Using integration tables

Integration tables are included in most math textbooks, and available on the
Internet. Using them is another way to evaluate integrals. Sometimes the use is
straightforward; sometimes it takes several steps, or needs to be combined with
other techniques of integration.
There are a few types of formulas to deal with, and a few tricks one can use
to evaluate complicated integrals using tables. The only real way to learn all
that is by working out examples, which is what we shall do in this module.

Integration tables

Using integration tables is, for the most part, perfectly straightforward. You
take your integral, look it up in the tables, and write down the answer. Integrals
of the same kind are typically grouped up. Comprehensive tables have sections
for squares and square roots, trig functions, inverse trig function, exponentials,
logs, hyperbolic functions, hand more.
Most calculus textbooks have an appendix with basic integration tables.
More extensive tables can be found in reference books, and on the Internet.
Section 5 has a list of a few dozen integration formulas that you can use to
answer questions in this module.

Straightforward examples

Example 1: Suppose we wish to evaluate the following integral:

x2

dx
4 x2
We go down the list of integrals in Section 5. We can skip the trig functions,
then we read through the square roots until we hit formula 29. which says:
( )

x 2
a2
x2 dx
1 x
2
sin
+C
29.
=
a x +
2
2
a
a2 x 2
To apply this formula, we set a = 2 and copy:
( )

x2
x
1 x
2

dx =
4 x + 2 sin
+C
2
2
4 x2
1

Example 2: A slightly more complicated version of the first example might

ask for the integral

x2

( )2 dx
1 x2
There is no formula in the tables that looks exactly like this. What to do
now? We need to get x on the bottom, in place of x/2. The easiest solution is
to multiply top and bottom of the fraction by 2:

x2
2x2
2x2

dx
=
dx
=
dx
( )2
( )2
4 x2
1 x2
2 1 x2
This is twice the integral from Example 1. Using our solution, the answer
is:

( )

x2
x
2 + 4 sin1

dx
=
x
4

x
+c
( x )2
2
1 2

Example with recursion

For those of you unfamiliar with the term recursion, this is a great example
to see it used. In simple terms, we will express an integral in terms of another
integral of the same kind, but slightly easier. We keep doing that until we arrive
at something that we know how to do. Lets see how that works:
Suppose we wish to evaluate

sin4 (x)dx
We go down the list from the beginning, where the trig functions are. Formulas 1.-6. are for squares of various functions, then we hit number 7. which
says:

1
n1
n
n1
7. sin (x)dx = sin
(x) cos(x) +
sinn2 (x)dx
n
n
Checking the rest of the table reveals that there is no formula specifically
for sin4 (x). We have to use formula 7. We set n = 4, and copy down the result:

1
3
4
3
sin (x)dx = sin (x) cos(x) +
sin2 (x)dx
4
4
We are not done yet, for there is an integral on the right hand side; that is
not something we want in our answer. It is an integral of sin2 (x), for which we
can use formula 1.:

1
1
1. sin2 (x)dx = x sin(2x) + C
2
4
2

We combine it with our answer so far, and obtain:

1
3
3
sin4 (x)dx = sin3 (x) cos(x) + x
sin(2x) + c
4
8
16
Small note: the new constant is not quite the same as the old one: c = 34 C.
We never worry about the relationship between the constants, since they are,
well, constants: in the end, we can set them to whatever we like anyway.
The integral of sin4 (x) can be expressed in many ways. A popular one is

1
1
3
sin(4x) + c
sin4 (x)dx = x + sin(2x) +
8
4
32
Try if you can show that these answers are the same, using double angle
formulas: sin(2x) = 2 sin(x) cos(x) and cos(2x) = cos2 (x) sin2 (x).
We can use formula 7. to find the integral of any power of sin(x). The
higher the power, the more steps we have to perform. Even powers of sin(x)
will lead us to the use of formula 1., whereas odd powers will lead to the integral
of sin(x), which we know.
Before we move on, the use of formula 1. to integrate sin2 (x) is worth
pondering. What would happen if we used formula 7. instead? It should, after
all, apply to any (positive) power of sin(x). Lets just see. Using formula 7.
with n = 2 gives:

1
1
sin2 (x)dx = sin(x) cos(x) +
sin0 (x)dx
2
2
This time, the right hand integral is extremely easy, since sin0 (x) = 1:

0
sin (x)dx = dx = x + c
Putting that into our solution, we get

1
x
sin2 (x)dx = sin(x) cos(x) + + C
2
2
This is exactly the same as formula 1., if you use the double angle identity
sin(2x) = 2 sin(x) cos(x).

We have seen both versions of sin2 (x)dx before: in Integration by substitution, we got formula 1. for the integral of sin2 (x), whereas in Integration by
parts, we got the answer given by formula 7. Either one is perfectly acceptable.

Example with substitution

Sometimes, the table simply does not have the kind of integral we want. If that
happens, we need to simplify the integral in some way, before using the table.
To see an example of this, let us integrate

sin2 (ex )ex dx

There is nothing like it in our integration table; the formula is just too
exotic. We need to replace sin(ex ) by the usual sin function. This calls for the
substitution u = ex , and du = ex dx:

sin2 (ex )ex dx = sin2 (u)du

This we can integrate using formula 1.:

1
1
sin2 (u)du = u sin(2u) + C
2
4
Now we substitute back, and we are done:

1
1
sin2 (ex )ex dx = ex sin(2ex ) + C
2
4

Table of integrals, with a few tips

1 + cos(2x)
1 cos(2x)
cos2 (x) =
Double angle formulas sin2 (x) =
2
2

1
1
2
1.
sin (x)dx = x sin(2x) + C
2
4

1
1
2.
cos2 (x)dx = x + sin(2x) + C
2
4

2
3.
tan (x)dx = tan(x) x + C

4.
cot2 (x)dx = cot(x) x + C

5.
sec2 (x)dx = tan(x) + C

6.
csc2 (x)dx = cot(x) + C

n1
1
sinn2 (x)dx
7.
sinn (x)dx = sinn1 (x) cos(x) +
n
n

1
n1
n
n1
8.
cos (x)dx = cos
(x) sin(x) +
cosn2 (x)dx
n
n

1
9.
tann (x)dx =
tann1 (x) tann2 (x)dx
n1

1
n
n1
10.
cot (x)dx =
cot
(x) cotn2 (x)dx
n1

1
n2
11.
secn (x)dx =
secn2 (x) tan(x) +
secn2 (x)dx
n1
n1

1
n2
n
n2
12.
csc (x)dx =
csc
(x) cot(x) +
cscn2 (x)dx
n1
n1

13.
sinm (x) cos2k+1 (x)dx = sinm (x)(1 sin2 (x))k cos(x)dx and substitute
u = sin(x)

14.
sin2k+1 (x) cosm (x)dx = (1 cos2 (x))k sin(x) cosm (x)dx and substitute
u = cos(x)

15.
sin2m (x) cos2n (x)dx use both double angle formulas

For integrals involving a2 x2 substitute x = a sin().

For integrals involving a2 + x2 substitute x = a tan().
For integrals involving x2 a2 substitute x = a sec().



x 2
a2 

lnx + a2 + x2  + C
16.
a2 + x2 dx =
a + x2 +
2
2

x
a4 

17.
x2 a2 + x2 dx = (a2 + 2x2 ) a2 + x2
lnx + a2 + x2  + C
8
8
5


18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

 a + a2 + x2 
a2 + x2
2
2

+C
dx = a + x a ln

x
x

a2 + x2
a2 + x2

2 + x2  + C
dx
=

+
ln
+
a
x
x2
x



dx



= lnx + a2 + x2  + C
2
2
a +x


x2 dx
x 2
a2 


=
a + x2
lnx + a2 + x2  + C
2
2
2
2
a +x


dx
1  a2 + x2 + a 

= ln
+C
a
x
x a2 + x 2

dx
a2 + x 2

=
+C
2
2
2
a2 x
x a +x
( )

x 2
a2
x
a2 x2 dx =
a x2 +
sin1
+C
2
2
a
( )

x
a4
x
x2 a2 x2 dx = (2x2 a2 ) a2 x2 +
sin1
+C
8
8
a

 a + a2 x2 
a2 x2
2
2

+C
dx = a x a ln

x
x

(
)
a2 x2
a2 x2
x
dx
=

sin1
+C
2
x
x
a
( )
dx
x

= sin1
+C
2
2
a
a x
( )
x 2
a2
x2 dx
1 x
2

=
a x +
sin
+C
2
2
a
a2 x2


1  a2 x2 + a 
dx

= ln
+C
a
x
x a2 x 2

dx
a2 x 2

=
+C
a2 x
x 2 a2 x 2


x 2
a2 

x2 a2 dx =
x a2
lnx + x2 a2  + C
2
2


x
a4 

lnx + x2 a2 +C
x2 x2 a2 dx = (2x2 a2 ) x2 a2
8
8

( )

x2 a2
a
1
2
2
dx = x a a cos
+C
x
|x|

x2 a2
x2 a2

2 a2  + C
dx
=

+
ln
+
x
x
x2
x



dx



= lnx + x2 a2  + C
x2 a2

x2 dx
x 2
a2 

=
x a2 +
lnx + x2 a2  + C
2
2
x2 a2
( )

x
dx
1

= sec1
+C
38.
a
a
x x2 a2

dx
x 2 a2

39.
=
+C
a2 x
x2 x2 a2

Ax + B
E
F
40.
dx =
ln |ax + b| + ln |cx + d| + C, where E and F
(ax + b)(cx + d)
a
c
are the solutions of Ax + B = E(cx + d) + F (ax + b).

1
41.
dx = tan1 (x) + C
2
x +1

42.
sec(x)dx = ln | sec(x) + tan(x)| + C

43.
tan(x)dx = ln | sec(x)| + C

44.
csc(x)dx = ln | csc(x) cot(x)| + C

45.
cot(x)dx = ln | sin(x)| + C

46.
sin1 (x)dx = x sin1 (x) + 1 x2 + C

47.
cos1 (x)dx = x cos1 (x) 1 x2 + C

1
48.
tan1 (x)dx = x tan1 (x) ln(1 + x2 ) + C
2
Some differentiation formulas
d
1
1.
sin1 (x) =
dx
1 x2
d
1
2.
cos1 (x) =
dx
1 x2
d
1
3.
tan1 (x) =
dx
1 + x2
d
1
4.
csc1 (x) =
dx
x x2 1
d
1
5.
sec1 (x) =
dx
x x2 1
d
1
6.
cot1 (x) =
dx
1 + x2
37.