INTEGRALS

5.4
Indefinite Integrals and
the Net Change Theorem
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
In this section, we will learn about:
Indefinite integrals and their applications.
INDEFINITE INTEGRALS

Both parts of the FTC establish

connections between antiderivatives
and definite integrals.
x
 Part 1 says that if, f is continuous, then
is an antiderivative of f.

a
f (t ) dt

b

 Part 2 says that a f ( x) dx can be found by evaluating
F(b) – F(a), where F is an antiderivative of f.
INDEFINITE INTEGRAL

Due to the relation given by the FTC between

antiderivatives and integrals, the notation
∫ f(x) dx is traditionally used for an
antiderivative of f and is called an indefinite
integral.

Thus, ∫ f(x) dx = F(x) means F’(x) = f(x)

INDEFINITE INTEGRALS

For example, we can write

x 3
d x  3

 x dx  3  C because dx  3  C   x
2 2

 Thus, we can regard an indefinite integral

as representing an entire family of functions
(one antiderivative for each value of the constant C).
INDEFINITE VS. DEFINITE INTEGRALS

You should distinguish carefully between

definite and indefinite integrals.
b
 A definite integral 
a
f ( x) dx is a number.

 An indefinite integral ∫ f(x) dx is a function

(or family of functions).
INDEFINITE INTEGRALS

Any formula can be verified by differentiating

the function on the right side and obtaining
the integrand.


For instance, sec 2 x dx  tan x  C
because
d
(tan x  C )  sec x
2

dx
TABLE OF INDEFINITE INTEGRALS Table 1

 cf ( x) dx  c  f ( x) dx  [ f ( x)  g ( x)] dx
  f ( x) dx   g ( x) dx
n 1
x
 k dx  kx  C  dx  n  1  C (n  1)
n
x

 sin x dx   cos x  C  cos x dx  sin x  C

 x dx  tan x  C  x dx   cot x  C
2 2
sec csc

 sec x tan x dx  sec x  C  csc x cot x dx   csc x  C

INDEFINITE INTEGRALS

Thus, we write 1 1
 x2 dx  
x
 C
with the understanding that it is valid on
the interval (0, ∞) or on the interval (-∞, 0).
INDEFINITE INTEGRALS

This is true despite the fact that the general

antiderivative of the function f(x) = 1/x2,
x ≠ 0, is:
 1

 x  C1 if x  0
F ( x)  
1
  C if x  0
 x 2
INDEFINITE INTEGRALS Example 1

Find the general indefinite integral

∫ (10x4 – 2 sec2x) dx

 Using our convention and Table 1, we have:

∫(10x4 – 2 sec2x) dx = 10 ∫ x4 dx – 2 ∫ sec2x dx

= 10(x5/5) – 2 tan x + C
= 2x5 – 2 tan x + C

 You should check this answer by differentiating it.

INDEFINITE INTEGRALS Example 2
cos 
Evaluate
 sin 2  d
 This indefinite integral isn’t immediately apparent
in Table 1.

 So, we use trigonometric identities to rewrite

the function before integrating:

cos   1  cos  
 sin 2  d    sin  
 sin 
 d

  csc  cot  d   csc   C
INDEFINITE INTEGRALS Example 3
3
 ( x  6 x) dx
3
Evaluate
0

 Using FTC2 and Table 1, we have:

3
3 x x  4 2

0 ( x  6 x) dx  4  6 2 
3

  3  33     0  3 0
1
4
4 2 1
4
4 2

 81
4  27  0  0  6.75

 Compare this with Example 2 b in Section 5.2

INDEFINITE INTEGRALS Example 4

Find
12
 0
( x  12sin x) dx
INDEFINITE INTEGRALS Example 4
The FTC gives:

x2
 x  12sin x  dx   |12( cos x)0
12

12
0 2
 2 (12)  12(cos12  cos 0)
1 2

 72  12 cos12  12
 60  12 cos12

 This is the exact value of the integral.

INDEFINITE INTEGRALS Example 4
If a decimal approximation is desired, we can
use a calculator to approximate cos 12.

Doing so, we get:

  x 12sin x  dx  70.1262
12

0
INDEFINITE INTEGRALS

The figure shows the graph of the integrand

in the example.

 We know from Section 5.2

that the value of the
integral can be
interpreted as the sum
of the areas labeled
with a plus sign minus
the area labeled with
a minus sign.
INDEFINITE INTEGRALS Example 5

Evaluate 9
2
2t  t t  1
2

1 t 2
dt

 First, we need to write the integrand in a simpler

form by carrying out the division:

9 2t 2  t 2 t  1 9
 
2
2
dt  (2  t 12
 t ) dt
1 t 1
INDEFINITE INTEGRALS Example 5
9

2
 Then, (2  t 12
 t )dt
1
9
t 32
t 
1
 2t   
3
2 1 1
9
2 3 2 1
 2t  t  
3 t 1
 (2  9  23  93 2  19 )  (2 1  23 13 2  11 )
 18  18  19  2  23  1  32 94
APPLICATIONS

The FTC2 says that, if f is continuous on

[a, b], then b
 a
f ( x) dx  F (b)  F (a)

where F is any antiderivative of f.

 This means that F’ = f.

 So, the equation can be rewritten as:
b

a
F '( x) dx  F (b)  F (a)
APPLICATIONS

We know F’(x) represents the rate of change

of y = F(x) with respect to x and F(b) – F(a) is
the change in y when x changes from a to b.

 Note that y could, for instance, increase,

then decrease, then increase again.

 Although y might change in both directions,

F(b) – F(a) represents the net change in y.
NET CHANGE THEOREM

So, we can reformulate the FTC2 in words,

as follows.

The integral of a rate of change is

the net change: b

a
F '( x) dx  F (b)  F (a)
NET CHANGE THEOREM

This principle can be applied to all the rates

of change in the natural and social sciences
that we discussed in Section 3.7

The following are a few instances of the idea.

NET CHANGE THEOREM

If V(t) is the volume of water in a reservoir at

time t, its derivative V’(t) is the rate at which
water flows into the reservoir at time t.

t2
 So, 
t1
V '(t ) dt  V (t2 )  V (t1 )

is the change in the amount of water

in the reservoir between time t1 and time t2.
NET CHANGE THEOREM

If [C](t) is the concentration of the product of

a chemical reaction at time t, then the rate of
reaction is the derivative d[C]/dt.

t2 d [C ]
 So, 
t1 dt
dt  [C ](t2 )  [C ](t1 )

is the change in the concentration of C

from time t1 to time t2.
NET CHANGE THEOREM

If the mass of a rod measured from the left

end to a point x is m(x), then the linear density
is ρ(x) = m’(x).

b
 So, 
a
 ( x) dx  m(b)  m(a)
is the mass of the segment of the rod
that lies between x = a and x = b.
NET CHANGE THEOREM

If the rate of growth of a population is dn/dt,

t2 dn

then dt  n(t2 )  n(t1 )
t1 dt
is the net change in population during the time
period from t1 to t2.

 The population increases when births happen

and decreases when deaths occur.
 The net change takes into account both births
and deaths.
NET CHANGE THEOREM

If C(x) is the cost of producing x units of

a commodity, then the marginal cost is
the derivative C’(x).

x2
 So,

x1
C '( x) dx  C ( x2 )  C ( x1 )
is the increase in cost when production
is increased from x1 units to x2 units.
NET CHANGE THEOREM Equation 2
If an object moves along a straight line
with position function s(t), then its velocity
is v(t) = s’(t).

t2
 So, 
t1
v(t ) dt  s(t2 )  s(t1 )
is the net change of position, or displacement,
of the particle during the time period from t1 to t2.
NET CHANGE THEOREM Equation 3
In both cases, the distance is computed by
integrating |v(t)|, the speed.

Therefore,
t2
t1
| v(t ) | dt  total distance traveled
NET CHANGE THEOREM

The figure shows how both displacement and

distance traveled can be interpreted in terms
of areas under a velocity curve.
NET CHANGE THEOREM

The acceleration of the object is

a(t) = v’(t).

t2
 So,

t1
a(t ) dt  v(t2 )  v(t1 )
is the change in velocity from time t1 to time t2.
NET CHANGE THEOREM Example 6
A particle moves along a line so that its
velocity at time t is:
v(t) = t2 – t – 6 (in meters per second)

a) Find the displacement of the particle during

the time period 1 ≤ t ≤ 4.

b) Find the distance traveled during this time period.

NET CHANGE THEOREM Example 6 a
By Equation 2, the displacement is:
4 4
s(4)  s(1)   v(t ) dt   (t  t  6) dt
2
1 1
4
t t 3
2
9
    6t   
3 2 1 2

 This means that the particle moved 4.5 m

toward the left.
NET CHANGE THEOREM Example 6 b
So, from Equation 3, the distance traveled is:
4 3 4
1
v(t ) dt   [v(t )] dt   v(t ) dt
1 3
3 4
  (t  t  6) dt   (t 2  t  6) dt
2
1 3
3 4
 t t 3
 t t
2
 3 2
     6t      6t 
 3 2 1  3 2 3
61
  10.17 m
6