Solving Integral (sec^3 X) Quickly

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Homework Help Overview

The original poster seeks assistance with the integral of secant cubed, specifically integral(sec^3 X), indicating a need for a quick answer to facilitate progress on a more complex problem.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Some participants provide links to online integral calculators, while one participant attempts to outline a solution using integration by parts and trigonometric identities. There is also discussion about the difficulty of finding antiderivatives compared to derivatives.

Discussion Status

The discussion includes various approaches to the integral, with some participants sharing resources for further assistance. There is no explicit consensus on the best method or solution, and multiple interpretations of the problem are being explored.

Contextual Notes

The original poster mentions a lack of access to older calculus books containing necessary identities, which may affect the discussion and problem-solving process.

Gale
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Hey, i know this is an easy problem, but i don't have any of my older calc books with the identities, so, just hoping for a quick answer

integral(sec^3 X)

thanks... i just need that for a more difficult problem... so i don't want to spend a lot on this simple integral, thanks.
 
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let [tex]I = \int sec^3xdx[/tex]

and let

[tex]u = secx \ \ \Rightarrow \ \ du = secxtanxdx[/tex]

[tex]dv = sec^2x \ \ \Rightarrow \ \ v = tanx[/tex]

using integration by parts we have

[tex]I = uv - \int vdu[/tex]

[tex]\Rightarrow \ \ I = secxtanx - \int secxtan^2xdx[/tex]

using the trigonometric identity tan^2 = sec^2 -1 the integral on the right side becomes
[tex]I = secxtanx - \int[secx(sec^2x - 1)]dx[/tex]

[tex]\Rightarrow I = secxtanx - \int sec^3xdx + \int secxdx[/tex]

[tex]\Rightarrow I = secxtanx - I + ln|tanx + secx|[/tex]

[tex]\Rightarrow 2I = secxtanx + ln|tanx + secx|[/tex]

[tex]\Rightarrow I = \frac{1}{2}[ \ secxtanx + ln|tanx + secx| \ ] + C[/tex]
 
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Derivatives are easy for all products, quotients, powers, compositions, and sums of elementary functions... antiderivatives are much more difficult.
 
tony873004 said:
That's a great link :cool:

Is there one that does derivatives?
YES ... Integrals, Derivatives, Graphing, and Matrices ... GO TO:
-----> http://www.calc101.com/
Select from list upper right corner home page. Remember to enter functions with SQUARE BRACKETS "[]", like "sin[x]", and group with PARENTHESES "()", like:
"(x + 3*exp[5*x])*(x*sin[x])^3"



~~
 
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