Brian Streit

Arc Length Integral

To compute Z
sec d

we could consult the integral table. We will derive the result since it takes a
trick that is not obvious. Observe
Z Z Z
sec + tan sec2 + sec tan
sec d = sec d = d :
sec + tan sec + tan
Take u = sec + tan so that du = sec tan + sec2 and
Z Z
1
sec d = du = log juj + C = log jsec + tan j + C:
u

But
sin( 2 + 4 ) sin 4 cos 2 + cos 4 + sin 2
tan( + ) = =
2 4 cos( 2 + 4 ) cos 2 cos 4 sin 2 sin 4
2
cos 2 + sin 2 cos 2 + sin 2
= =
cos 2 sin 2 cos 2 sin 2 cos 2 + sin 2
2
cos2 2 + 2 cos 2 sin 2 + sin 2 1 + sin
= = = sec + tan
cos2 2 sin2 2
cos
so we also have Z
sec d = log tan( + ) + C:
2 4
We now prove the identity
Z p
1 p 2 p
x2 + a2 dx = x x + a2 + a2 log x + x2 + a2 + C:
2
Let x = a tan so that
Z p Z p Z
2 2
2 2 2 2 2
x + a dx = a a tan + a sec dx = a sec3 dx:

Let u = sec and dv = sec2 d and integrate by parts to obtain

Z Z
3
sec dx = sec tan sec tan2 dx
Z
= sec tan sec sec2 1 dx
Z Z
= sec tan sec3 dx + sec dx:

1
So Z Z
1
sec3 dx = sec tan + sec dx :
2
x x 2
By our previous result and since = tan we have sec2 = 1 + or sec =
q a a
a2 +x2
a2 and
r r !
1 2 1 a2 + x2 x a2 + x2 x
a (sec tan + ln jsec + tan j) = a2 + log +
2 2 a2 a a2 a
p !
1 p x + a2 + x2
2 2 2
= x a + x + a log :
2 a

But p
x+ a2 + x2 p
2
a log = a2 log x + a2 + x2 a3 log jaj
a

where a3 log jaj is some constant. Therefore

Z p
1 p 2 p
x2 + a2 dx = x a + x2 + a2 log x + a2 + x2 + C:
2