Joe Foster

Integration by Parts
To reverse the chain rule we have the method of u-substitution. To reverse the product rule we also have a method, called
Integration by Parts. The formula is given by:

Theorem (Integration by Parts Formula)

ˆ ˆ
u dv = uv − v du

Remember, all of the techniques that we talk about are supposed to make integrating easier! Even though this formula
´
expresses one integral in terms of a second integral, the idea is that the second integral, v du, is easier to evaluate. The
key to integration by parts is making the right choice for u and v. Sometimes we may need to try multiple options before
we can apply the formula. Let’s see it in action.

Example 1 Find
ˆ
x cos(x) dx.

We have to decide what to assign to u and what to assign to dv. Our goal is to make the integral easier. One thing to bear
in mind is that whichever term we let equal u we need to differentiate - so if differentiating makes a part of the integrand
simpler that’s probably what we want! In this cases differentiating cos(x) gives − sin(x), which is no easier to deal with.
But differentiating x gives 1 which is simpler. So we have,

ˆ ˆ
u=x dv = cos(x) dx x cos(x) dx = x sin(x) − sin(x) dx

du = dx v = sin(x) = x sin(x) + cos(x) + C

Example 2 Evaluate
ˆ 4
xe−x dx.
0

ˆ 4 4
ˆ 4
−x −x
xe dx = −xe − −e−x dx
0 0 0
4
−x = −xe−x − e−x
u=x dv(x) = e dx 0
−4 −4
− 0 − e−0
   
du = dx v = −e−x = −4e − e
= −5e−4 + 1

= 1 − 5e−4

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MATH 142 - Integration by Parts Joe Foster

Example 3 Evaluate
ˆ
x2 ex dx.

ˆ ˆ
u = x2 dv = ex dx 2 x 2 x
x e dx = x e − 2 xex dx.
x
du = 2x dx v=e

It’s at this point we see that we still cannot integrate the integral on the write easily. This is okay. Sometimes we may
have to apply the integration by parts formula more than once!
ˆ ˆ
2 x 2 x
x e dx = x e − 2 xex dx
 ˆ 
u=x dv = ex dx = x2 ex − 2 xex − ex dx
du = dx v = ex = x2 ex − 2xex + 2ex + C

= x2 − 2x + 2 ex + C

ˆ
The previous technique works for any integral of the form xn emx dx, where n is any positive integer and m is any integer.
What if n was negative? Then this case we would set u = ex .

Example 4 In Example 3 we have to apply the Integration by Parts Formula multiple times. There is a convenient way to
“book-keep” our work. This is done by creating a table. Let’s see how by examining Example 3 again.
ˆ
x2 ex dx.

Let u = x2 and dv = ex dx. Then,

Differentiate u Integrate dv)

x2 + ex
2x − ex
2 + ex
0 ex

Then the integral is,

ˆ
x2 ex dx = +x2 · ex − 2x · ex + 2 · ex + C

x2 − 2x + 2 ex + C


=

We have actually used the integration by parts formula, but we have just made our lives easier by condensing the work into
a neat table. This method is extremely useful when Integration by Parts needs to be used over and over again.

The next example exposes a potential flaw in always using the tabular method above. Sometimes applying the integration
by parts formula may never terminate, thus your table will get awfully big.

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MATH 142 - Integration by Parts Joe Foster

Example 5 Find the integral

ˆ
ex sin(x) dx.

We need to apply Integration by

Parts twice before we see something:

ˆ ˆ
(1)
ex sin(x) dx = −ex cos(x) + ex cos(x) dx
 ˆ 
u = ex dv = sin(x) x x x
= −e cos(x) + e sin(x) − e sin(x) dx
x
du = e dx v = − cos(x) ˆ
= −e cos(x) + e sin(x) − ex sin(x) dx
x x

(2)
ˆ
Notice that now the integral we are interested in, ex sin(x) dx, appears on both the
u = ex dv = cos(x)
left and right hand side of the equation. So, if we add this integral to both sides we get
du = ex dx v = sin(x) ˆ
=⇒ 2 ex sin(x) dx = ex (− cos(x) + sin(x))
ˆ
ex (sin(x) − cos(x))
=⇒ ex sin(x) dx =
2

This “trick” comes up often when we are dealing with the product of two functions with “non-terminating” derivatives.
By this we mean that you can keep differentiating functions like ex and trig functions indefinitely and never reach 0.
Polynomials on the other hand will eventually “terminate” and their nth derivative (where n is the degree of the polynomial)
is identically 0. If you do enough of them however you’ll start to see a pattern in the answers.

Example 6 Evaluate
ˆ
e3x sin (4x) dx.

u1 = e3x dv1 = sin (4x) ˆ ˆ

3x 1 3x 3
1 e sin(4x) dx = − e cos (4x) + e3x cos (4x) dx
du1 = 3e3x dx v1 = − cos (4x) 4 4
4  ˆ 
1 3 1 3x 3
= − e3x cos (4x) + e sin (4x) − e3x sin (4x) dx
4 4 4 4
ˆ
1 3x 3 3x 9
u2 = e3x dv2 = cos (4x) = − e cos (4x) + e sin (4x) − e3x sin (4x) dx
4 16 16
ˆ
1 25 1 3
du2 = 3e3x dx v2 = sin (4x) =⇒ e3x sin(4x) dx = − e3x cos (4x) + e3x sin (4x) + C
4 16 4 16
ˆ
4 3
=⇒ e2x sin(3x) dx = − e3x cos (4x) + e3x sin (4x) + C
25 25
1 3x
= e (3 sin (4x) − 4 cos (4x)) + C
25

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MATH 142 - Integration by Parts Joe Foster

The last couple of examples we will look at are ones where the integrand doesn’t seem to look like a product in anyway.
The ‘trick’ here is that everything is multiplied by 1! This idea is very useful when dealing with integrals containing
logarithms and inverse trigonometric functions.

Example 7 Find
ˆ
ln(x) dx.

ˆ ˆ
ln(x) dx = x ln(x) − 1 dx
u = ln(x) dv = 1 dx
1 = x ln(x) − x + C
du = dx v=x
x = (ln(x) − 1) x + C

For inverse trigonometric functions, we will need to know the derivatives of inverse functions. You may recall this from
Calculus I when you studied the chain rule.

d
d d −1 1
f f −1 (x) = x f 0 f −1 (x) f −1 (x) = 1

dx


=⇒ =⇒ f (x) = 0 −1
dx dx f (f )

Of course, when one is dealing with inverse functions it is important to be aware of the domain and ranges of the functions
you are working with.

Example 8 Calculate,
ˆ
arctan (x) dx.

ˆ ˆ
x
u = arctan(x) dv = 1 dx arctan(x) dx = x arctan(x) − dx
1 + x2
ˆ
1 1 1
du = 2
dx v=x = x arctan(x) − dw
sec (arctan(x)) 2 w
1 1
= dx w = 1 + x2 = x arctan(x) − ln |w| + C
1 + tan2 (arctan(x)) 2
1 1
= dx dw = 2x dx = x arctan(x) − ln |1 + x2 | + C
1 + x2 2

With integrals like this you can expect to be doing a u-substitution (or as we have it labelled above, a w-substitution) after
applying the integration by parts formula.

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MATH 142 - Integration by Parts Joe Foster

Practice Problems
Try some of the problems below. If you get stuck, don’t worry! There are hints on the next page! But do try without
looking at them first, chances are you won’t get hints on your exam.

ˆ ˆ ˆ √
2
(ln(x))2 √
1. t sin(2t) dt 9. dx 17. x3 ln( 3 x) dx
1 x3
ˆ ˆ ˆ
2
2. x cos(3x) dx 10. (ln(x))2 dx 18. t sec2 (2t) dt
ˆ ˆ ˆ
−1
3. sin (x) dx 11. 4x cos(2 − 3x) dx 19. e−θ cos(2θ) dθ
ˆ ˆ
ˆ 0
4. p5 ln(p) dp 20. e2z cos(z/4) dz
12. (2 + 5x)ex/3 dx
6
ˆ 1 ˆ ˆ 2
2 −x ln(x)
5. (x + 1)e dx 13. 2
(t + 3t) sin(2t) dt 21. dx
0 1 x2
ˆ 9 ˆ ˆ 1
ln(y) π y
6. √ dy 14. 2
x cos(4x) dx 22. dy
4 y 0 0 e2y
ˆ π ˆ ˆ 1/2
7. x3 cos(x) dx 15. (4z 3 − 9z 2 + 7z + 3)e−z dz 23. cos(x) ln(sin(x)) dx
0 0
ˆ e ˆ ˆ
ln(x) 7t
8. dx 16. 8te dt 24. x4 (ln(x))2 dx
1 x2

Challenge Problems
ˆ ˆ √ ˆ
3 2
1. 7
t sin(2t ) dt 4
4. arctan(1/x) dx 6. t3 e−t dt
ˆ 4
1
ˆ
2 7. x ln(1 + x) dx
2. (2 − x) ln(4x) dx
1
ˆ ˆ ˆ
√
3. arcsin(x) dx 5. cos( x) dx 8. sin(ln(x)) dx

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MATH 142 - Integration by Parts Joe Foster

Hints to Practice Problems

1. u = t 9. Apply twice, 16. u = 8t
2
start with u = (ln(x))
2. Apply twice, 17. u = ln(x)
2 2
start with u = x 10. u = (ln(x))
18. u = t
3. u = sin−1 (x) 11. u = 4x
19. Think Example 5.
4. u = ln(p) 12. u = 2 + 5x
20. Think Example 5.
5. Apply twice, 13. Apply twice,
start with u = x2 + 1 21. u = ln(x)
start with u = t2 + 3t
6. u = ln(y) 22. u = y
14. Apply twice,
7. Apply three times, start with u = x2 23. u = ln(sin(x))
3
start with u = x
15. Apply three times, 24. Apply twice,
3 2
8. u = ln(x) start with u = 4z − 9z + 7z + 3 start with u = (ln(x))2

Hints to Challenge Problems

1. u = t4 4. u = arctan(1/x) 7. u = 1 + x, then parts.
√
2. u = ln(4x) 5. u = x, then parts.

3. u = arcsin(x) 6. u = −t2 , then parts. 8. eu = x, then parts.

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MATH 142 - Integration by Parts Joe Foster

Answers to Practice Problems

1 1


1. (sin(2t) − 2t cos(2t)) + C 13. −2t2 − 6t + 1 cos(2t) + (2t + 3) sin(2t) + C
4 4
1 π
2.


(9x2 − 2) sin(3x) + 6x cos(3x) + C 14.
27 8
√ 15. −(4z 3 + 3z + 13z + 16)e−z + C
3. x sin−1 (x) + 1 − x2 + C
1 7t
1 6 16. e (56t − 8) + C
4. p (6 ln(p) − 1) + C 49
36
2 5/2
3e − 6 17. x (5 ln(x) − 2) + C
5. 75
e
1
  
27
 18. (2t tan(2t) + ln | cos(2t|) + C
6. 4 ln −1 4
4
19.


7. 3 4 − π 2 4 2z  z   z 
20. e 8 cos + sin +C
65 4 4
e−2
8. 1 − ln(2)
e 21.
2
1
9. (3 − ln(2)(ln(2) + 1)) 1

3

16 22. 1− 2

4 e
10. x ln(x)2 − 2 ln(x) + 2 + C       
1 1
1 23. sin ln sin −1
11. (4 cos(2 − 3x) − 12x sin(2 − 3x)) + C 2 2
9
1 5

12. −39 − 51e2 24. x 25 ln(x)2 − 10 ln(x) + 2 + C
125

Answers to Challenge Problems

1 √ √ √
5. 2 x sin( x) + 2 cos( x) + C


1. sin(2t4 ) − 2t4 cos(2t4 ) + C
16
1 2


6. − et t2 + 1 + C
2. ln 65, 536 · 22/3 − 4 2
√ 1

3. x sin−1 (x) + 1 − x2 + C 7. 2(x2 − 1) ln(1 + x) − x + 2 + C
4
1 √

1
4. 2 3 − 3 π + ln(64) 8. x (sin(ln(x)) − cos(ln(x))) + C
12 2

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