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2.1: Substitution

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

Recall that the chain rule states that

(f(g(x)))' = f'(g(x))g'(x). \nonumber

Integrating both sides we get:

\int[f(g(x)]'dx = \int[f'(g(x)g'(x)dx] \nonumber

or

\int f'\left( g(x) \right) \, g' (x) \, dx = f\left(g(x)\right) + C \nonumber

Example 1

Calculate

\int \dfrac{2x}{x^2+1}\, dx = \int 2x\left( x^2+1\right)^{-2} \, dx. \nonumber

Solution

Let

u = x^2 +1 \nonumber

then

\dfrac{du}{dx} = 2x \nonumber

and

du = 2x \,dx. \nonumber

We substitute:

\int u^{-2} du = -u^{-1} + C = (x^2 +1)^{-1} + C. \nonumber

Steps:

  1. Find the function derivative pair (f and f').
  2. Let u = f(x).
  3. Find du/dx and adjust for constants.
  4. Substitute.
  5. Integrate.
  6. Resubstitute.

We will try many more examples including those such as

\int x\, \sin(x^2)\, dx, \nonumber

\int x\, \sqrt{x - 2}\, dx. \nonumber

Contributors and Attributions


This page titled 2.1: Substitution is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Larry Green.

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