Wallis’ Formula

This section presents the Wallis’ Formula to evaluate integrals of the form
π/2 m n
∫0 sin x cos xdx
.
The Wallis’ Formula is given by the integral:
2 2

[ ][ ]
where,
π/2
∫0 m
sin x cos xdx
n
=
{ ( m−1 )( m−3 ) .. . or ( n−1 )( n−3 ) . . . or
1

( m +n )( m+n−2 )( m +n−4 ) . .. or
2

1
1
β

π
β=
2 , if both m and n are positive even integers
β=1 , otherwise
π/2 7 8
Example 1. ∫0 sin x cos xdx
π/2 ( 7−1 ) ( 7−3 )( 7−5 )⋅( 8−1 )( 8−3 ) ( 8−5 ) ( 8−7 )
7 8 ⋅1
∫0 sin x cos xdx ( 7 +8 ) ( 7+8−2 )( 7 +8−4 ) . . . ( 7+8−14 )
=
( 6⋅4⋅2 ) (7⋅5⋅3⋅1 ) 16
= 15⋅13⋅11⋅9⋅7⋅5⋅3⋅1 = 6435
π/2 ( 2−1 ) π π
2 ⋅ =
∫ cos xdx ( 2+ 0 ) 2 4
Example 2. 0 =
To verify the integral by the usual integration, we have:
π /2
1 1
∫0
π/2 2
cos xdx
1 π /2
= 2
∫ 0
( 1+cos 2 x ) dx
= 2
x+ sin2 x
2 [ ]
0
1
= 2
([ π2 + 12 sin π )−(0+ 12 sin 0 )] =
π
4

π/2 ( 5−1 ) (5−3 ) 4⋅2 8

5 ⋅1= =
Example 3. 0 ∫
=
sin xdx ( 5+ 0 ) (5−2 ) ( 5−4 ) 5⋅3⋅1 15
Performing the usual integration, we have:
π/2 π/2 2 π/2 2
∫0 5
sin xdx
= ∫ 0 ( sin2 x ) sin xdx = ∫ 0 ( 1−cos2 x ) sin xdx
π/2 π /2 π /2

= ∫0 sin xdx−2∫ 0 cos2 x sin xdx +∫0 cos 4 x sin xdx

π /2
2 cos3 x cos 5 x
=
[ −cos x+
3
−
5 ]0 =
2
3 [ 1
0− −cos 0+ ( cos 0 )3 − ( cos 0 )5
5 ]
 2 1 15−10+3 8
=
− −1+ −
3 5 ( ) = 15 = 15
3
1 2 2
Example 4. ∫0 ( 1−x ) dx
π
θ=
Let x = sin θ , dx = cosθdθ . When x = 1, 2 ; when x = 0, θ = 0.
Thus we have:
3
1 π/2 π/2 3⋅1 π 3 π
∫0 ( 1−x ) 2 2
dx ∫0 cos3 θ cosθdθ ∫0 cos 4 θdθ ⋅ =
4⋅2 2 16
= = =
3
a 2 2 2 2
Example 5. ∫0 x ( a −x ) dx
π
θ=
Let x = a sin θ , dx = a cosθdθ . When x = a, 2 ; when x = 0, then θ =
0. Then we have:
a 3 /2 π/2 π /2
∫0 x 2 ( a2−x 2) dx
= ∫0 ( a 2 sin2 θ )( a 3 cos3 θ ) ( a cosθdθ ) =
a6 ∫ 0 sin 2 θ cos4 θdθ
6
( 2 )( 3⋅1 ) π πa
a6⋅ ⋅
= 6⋅4⋅2 2 = 16
π/ 4 2 2
Example 6. ∫0 sin 4 ycos 2 y dy
π/ 4 2 2 π/ 4 2 2 2 π /4 2 4
∫0 sin 4 ycos 2 y dy
= ∫0 4 sin 2 y cos 2 y cos 2 y dy
=
4 ∫0 sin 2 y cos 2 y dy
π π
y= x=
Let x=2 y and dx=2 dy . When 4 , 2 ; when y=0 , x=0 .
Then we have:
π/ 4 2 2 π /2 2 4
( 1 )( 3⋅1 ) π π
∫0 sin 4 ycos 2 y dy 2∫0 sin x cos x dx 2⋅ ⋅
= = 6⋅4⋅2 2 = 16
1

Example 7. ∫0 √ 1−√ y dy
Lety=sin 4 x , and 1−√ y = √ 1−sin2 x = √ cos x , and
dy=4 sin3 x cos xdx . When y=0 , x=0 ; when y=1 , x=π/2 .
1
∫0 √ 1−√ y dy =
π /2
4 ∫ 0 cos x sin x cos xdx
3
=
π /2
4 ∫ 0 sin x cos x dx
3 2
=
4 ( 3⋅1
5⋅3 )
8
= 15
a 5 /2
Example 8.
∫0 x 4 ( a2−x 2) dx
 Let x=a sin θ , then dx = a cosθdθ , and √ a2−x 2= √a 2− ( a sinθ )2=a cosθ
When x=0 , θ=0 ; when x=a , θ=π /2 .
a 5/2 π/2 π /2
∫0 x 4 ( a2−x 2) dx
= ∫0 ( a sin θ )4 ( a cosθ )5 acosθdθ
=
a
10
∫0 4 6
sin θ cosθ dθ

( 3⋅1 )( 5⋅3 ) π 3 πa10

a10 ⋅
= 10⋅8⋅6⋅4⋅2 2 = 512

Activity
Wallis’ Formula

Use Wallis’ formula to evaluate each of the following:

π/2 π x x
∫0 sin6 x cos x 4 xdx ∫0 sin6 2 cos2 2 dx
1. 2.

π/2 8 π/2 7 3
3. ∫0 sin xdx
4. ∫0 sin x cos x dx

π/6 π/ 4
∫0 sin5 3 x cos2 3 xdx ∫0 sin2 4 x cos 2 2 xdx
5. 6.

a 6 π/2 6 7
7. ∫0 x 5 ( a2−x 2) dx 8. ∫0 cos x sin xdx

a 5/2 a 6

9.
∫0 x 4 (a2−x 2) 10.
∫0 x 5 ( a2−x 2 ) dx