Direct Integration

Prerequisites
You should already understand that integration is the reverse process of differentiation.
differentiate
g  x    f  x  dx 
  f x   g x 

integrate

You have also already met the following functions and their derivatives

function derivative function derivative

xn nx n 1 tan x sec2 x

ex ex cosecx  cot xcosec x

ln x 1 sec x tan x sec x

x

sin x cos x cot x  cosec2x

cos x  sin x

Example (1)
Reverse the table above to fill in the missing entries in the table below

function integral function integral

xn xn  1 sec2 x
c n 1
n 1

ex cot xcosec x

1 tan x sec x
x

sin x cosec2x

cos x

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 Solution

function integral function integral

1 n 1 tan x  c
xn x c n 1 sec2 x
n 1

ex ex  c cot xcosec x cosec x  c

1 ln x  c tan x sec x sec x  c

x

sin x cos x  c cosec2x  cot x  c

cos x  sin x  c

The technique of “direct integration” to find integrals is simply the idea of searching by trial and
error for a function that reverses the process of differentiation. You should have already learnt to
directly integrate simple polynomial functions.

Example (2)
3
6
Integrate x 2  with respect to x.
x2

Solution
3
6
Let f  x   x 2  .
x2
We have to integrate two functions. Let us do this separately and then add the results at
the end.
1
For f1  x   2x 2
5 5 3
d 2 5 2
Try x2  x  x
dx 2

2 2
3
d  2 32  2 5 32 3
Try x   x    x  x 2  
5 dx 5  5 2

For f2  x   3x 3

d 1
Try x 1  x  x 2
dx

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 d 6
Try 6x 1  6x 1  6  x 2  6x 2  2  
dx x
Thus
3 3
6 2 6
x 2

x2
dx  x 2   c
5 x

Finally, you should also have learnt how to differentiate products, chains and quotients by the
rules

(1) Product rule

d du dv
f  g   f   g  f  g  u  v    v   u
dx dx dx
(2) Chain rule
du du dv
fg   f g   g    where u  x   u  v  x  
dx dv dx
(3) Quotient rule
u 
d   v  du  u  dv
 f  f   g  f  g  v   dx dx
  
g  g2 dx v2

Example (3)
Differentiate e 2x cos3x

Solution
d 2x  d 2x   d 
e cos3x   e  cos3x  e 2x  cos3x  Product rule
dx  dx   dx 
=  2e 2x  cos3x  e 2x  3sin 3x Chain rule
2x 2x
=  2e cos3x  3e sin 3x

Extending direct integration

The same method of direct integration can now be extended to cover a wider range of functions.
It is simply a question of working one’s way through a series of examples.

Example (4)

Find  cos5x dx

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 Solution
d
Try sin 5x  sin 5x  5cos5x
dx
1 d 1 1
Try sin 5x  sin 5x   5cos5x  cos5x  
5 dx 5 5
Hence
1
 cos5x dx  5 sin 5x  c

Henceforth we shall sometimes omit the various trials and show only the result. We can evaluate
definite integrals by direct integration.

Example (5)
1.5
Evaluate 1
e 3x dx giving your answer to 4 significant figures.

Solution
1.5
1.5 1  1 1
 e3x dx   e3x   e 4.5  e 3  23.3105...  23.31  4 s.f.
1
 3 1 3 3

The limits in exact integrals involving trigonometric functions are usually given in radians.

Example (6)

Evaluate  sin  2x  dx .
3

Solution
The limits involve fractions of  and this indicates that they are measured in radians not
degrees.


1 3
 3
sin  2x  dx   cos  2x  
4 2 
4

1  2  1  
 cos     cos   
2  3  2  2
1 1
  0
2 2
1

4

Example (7)
dy
If  sec2 2x  cosec2 3x find y
dx

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 Solution
dy
 sec2 2x  cosec2 3x
dx

 sec 
2x  cosec2 3x dx   sec2 2xdx   cosec2 3xdx
2

tan 2x cot3x
  c
2 3

a
The form
bx  c n
a
Certain integrands take the form where a, b, c are real numbers and n is an integer n  1 .
bx  c 
n

This is a form of the basic polynomial function y  x n whose integral is

1 n 1
x dx  x c
n

n 1

so it can be directly integrated.

Example (8)
9
Find  3x  1 5
dx

Solution
It may be instructive to show various trials. The function that we are integrating takes the
1 1
form where u  3x  1 so we try first u 4  4 .
u5 u
d
3x  1 3x  1  4 3x  1
4 4 5
Try 
dx
9 d 9 9 9
3x  1  3x  1    4 3x  1   
4 4 5
Try  
3x  1
5
4 dx 4 4

Hence
9 9
 3x  1 5
dx  
4 3x  1
4
c

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 f  x 
The form
f x 

f  x 
Certain integrands take the form for a given function f.
f x 

Example (9)
(a) Using the chain rule differentiate each of the following

i  y  ln  x  3
ii  y  ln x 2 
iii  y  ln f  x   f x   0

f  x 
(b) What is the integral of ?
f x 

Solution
(a ) i  y  ln  x  3 x  3
dy 1 1
 
dx x  3 y
ii  y  ln x 2 
dy 2x y 
 
dx x 2 y
iii  y  ln f  x   f x   0
dy f   x 

dx f  x 

(b) Since integration is the reverse operation to differentiation, the last result
suggests that
f  x 
 f  x  dx  ln f x    c

f  x 
From example (9) we conjecture that  f  x  dx  ln f  x    c . However, we must be careful here,

because logarithm is a function that is not defined for negative values. Therefore, if f  x  is

negative then ln f  x   is not defined. Suppose f  x   0 then, as in example (9)

d d f  x 
ln f  x   ln f  x   
dx dx f x 

But if f  x   0 then f  x   f  x  and

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d d f   x  f   x 
ln f  x   ln  f  x    
dx dx f  x  f  x 

d f  x 
So whether f  x   0 or f  x   0 we have ln f  x    , but this shows that the correct
dx f x 

result for the reverse process is

f  x 
 f  x  dx  ln f  x   c .
The introduction of the modulus sign prevents the possibility arising of introducing an undefined
and hence meaningless function as a result of attempting to integrate a function. Questions may
test your understanding of this result

Example (10)
3
Find  6x  2 dx
Solution
d 6
Try ln 6x  2  ln 6x  2 
dx  6x  4
1 d 1 1 6 3
Try ln 6x  2  ln 6x  2     
2 dx 2 2  6x  4  6x  4 

Hence
3 1
 6x  2 dx  2 ln 6x  2  c

Example (11)

 5x 4 
Find   1  x   1  x 
2 3
 dx

 

Solution

 5x 4  5x 4
  1  x   1  x 
2 3
 dx 
  1  x  dx   1  x 
2 3
dx
 
5 1
  ln 1  x 2  c
2 1  x 
2
2

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