Need help, Integration of irrationals.

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In summary: The original function was not given, so it is impossible to verify the answer. In summary, the conversation is about finding a way to integrate a specific irrational function and various attempts and techniques are discussed. One suggestion is to use a trig substitution, and the conversation ends with the individual posting their attempted solution but unsure if it is correct. They are reminded that there are infinite anti-derivatives to the function, and they should not forget to include the constant.
  • #1
sutupidmath
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Hi, i am trying so hard to find a way out of integrating this irrational function, but i can't jus figure out how to do it.
Here it is:
integ dx/(x^2 +x+1)(X^2 +x-1)^(1/2),
well here is what i tried. After some calculations i transformed the denominator to this form

integ dx/[(x+1/2)^2 +3/4][(x+1/2)^2 -5/4]^1/2, then i substituted x+1/2=t
where dx=dt, so i got

integ dt/(t^2 +3/4)(t^2 -5/4)^1/2 ,, then i tried a lot more but i can't just come to a solution, it keeps expanding instead of coming up to something. I think that from here i am not taking the right path.
So, can you guys give me some hints on how to go about integrating this??

thnx

P.S. The answer is in the textbook, i do not know whether it is correct or not, and it is:

I= 1/6^(1/2) ln[(3(x^2 +x-1))^(1/2)+(2x+1) 2^(1/2)]/[(3(x^2 +x-1))^(1/2)-(2x+1) 2^(1/2)]
 
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  • #2
This is unreadable to a casual reader. If anyone helps you, be sure to thank them for taking their time to figure everything out.

If you want more help, please learn latex formating. :)
 
  • #3
I think your integral is
[tex]\int \frac{dx}{(x^2+ x+ 1)\sqrt{x^2+ x- 1}}[/tex]

A standard technique would be to complete the square in the radical and then look for a trig substitution.
 
  • #4
ZioX said:
This is unreadable to a casual reader. If anyone helps you, be sure to thank them for taking their time to figure everything out.

If you want more help, please learn latex formating. :)
Yeah, i know. I really appologize for writing this way, but i don't know yet how to use latex. I guess i'll have to learn soon.
 
  • #5
HallsofIvy said:
I think your integral is
[tex]\int \frac{dx}{(x^2+ x+ 1)\sqrt{x^2+ x- 1}}[/tex]

A standard technique would be to complete the square in the radical and then look for a trig substitution.

Yeah, i have completed the square in the radical, but i did not think of taking a trig supstitution. I'll try that tomorrow, couse it's too late now. Thnx for now, if i can't yet figure it out tomorrow, than surely i'll be back.
 
  • #6
Well, i tried a trig substituton, i took this substitution

t= [(5/4)^(1/2)] / sin u,

However the asnwer that i got is different from the one in the book, and also different from the one that "The integrator" ,an online version of mathematica as you may know, gives. But i think the idea works, i don't think i have made any mistakes in the process though, although it is quite likely.
 
  • #7
[tex]x^2+ x- 1= x^2+ x+ \frac{1}{4}-\frac{1}{4}-1= x^2+ x+ \frac{1}{4}-\frac{5}{4}= (x+ \frac{1}{2})^2- \frac{5}{4}[/tex]
A sin substitution would work for something of the form a2- usup]2[/sup] but this is of the form x2- usup]2[/sup]. (I just noticed that you have "/sin u" so that's really a csc substitution.)

Remembering that sin2x+ cos2x= 1, We can divide both sides by sin2x and get cot2x+ 1= csc2x or cot2x= csc2x- 1 which suggests the substitution [itex]x+1= \sqrt{5}/2 csc(\theta)[/itex]. Then [itex]dx= -\sqrt{5}/2 csc(\theta)cot(\theta) d\theta[/itex]. Of course, [itex]\sqrt{(x+1)^2- 5/4}= \sqrt{5}/2 cot(\theta). The hard part is the x2+ x+ 1 but fortunately the "x2+ x" is the same so we can complete the square in the same way: x2+x+1= (x+1)2+ 3/4. That polynomial becomes [itex](5/2)csc^2(\theta)[/itex]+ 3/4[/itex].
 
  • #8
HallsofIvy said:
[tex]x^2+ x- 1= x^2+ x+ \frac{1}{4}-\frac{1}{4}-1= x^2+ x+ \frac{1}{4}-\frac{5}{4}= (x+ \frac{1}{2})^2- \frac{5}{4}[/tex]
A sin substitution would work for something of the form a2- usup]2[/sup] but this is of the form x2- usup]2[/sup]. (I just noticed that you have "/sin u" so that's really a csc substitution.)

Remembering that sin2x+ cos2x= 1, We can divide both sides by sin2x and get cot2x+ 1= csc2x or cot2x= csc2x- 1 which suggests the substitution [itex]x+1= \sqrt{5}/2 csc(\theta)[/itex]. Then [itex]dx= -\sqrt{5}/2 csc(\theta)cot(\theta) d\theta[/itex]. Of course, [itex]\sqrt{(x+1)^2- 5/4}= \sqrt{5}/2 cot(\theta). The hard part is the x2+ x+ 1 but fortunately the "x2+ x" is the same so we can complete the square in the same way: x2+x+1= (x+1)2+ 3/4. That polynomial becomes [itex](5/2)csc^2(\theta)[/itex]+ 3/4[/itex].
Well, this is almost exactly what i did, with the exception that i did not write the 1/sinu thing as cscu.
 
  • #9
sutupidmath said:
Well, i tried a trig substituton, i took this substitution

t= [(5/4)^(1/2)] / sin u,

However the asnwer that i got is different from the one in the book, and also different from the one that "The integrator" ,an online version of mathematica as you may know, gives. But i think the idea works, i don't think i have made any mistakes in the process though, although it is quite likely.

Ok, can you post your final answer here, so that we may verify it for you?

Btw, you should note that there are infinite number of anti-derivatives to f(x), all of which differ each other by a constant. E.g, -cos2(x), sin2x, and (-1/2)cos(2x) are all anti-derivatives of sin(2x), but they differ from each by a constant.
 
  • #10
VietDao29 said:
Ok, can you post your final answer here, so that we may verify it for you?

Btw, you should note that there are infinite number of anti-derivatives to f(x), all of which differ each other by a constant. E.g, -cos2(x), sin2x, and (-1/2)cos(2x) are all anti-derivatives of sin(2x), but they differ from each by a constant.
Yeah, here it is, but i don't know latex formating, so it is going to be a little messy.

2/(6^1/2) log[2(2^1/2) -(3^1/2)arcsin(5^1/2)/(2x+1)]/[2(2^1/2) +(3^1/2)arcsin(5^1/2)/(2x+1)]
I don't really know whether this is right or not, it looks like it is but...
thnx in return
 
  • #11
I'm not going to bother, but go to www.calc101.com and put that into the derivative finder. If its the original function, your home free. But you missed the whole point of VietDao29's post, you forgot the Constant :P
 
  • #12
Gib Z said:
I'm not going to bother, but go to www.calc101.com and put that into the derivative finder. If its the original function, your home free. But you missed the whole point of VietDao29's post, you forgot the Constant :P

NO, i got what VietDao29 meant about constant. I do understant that if F(x), and Q(x) are both primitive functions of f(x), than F(x)-Q(x)=C,
However in my case, i could not show the equivalence of the two solutions, the one that i got and the other which is on the textbook. Thnx for the link, i will try tha later, couse right now i am having some problems inputing it. But i got the idea about how to tackle these kinds of integrals. THNX.
 

1. What are irrationals?

Irrational numbers are numbers that cannot be expressed as a ratio of two integers. They are non-repeating and non-terminating decimals, such as pi (3.1415926...) and the square root of 2 (1.41421356...).

2. Why do we need to integrate irrationals?

Integrating irrationals is an important part of calculus and is used to find the area under a curve. Many real-world problems involve irrational numbers, so being able to integrate them is crucial in solving these problems.

3. How do you integrate irrationals?

The process of integrating irrationals is the same as integrating any other type of function. You need to find the anti-derivative of the irrational expression and then evaluate it at the given limits of integration. This can be done using various integration techniques, such as substitution or integration by parts.

4. Can you give an example of integrating an irrational function?

Sure, let's integrate the function f(x) = x^2 + sqrt(3x) from x = 0 to x = 2. First, we find the anti-derivative of f(x) by using the power rule and the rule for integrating radicals: F(x) = x^3/3 + (2/3)sqrt(3x^3). Then, we plug in the limits of integration to get the final answer: F(2) - F(0) = (2^3)/3 + (2/3)sqrt(3(2^3)) - 0 = 8/3 + (2/3)sqrt(24) = 8/3 + (4/3)sqrt(6).

5. What are some real-world applications of integrating irrationals?

Integrating irrationals is used in many fields, such as physics, engineering, and economics. For example, it can be used to calculate the work done by a non-constant force or to find the average value of a variable in a given time period. It is also used in optimization problems, where the goal is to find the maximum or minimum value of a function.

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