Lesson 5: Antiderivatives and Indefinite Integrals

Basic Rules and Notation

Topic 6.8: Finding Antiderivatives and Indefinite Integrals: Basic Rules and Notation

VOCABULARY AND DEFINITIONS:

1. A function 𝐹𝐹(𝑥𝑥) is an antiderivative of a function 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) if 𝐹𝐹 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) for all 𝑥𝑥 in the domain
of 𝑓𝑓. The process of finding an antiderivative is antidifferentiation.

2. The family of all antiderivatives of a function 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 is the indefinite integral of 𝑓𝑓 with respect
to x and is denoted by 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥.
3. If 𝐹𝐹 is any function such that 𝐹𝐹 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥), then 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 = 𝐹𝐹 𝑥𝑥 + is called the general
solution and C is called the constant of integration (an arbitrary constant).

EX #1: We know that if a function 𝑓𝑓 has an anti-derivative,

𝐹𝐹 𝑥𝑥 , then there is a “family of functions” which share
the same anti-derivatives; and, they will differ only by
a constant, .
A. State three functions 𝐹𝐹 , 𝐹𝐹 , 𝐹𝐹 whose derivatives
are 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 = 3𝑥𝑥 .

B. Explain the meaning of “+C” on your functions above.

EX #2: Applying Basic Rules

Given each derivative, below, find the general anti-derivative by Guess and Check.

A. g ( x) = 2 x B. f (t ) = t 2 C. 1
y =
x2

D. df E. 2 34 F. f = ex
= cos F = x
d 3

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 The expression f ( x) dx is read as the antiderivative of f with respect to x. So, the differential
dx serves to identify x as the variable of integration. The term “indefinite integral” is a synonym
for antiderivative.
dy
Notation for antiderivatives: = f ( x) The operation of finding all solutions of this
dx equation is called antidifferentiation or
dy = f ( x ) dx indefinite integration denoted by sign.

A GENERAL ANTI-DERIVATIVE is denoted by:

y = f ( x ) dx = F ( x ) + C

EX #3: When integrating, think before you work! Practice will help you “discover” many tricks and
techniques that make the integration rules “fit your problems”.

1
�5 + 𝑑𝑑
TRICK #1
REWRITE

� 3𝑥𝑥 − 1 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥
TRICK #2
MULTIPLE or
DISTRIBUTE

𝑥𝑥 + 4𝑥𝑥 + 5
� 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥
TRICK #3 𝑥𝑥
SEPARATE
FRACTIONS

𝑥𝑥 − 3
� 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥
𝑥𝑥
TRICK #4
MULTIPLE
OPTIONS

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EX #4: Match each function with its antiderivative, where C is a constant.

Function Antiderivative

𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑥𝑥 + 𝑥𝑥 − 5 A. 𝐹𝐹 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑥𝑥 − 6𝑥𝑥 + 𝑥𝑥 +

𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑥𝑥 − 𝑥𝑥 + 4 B. 𝐹𝐹 𝑥𝑥 = 2𝑥𝑥 − 4𝑥𝑥 − 𝑥𝑥 +

𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 = 4𝑥𝑥 + 6𝑥𝑥 − 𝑥𝑥 C. 𝐹𝐹 𝑥𝑥 = 2𝑥𝑥 + 3𝑥𝑥 − 𝑥𝑥 +

𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 = 6𝑥𝑥 − 𝑥𝑥 − 2 D. 𝐹𝐹 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑥𝑥 + 2𝑥𝑥 − 𝑥𝑥 +

#4B: For > , match the integral to its antiderivative.

Integral Antiderivative

1
� 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 E. 𝐹𝐹 𝑥𝑥 = ln 𝑥𝑥 − 6 +
𝑥𝑥

1
� 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 F. 𝐹𝐹 𝑥𝑥 = ln(2𝑥𝑥 − 6) +
𝑥𝑥 − 3

𝑥𝑥
� 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 G. 𝐹𝐹 𝑥𝑥 = ln( 𝑥𝑥) +
𝑥𝑥 − 2

3𝑥𝑥
� 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 H. 𝐹𝐹 𝑥𝑥 = ln 3𝑥𝑥 − 6 +
𝑥𝑥 − 3

#4C: Match the antiderivative to its integral.

Antiderivative Integral

−6 cos 𝑥𝑥 + 4 + J. � −18sin( 𝑥𝑥 + 1) 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥

6 cos 𝑥𝑥 + 1 + K. � −18 cos( 𝑥𝑥 + 1) 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥

6 sin 𝑥𝑥 + 4 + L. � 18 sin( 𝑥𝑥 + 4) 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥

−6 sin 𝑥𝑥 + 1 + M. � 18 cos( 𝑥𝑥 + 4) 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥

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 BASIC INTEGRATION RULES
Integration is the “inverse” of differentiation. Differentiation is the “inverse” of integration.

Differentiation Integration

𝑑𝑑 � 0 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 =
=0
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥
𝑑𝑑 � 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 = 𝑥𝑥 +
𝑥𝑥 =
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥
𝑑𝑑 � 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 = � 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥
𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥) = 𝑓𝑓 (𝑥𝑥)
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥

𝑑𝑑 � 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 ± (𝑥𝑥) 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 = � 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 ± � 𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥

𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 ± (𝑥𝑥) = 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 ± (𝑥𝑥)
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥

GENERAL POWER RULE

𝑑𝑑 𝑥𝑥
𝑥𝑥 = 𝑥𝑥 � 𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 = + ; −1
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 +1

TRIGONOMETRY RULES

𝑑𝑑 � cos 𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 = sin 𝑥𝑥 +

sin 𝑥𝑥 = cos 𝑥𝑥
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥
𝑑𝑑 � sin 𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 = − cos 𝑥𝑥 +
cos 𝑥𝑥 = − sin 𝑥𝑥
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥
𝑑𝑑 � sec 𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 = tan 𝑥𝑥 +
tan 𝑥𝑥 = sec 𝑥𝑥
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥
𝑑𝑑 � csc 𝑥𝑥 cot 𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 = − csc 𝑥𝑥 +
csc 𝑥𝑥 = − csc 𝑥𝑥 cot 𝑥𝑥
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥
𝑑𝑑 � sec 𝑥𝑥 tan 𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 = sec 𝑥𝑥 +
sec 𝑥𝑥 = sec 𝑥𝑥 tan 𝑥𝑥
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥
𝑑𝑑 � csc 𝑥𝑥 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 = − cot 𝑥𝑥 +
cot 𝑥𝑥 = − csc 𝑥𝑥
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥

TRANSCENDENTAL FUNCTION RULES

𝑑𝑑 � 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 = +
=
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥

𝑑𝑑 𝑎𝑎
𝑎𝑎 = 𝑎𝑎 ln 𝑎𝑎 � 𝑎𝑎 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 = +
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 ln 𝑎𝑎

𝑑𝑑 1 1
ln 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑥𝑥 > 0 � 𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 = ln 𝑥𝑥 +
𝑑𝑑𝑥𝑥 𝑥𝑥 𝑥𝑥

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 SOLVING DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
In Example 1, we explored a simple differential equation (DEQ) , = 3𝑥𝑥 .
So, a differential equation is just a statement about the derivative of y (with respect to x). We
found a family of functions that had the same derivative. This antiderivative is the general
solution. Now, our goal will be to solve for y with a specific solution for the constant of integration,
+C, based on an initial condition that can be used to find C.

EX #5: Solve the differential equations subject to given conditions.

A. 𝑓𝑓 (𝑥𝑥) = 𝑥𝑥 − 1 , 𝑓𝑓 2 = 5 B. 𝑓𝑓 (𝑥𝑥) = 2 cos 𝑥𝑥 , 𝑓𝑓 = −3

C. 𝑓𝑓 (𝑥𝑥) = 𝑥𝑥 + 𝑥𝑥 − 7, 𝑓𝑓 3 = 1 D. 𝑓𝑓 (𝑥𝑥) = 3𝑥𝑥 − 𝑥𝑥 + 2 , 𝑓𝑓 −1 = −4

E. = , 9 =6 F. 𝑓𝑓 = , 𝑓𝑓 0 = 2

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