x x + 1
2
= [3ln(x ) − 3ln(x + 1)]1

= {(3ln(2) – 3ln(3)) – (3ln(1) – 3ln(2))}

= 3ln(2) – 3ln(3) + 3ln(2) = 6ln(2) – 3ln(3)
= ln(26) – ln(33)
 64 
= ln(64) – ln(27) = ln 
 27 

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 Integration- the basics

Questions (Integration that leads to log functions):

Integrate the following functions:
3
1. ∫ 2 + 3x dx
x
2. ∫ 1 + 2x 2
dx

e 2x
3. ∫ e2x + 1 dx
x -3
4. ∫ x -2 + 4 dx
1  1 1 
5. ∫  x + 1 − x + 2 dx
0

(Solutions on page 10)

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 Integration- the basics

Solutions (General rules):

1. ∫ (x
6
− x2 +
3
1
x5
)dx = ∫ x 6
3
dx - ∫ x 2 dx + ∫ x15 dx
3

∫x dx - ∫ x 2 dx + ∫ x −5 dx
6
=
5
x7 x 2 x −4
= − 5 + +C
7 2 (− 4 )
5
x 7 2x 2 1
= − − 4 +C
7 5 4x

∫ (3x ) ∫ 3x ∫ x dx - ∫ 5 dx
8 8
2. + x − 5 dx = dx +

= 3 ∫ x 8 dx + ∫ x dx - ∫ 5 dx
3x 9 x 2
= + − 5x + C
9 2
x9 x2
= + − 5x + C
3 2

∫ (9x )
− 3x -1 dx = ∫ 9x 2 dx - ∫ 3x
2 -1
3. dx

= 9 ∫ x 2 dx - 3 ∫ x -1 dx

9x 3
= - 3ln(x ) + C
3
= 3x 3 - 3ln(x ) + C

∫ (sin(4x ) + e )dx ∫ sin(4x ) dx ∫e

3x 3x
4. = + dx

1 1
= − cos(4x ) + e 3x + C
4 3

∫ (cos(7x ) + 7x )dx = ∫ cos(7x ) dx + 7 ∫ x 2 dx

2
5.

1 7
= sin(7x ) + x 3 + C
7 3

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 Integration- the basics

Solutions (Definite integrals):

2
2  3x 3 2x 2 
∫ ( )
2
1. 3x − 2x + 5 dx =  − + 5x 
1
 3 2 1

[
= x 3 − x 2 + 5x ] 2
1

= {(23 – 22 + 5(2)) – (13 – 12 + 5(1))}

= {(8 – 4 + 10) – (1 – 1 + 5)}
= 14 – 5
=9

1
1 1  1
2. ∫ e dx =  e 7x  = e 7x
7x
[ ] 1
0 = 1
7 {e7 – e0} = 1
7 (e7 – 1)
0
7 0 7
π
π  1 
∫ sin(2x ) dx = − cos(2x ) = − 21 [cos(2x )]0
π
3.
0
 2 0
= - 21 {cos(2π) – cos (0)}

= - 21 {1 – 1}

=0

4. ∫ (12e
1
4
4x
)
+ 4 x dx = ∫ 1
4
(12e 4x
+ 4x 2 dx
1
)
4 4
12e 4x 4x 2   4x 8x 2 
3 3

=  + 3  = 3e + 
 4 2  1  3 
1

 16 8(4 )32   4 8 

=  3e +  −  3e + 
 3  
 3 

 8(8 )   4 8 
=  3e16 +  −  3e + 
 3   3 

64 8
= 3e16 + − 3e 4 −
3 3
56
= 3e16 − 3e 4 +
3

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 Integration- the basics

Solutions (Integration that leads to log functions):

3
1. ∫ 2 + 3x dx = ln (2 + 3x) + C
x
2. ∫ 1 + 2x 2
dx

Differentiating the denominator gives 4x

Therefore rewrite the function:
x 1 4x
2
= ⋅
1 + 2x 4 1 + 2x 2
Hence,
x 1 4x 4x
∫ 1 + 2x 2
dx = ∫ 4 ⋅ 1 + 2x 2
dx = 1
4 ∫ 1 + 2x 2
dx = 1
4 ln (1 + 2x2) + C

e 2x
3. ∫ 2x dx
e +1
Differentiating the denominator gives 2e2x hence we can rewrite the
function as:
e 2x 1 2e 2x
= ⋅
e 2x + 1 2 e 2x + 1
1 e 2x
∫ 2 ⋅ e2x + 1 dx = 1
2 ln (e2x + 1) + C

x -3
4. ∫ x -2 + 4 dx
Differentiating the denominator gives -2x-3, hence the function can be
rewritten as:
x -3 1 2x -3
= − ⋅
x -2 + 4 2 x -2 + 4
x -3 1 2x -3
∫ x -2 + 4 dx = − ∫ -2
2 x +4
dx = - 21 ln(x-2 + 4) + C

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 Integration- the basics

1  1 1 
∫  x + 1 − x + 2 dx = [ln(x + 1) − ln(x + 2)]
1
5. 0
0

= {(ln(2) – ln(3)) – (ln(1) – ln(2))}

= ln(2) – ln(3) + ln(2)
= 2ln(2) – ln(3)
= ln(22) – ln(3)
= ln(4) – ln(3)
4
= ln 
3

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