Delta University for Science and Technology

Faculty of Engineering
Basic Science Department
Math 1 BAS011

Chapter 1

Integration By Inspection

1. Integrals and Integration:

The fundamental theorem of calculus provides us a powerful method to calculate

definite integrals, by the formula:

b
a
f ( x ) dx = F ( b ) − F ( a ) ,

where F is any antiderivative of f. This method places the burden of calculation squarely on
finding an antiderivative F of f.

If an antiderivative of a function is known or found then definite integrals of that function can
readily be computed. So the task is often simply to find antiderivatives, not definite integrals.
As anitderivatiable function f has infinitely many antiderivatives (any 2 of them differ from
each other by a constant). Now the general antiderivative of f represents all the
antiderivatives of f. Thus the task is actually simply to find general antiderivatives, when no
definite integral is needed at the moment.

We saw that the general antiderivative is the indefinite integral. Consequently in terms of
integrals the task is simply to find indefinite integrals, when no definite integral is needed at
the moment. If the indefinite integral of a function is known or found, definite integrals of that
function can readily be calculated. Many known indefinite integrals are recoded in integral
tables for all to use.

The word "integral" refers to the definite integral or the indefinite integral. Which one it refers
to will be clear from the context. Integration is the process of finding a definite integral or an
indefinite integral. Which process it is will be clear from the context.

Example 1.1. Calculate

3
−1
( x 2 + e x ) dx

Page 1 of 10 Dr. Ashraf Almahalawy

Delta University for Science and Technology
Faculty of Engineering
Basic Science Department
Math 1 BAS011

Solution:

3
3  x3 x   33 3   (−1)3 
−1 + = + = + − + e −1 
2 x
( x e ) d x  e   e  
 3  −1  3   3 

1 1
= 9 + e 3 −  29.05
3 e

Note that we don't need to insert a constant into the antiderivative ( x 3 / 3) + e x .

Example 1.2.

d 2 x
a- Find this derivate: x e .
dx

 (2x + x
2
b- What is this indefinite integral: ) e x dx .
5
c- Compute to 2-decimal-place accuracy definite integral:  1
( 2 x + x 2 ) e x dx .

Solution:

d 2 x
a- x e = 2 x e x + x 2 e x = ( 2 x + x 2 )e x .
dx

 (2x + x ) e x dx = x 2 e x + C .
2
b-

5 5
c-  1
( 2 x + x 2 ) e x dx =  x 2 e x  = 52 e 5 − 12 e 1 = 25e 5 − e = 3707.61 .
1

If the derivative of x 2 e x is ( 2 x + x 2 ) e x , then an antiderivative of ( 2 x + x 2 ) e x is

x 2 e x so the general antiderivative or indefinite integral of ( 2 x + x 2 ) e x is x 2 e x + C ,

where C is an arbitrary constant. Remark that it's not necessary to include the constant C of
the indefinite integral in the computation of the definite integral.

2. Integration by Inspection:

Example 2.1. Evaluate:  2x d x .

Page 2 of 10 Dr. Ashraf Almahalawy

Delta University for Science and Technology
Faculty of Engineering
Basic Science Department
Math 1 BAS011

Solution:

 2 x dx = x 2 +C .

We know this differentiation formula: ( d / dx ) x 2 = 2 x , that is, the derivative of x 2 is 2 x

. By inspection we see that 2 x is the derivative of x 2 , so that an antiderivative of 2 x is x 2

. Thus the general antiderivative or indefinite integral of 2 x is x 2 + C , where C is an

arbitrary constant. This is an example of integration by inspection.

 cos
2
Example 2.2. Find x dx .

Solution:

1 + cos 2 x  1 cos 2 x 
 cos x dx =  dx =   +
2

2  dx
 2 2 

sin 2 x
1 1 1
= x + 2 + C = x + sin 2 x + C .
2 2 2 4

We use a trigonometric identity to render the integrand into a form whose antiderivative is
obvious. This is another example of integration by inspection.

Integration by inspection refers to the situation where we by inspecting the integrand see
right away what its antiderivative is, as in Example 2.1, or see that it can be rendered into a
form whose antiderivative is obvious, as in Example 2.2. Integration by inspection clearly
requires that we know differentiation formulas and rules. For example we know these

differentiation formulas: ( d / dx ) x 2 = 2 x , ( d / dx ) (1/ 2) x = 1/ 2 , and

( d / dx )sin x = cos x and the chain rule (for ( d / dx ) sin 2 x = ( cos 2 x ) ( 2 ) = 2 cos 2 x ) .
Part 4 below gives a table of basic integrals corresponding to some differentiation formulas
and rules.

3. Integrals Requiring Integration Techniques:

Now consider this integral:

Page 3 of 10 Dr. Ashraf Almahalawy

Delta University for Science and Technology
Faculty of Engineering
Basic Science Department
Math 1 BAS011

x
x 2
+1
dx .

This is hard to be evaluated by inspection. There's a technique to find it. There are integrals
that require techniques. The next several sections present various techniques to find integrals
that are hard to evaluate or can't be evaluated by inspection. In this section we handle only
integrals that can be evaluated by inspection.

4. Some Basic Integrals:

The following integrals are some of the basic ones that derive from differentiation
formulas and rules and that should be memorized. Each one can be verified by simply
differentiating the right-hand side to obtain the integrand on the left-hand side. Here are 2
examples:

For formula 1:

d  x r +1  ( r + 1) x r
 + C = + 0 = x r , r  −1 , for r = −1 , so that
dx  r + 1  r + 1

x r = x −1 = 1/ x , see formula 2.

For formula 4:

d  1  1
 − cos a x + C  = − ( − sin a x ) ( a ) + 0 = sin a x .
dx  a  a

Some Basic Integrals:

In the following table we give some main basic integrals:

x r +1
1-  x r dx =
r +1
+ C , r  −1 is a real number; this formula is called the power rule

−1
for integration for r = −1 so that x = x = 1/ x , see formula 2.
r

1
2-  x dx = ln | x | + C .

Page 4 of 10 Dr. Ashraf Almahalawy

Delta University for Science and Technology
Faculty of Engineering
Basic Science Department
Math 1 BAS011

3-  sin x dx = − cos x + C .

1
4-  sin a x dx = − cos a x + C .
2
5-  cos x dx = sin x + C .

1
6-  csc a x dx =
a
sin a x + C .

 sec x d x = tan x + C .
2
7-

1
 csc a x dx = tan a x + C .
2
8-
a

 sec x dx = − cot x + C .
2
9-

1
 csc a x dx = − cot a x + C .
2
10-
a
11-  sec x tan x dx = sec x + C .

1
12-  sec a x tan a x dx =
a
sec a x + C .

13-  csc x cot s dx = − csc x + C .

1
14-  csc a x cot a x dx = − csc a x + C .
a
1
15-  1− x 2
dx = arcsin x + C = − arccos x + K .

1 x cos
16-  ra 2
−x 2
dx = arcsin + C = − arccos
a a
+K .

1
17-  1+ x 2
dx = arctan x + C = −arccot x + K .

1 1 x 1 x
18- a 2
+x 2
dx = arctan + C = − arccot + K .
a a a a
1
19-  |x | x 2 −1
dx = arcsec x + C = −arccsc x + K .

Page 5 of 10 Dr. Ashraf Almahalawy

Delta University for Science and Technology
Faculty of Engineering
Basic Science Department
Math 1 BAS011

1 1 x 1 x
20-  |x | x −a
2 2
dx =
a
arcsec + C = − arccsc + K .
a a a

e dx = e x + C .
x
21-

eax
 e dx = +C .
ax
22-
a
ax
23-  a x dx =
ln a
+C .

ab x
24-  ab x dx =
b ln a
+C .

5. Integrals of some Operations on Functions:

Here are integrals of some operations on functions, namely of sum, difference, and
constant multiple of functions:

1-  (f ( x ) + g ( x ) dx =  f ( x ) dx +  g ( x ) dx ,

[integrals of sum = sum of integrals].

2-  (f ( x ) − g ( x ) dx =  f ( x ) dx −  g ( x ) dx ,

[integrals of difference = sum of difference].

3- kf ( x ) dx =  f ( x ) dx ,

[integral of constant multiple = constant multiple of integral].

These formulas can be into this single formula,

4-  (a f ( x )  b g ( x ) ) dx = a  f ( x ) dx  b  g ( x ) dx ,

where a and b are constants.

These formulas can easily be proved by deriving them from differentiation formulas. For
example for formula 1:

d
dx  (f ( x ) + g ( x ) ) dx = f ( x ) + g ( x )

Page 6 of 10 Dr. Ashraf Almahalawy

Delta University for Science and Technology
Faculty of Engineering
Basic Science Department
Math 1 BAS011

d d
=
dx f ( x ) dx +
dx  g ( x ) dx

=
d
dx
(  f ( x ) dx +  g ( x ) dx ) ,
so;

 (f ( x ) + g ( x ) ) dx =  f ( x ) dx +  g ( x ) dx + C .

Usually in an equation where there are indefinite integral symbols on both sides we omit the
constant of integration because each integral symbol already includes a constant in it (if 1 side
no large has an indefinite integrals symbol then we must add on the constant there). Thus;

 (f ( x ) + g ( x ) ) dx =  f ( x ) dx +  g ( x ) dx .

These formulas can easily be extended to any number of functions. For example:

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

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

− k 2  f 5 ( x ) dx .

Example 5.1. Calculate:

 4 
  t + − 32 t  dt .
2/3

5+t 2


Solution:

 2/3 4  t (2 / 3) +1 4 t 32 t
 t +
 5+t 2
− 32 t 

dt =
(2 / 3) + 1
+
5
arctan −
5 2 ln 3
+C

3 4 t 32 t
= t 5/3 + arctan − +C .
5 5 5 2 ln 3

Page 7 of 10 Dr. Ashraf Almahalawy

Delta University for Science and Technology
Faculty of Engineering
Basic Science Department
Math 1 BAS011

Problems and Solutions:

1- Calculate the following indefinite integrals.

 (2x − x 2 − 3 x + 1) dx .
3
a-

 7 
  3t +
4/5
b-  dt .
2 +t 2 

Solution:

 x4  x3  x2 
 ( 2 x − x − 3 x + 1) dx = 2  − − 3  + x +C
3 2
a-
 4  3  2 

x 4 x 3 3x 2
= − − + x +C .
2 3 2

 4/5 7   t ( 4 / 5 ) +1   1 t 
b-   3t +
 2 +t 2


dt = 3 
 ( 4 / 5) + 1 
 + 7 
2
arctan
2
 +C

 

5t 9 / 5 7 t
= + arctan +C .
3 2 2

2- Compute this indefinite integral:

 ( 4cos 2 x − 2sin 5 x ) dx .
Solution:

1  1 
 ( 4 cos 2 x − 2sin 5 x ) dx =  sin 2 x
 2
 + 2  cos 5 x  + C
 5 

2
= 2sin 2 x + cos 5 x + C .
5

 1 
   u + a
u
3- Evaluate this indefinite integral:  du .


Page 8 of 10 Dr. Ashraf Almahalawy

Delta University for Science and Technology
Faculty of Engineering
Basic Science Department
Math 1 BAS011

Solution:

 1  1 1
   u + a
u
 du = ln | u | + a u + C .
  x ln a

x 2 +1
4- Find  x
dx .

Solution:

x 2 +1  x2 1   1  x2
 x
dx =  
 x
+
x
d x =   x +
  x


d x =
2
+ ln | x | + C .

 sin
4
5- Evaluate: x dx .

Solution:

 sin x dx =  (sin 2 x )2 dx
4

2
 1 − cos 2 x 
=  dx
 2 

1
=  (1 − 2 cos 2 x + cos
2
2 x ) dx
4

1 1 1 + cos 4 x
= ( x − sin 2 x ) +  dx
4 4 2

1 1 1 1 
= − sin 2 x +  x + sin 4 x  + C
4x 4 8 4 

3 1 1
= x − sin 2 x + sin 4 x + C .
8 4 32

Note:

Page 9 of 10 Dr. Ashraf Almahalawy

Delta University for Science and Technology
Faculty of Engineering
Basic Science Department
Math 1 BAS011

We insert the constant C only after the last integral has been evaluated. There's no
point to inset it before then, because if we did, then we would have to add up those constants
to get just a single constant.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Best wishes Dr. Ashraf Almahalawy

Page 10 of 10 Dr. Ashraf Almahalawy