Lecture No.

11
8.4: Integration of Rational Functions by Partial Fractions
Rational functions are defined as
Pn ( x )
R( x ) = where n  m
Qm ( x )
Such as
4 x2 − 3 x − 4 4x 2 x2 − x + 4
, ,
x3 + x2 − 2 x x3 − x2 − x + 1 x3 + 4 x
Remember
1 2 x + 1 + 2x 3x+1
+ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯→
Common Denomenator

x x+1 x ( x + 1) x ( x + 1)
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
Partial Fractions
Another example:
1 1 2 x ( x + 1) ( x + 1) 2 x2 3 x2 + 2 x + 1
+ 2+ = 2 + 2 + 2 =
x x x+1 x ( x + 1) x ( x + 1) x ( x + 1) x 2 ( x + 1)

Factor Corresponding Partial Fractions

A
(a x + b)
ax + b
A1 A2 An
(a x + b) n
+ +. . . +
(a x + b) (a x + b ) 2
(a x + b )n
Ax + B
(a x + b x + c )
2
( a x2 + b x + c )
A1 x + B1 A2 x + B2 An x + Bn
(a x + b x + c )
2 n
+ + ... +
(a x + b x + c ) (a x + b x + c )
2 2 2
( a x 2 + b x + c )n
Example 1: Remember
3x+1
Evaluate I =  x ( x + 1)
dx
1 2 3x+1
+ =
Solution: x x+1 x ( x + 1)
3x+1 A B A( x + 1) + B x
= + =
x ( x + 1) x x +1 x ( x + 1)

Equating Numerators
OR 3 x + 1 = Ax + A + B x = ( A + B ) x + A
 3 x + 1 = A( x + 1) + B x
 A=1 , A+ B = 3  B = 2
Put x = 0  A = 1
Put x = −1  B = 2

3x+1 1 2 1 2

x ( x + 1)
= +
x +1
I= + dx = ln x + 2ln x + 1 + c
x x x+1
Example 2:
4 x2 − 3 x − 4
Evaluate I =  3 dx
x + x − 2x
2

Solution:
4 x2 − 3 x − 4 4 x − 3x − 4
2 4 x 2
− 3x − 4
=
A
+
B
+
C
= =
x + x − 2x
3 2
x ( x 2 + x − 2) x ( x + 2)( x − 1) x x + 2 x −1
Multiply both sides by the denominator we find
4 x 2 − 3 x − 4 = A( x + 2)( x − 1) + B x ( x − 1) + C x ( x + 2)
2 3 −1
Put x = 0  − 4 = − 2 A  A = 2 I= + + dx
x x + 2 x −1
Put x = −2  18 = 6 B  B = 3
= 2 ln x + 3ln x + 2 − ln x − 1 + c
Put x = 1  − 3 = 3 C  C = − 1
x 2 ( x + 2)3
= ln +c
x −1
Example 3:
4x
Evaluate I =  x − x − x +1
3 2
dx
Solution:
4x 4x 4x A B C
= = 2 = + +
x ( x − 1) − ( x − 1)
2
( x − 1)( x − 1) ( x + 1)( x − 1)
2
x + 1 x − 1 ( x − 1)2
4 x = A( x − 1)2 + B ( x + 1)( x − 1) + C ( x + 1)
Put x = −1  − 4 = 4 A  A = − 1
Put x = 1  4 = 2 C  C = 2
Put x = 0  0 = A − B + C  B = 1
−1 1 2
I= + + dx
x + 1 x − 1 ( x − 1) 2

2
= − ln x + 1 + ln x − 1 − + c
x −1
Example 4:
2 x2 − x + 4
Evaluate I =  dx
x +4x
3

Solution:
2 x2 − x + 4 2 x2 − x + 4 A Bx + C
= = + 2
x3 + 4 x x ( x 2 + 4) x x + 4
2 x 2 − x + 4 = A( x 2 + 4) + ( B x + C ) x
Put x = 0  4 = 4 A  A = 1
Coefficient of x 2  2 = A + B  B = 1
Coefficient of x  − 1 = C
1 x −1 1 1 2x 1
I= + 2 dx = dx +  2 dx −  2 dx
x x +4 x 2 x +4 x +4
1 1 −1 x
= ln x + ln x + 4 − tan ( 2 ) + c
2

2 2
Example 5:
1
Evaluate I =  x +1
3
dx
Solution:
1 1 A Bx + C
= = + 2
x + 1 ( x + 1)( x 2 − x + 1)
3
x+1 x − x + 1
1 = A ( x 2 − x + 1) + ( B x + C )( x + 1)
Put x = −1  1 = 3 A  A = 1 / 3
Coefficient of x 2  0 = A + B  B = −1 / 3
Put x = 0  1 = A + C  C = 2 / 3
1 −1
x + 2
1 1 x−2
I= 3
+ 2 3 3
dx = ln x + 1 −  2 dx
x+1 x − x + 1 3 3 x − x+1
1 1 2( x − 2) 1 1 2x − 1 3
= ln x + 1 −  2 dx = ln x + 1 −  2 − dx
3 6 x − x+1 3 6 x − x + 1 (x − 2) + 4
1 2 3

1 1 1 2
= ln x + 1 − ln x 2 − x + 1 + 
3 6 2 3
( )
tan −1 2 x3−1 + c
Example 6:
dx
Evaluate I =  e2 x − e x
Solution:
1 dy 1
Let e x = y  x = ln y  dx = dy I =  = 2 dy
y y( y − y )
2
y ( y − 1)
1 A B C
= + 2+  1 = A y ( y − 1) + B ( y − 1) + C y 2
y ( y − 1) y y
2
y −1

Put y = 0  1 = − B  B = −1 Put y = 1  1 = C
Coefficient of y 2  0 = A + C  A = −1
−1 1 1
I= − 2+ dy = − ln y +
1
+ ln y − 1 + c
y y y −1 y

= − x + e − x + ln e x − 1 + c
Example 7:
x3 + 4 x2 + 4 x − 1
Evaluate I =  ( x + 1)
2 2
dx
Solution:
x3 + 4 x2 + 4 x − 1 A x + B Cx+D
= 2 + 2
( x + 1)
2 2
( x + 1) ( x + 1)2

x 3 + 4 x 2 + 4 x − 1 = ( A x + B )( x 2 + 1) + C x + D
= A x 3 + Bx 2 + ( A + C ) x + ( B + D )

Coefficient of x 3  A = 1
Coefficient of x 2  B = 4
Coefficient of x  A + C = 4  C = 3
Coefficient of x 0  B + D = −1  D = − 5
 x+4 3x − 5
 I=  ( x 2 + 1) ( x 2 + 1)2 dx
+

x 1 x 1
= 2 dx + 4  2 dx + 3  2 dx − 5  2 dx
( x + 1) ( x + 1) ( x + 1) 2
( x + 1) 2

1 −1 3
= ln x + 1 + 4tan x −
2
− 5 I1 1 + x2
2 2( x + 1)
2
x
t
Let x = tan t  dx = sec 2 t dt 1

sec 2 t 1 1 sin 2t 
 I1 =  =  cos =  + = + +c
2
dt t dt 1 cos 2 t dt  t 
4
sec t 2 2 2 
1 2sin t cos t  1 x 1 
= t + +c =  tan −1 x +  +c
2 2  2 1 + x2 1 + x2 

1 3 5 x 
I = ln x 2 + 1 + 4tan −1 x − −  tan −1
x + 2 
+c
2 2( x + 1)
2
2 1+ x 
Homework:

Exercise 8.4: page 517 No. 1 – 5, 7 – 10, 29 – 33, 49, 50.