How Do You Solve This Complex Integration Problem?

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves finding the integral from 0 to 3 of the function (5x^2 + 30)/(x^4 + 13x^2 + 36), which falls under the subject area of calculus, specifically integration techniques.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss various methods for solving the integral, including integration by parts and substitution. There is mention of using partial fraction decomposition as a potential approach, with some participants questioning the correctness of coefficients in the partial fractions.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants providing guidance on the use of partial fractions and questioning the setup of the integrals. There is a recognition of the need to check work for accuracy, particularly regarding the constants in the numerators of the partial fractions.

Contextual Notes

Participants express confusion over the expected forms of the integral results, particularly regarding whether the results should involve logarithmic or arctangent functions. There is also a focus on verifying the correctness of earlier calculations and assumptions.

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Homework Statement


find the integral from 0 to 3 of (5x^2+30)/(x^4+13x^2+36)


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


I thought it may be an integration by parts question, so I tried that first, but the book says that I should be using substitution.
So I tried using u=x^2:
du=2xdx
x=u^(1/2)

(5u+30)du/(u^2+13u+36)(2u^(1/2))
so now I have
(5u+30)du/(2u^(5/2)+26u^(3/2)+72u^(1/2))

but i have no better idea how to integrate that than i did the original equation. any ideas?
 
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This problem would probably be best done by partial fraction decomposition first, then substitutions.
 
Bohrok said:
This problem would probably be best done by partial fraction decomposition first, then substitutions.

do you mean using something like
(Ax+B)/(x^2+4)+(Cx+D)/(x^2+9)=5x^2+30?
 
Not quite.
It would be

(Ax+B)/(x^2+4) + (Cx+D)/(x^2+9) = (5x^2+30)/[(x^2+4)(x^2+9)]

The goal is to solve for A, B, C, and D so that this equation is identically true.
 
Mark44 said:
Not quite.
It would be

(Ax+B)/(x^2+4) + (Cx+D)/(x^2+9) = (5x^2+30)/[(x^2+4)(x^2+9)]

The goal is to solve for A, B, C, and D so that this equation is identically true.

okay, so i solved and got
A=0
B=3
C=0
D=2

so then i had
3/(x^2+4)+2/(x^2+9)

which i could integrate to get
3ln(x^2+4)+2ln(x^2+9)

and i could continue, but my possible answers all involve arctan so i think I'm on the wrong track here...?
 
Shannabel said:
okay, so i solved and got
A=0
B=3
C=0
D=2

so then i had
3/(x^2+4)+2/(x^2+9)

which i could integrate to get
3ln(x^2+4)+2ln(x^2+9)

and i could continue, but my possible answers all involve arctan so i think I'm on the wrong track here...?
I didn't check your values for A, B, etc.

Your integrals are incorrect. You should not be getting log expressions, but you should be getting arctan expressions.
 
Also, check your work for the constants.
3/(x^2 + 4) + 2/(x^2 + 9) = (5x^2 + 35)/[(x^2 + 4)(x^2 + 9)] [itex]\neq[/itex] (5x^2 + 30)/[(x^2 + 4)(x^2 + 9)]
 
Mark44 said:
I didn't check your values for A, B, etc.

Your integrals are incorrect. You should not be getting log expressions, but you should be getting arctan expressions.

how do i get arctan expressions? because the derivative of tan is 1/(a^2+x^2), and i have 2 and 3 rather than 1 as my numerators?
 
  • #10
Mark44 said:
Also, check your work for the constants.
3/(x^2 + 4) + 2/(x^2 + 9) = (5x^2 + 35)/[(x^2 + 4)(x^2 + 9)] [itex]\neq[/itex] (5x^2 + 30)/[(x^2 + 4)(x^2 + 9)]

sorry..
3/(x^2+9)+2/(x^2+4) ,right?
 
  • #11
Shannabel said:
how do i get arctan expressions? because the derivative of tan is 1/(a^2+x^2), and i have 2 and 3 rather than 1 as my numerators?

No, d/dx(tan(x)) = sec2(x).

d/dx(tan-1(x)) = 1/(x2 + 1) - that must be what you're thinking about.

Also, d/dx(tan-1(x/a)) = (1/a)/((x/a)2 + 1)
This implies that ∫(1/a)/((x/a)2 + 1) dx = tan-1(x/a) + C
 
  • #12
Mark44 said:
Also, d/dx(tan-1(x/a)) = (1/a)/((x/a)2 + 1)
This implies that ∫(1/a)/((x/a)2 + 1) dx = tan-1(x/a) + C

i'm confused...
 
  • #13
If d/dx (x2) = 2x, then ∫2x dx = x2 + C by integrating both sides. Mark just did the same thing with tan-1(x/a) where a is a constant.
 
  • #14
Bohrok said:
If d/dx (x2) = 2x, then ∫2x dx = x2 + C by integrating both sides. Mark just did the same thing with tan-1(x/a) where a is a constant.

okay i think that makes sense... but how can i use that to solve the problem?
 
  • #15
That'll come in later; first check over your work for the constants in the numerators of the partial fractions. The numbers are almost correct.
 
  • #16
Bohrok said:
That'll come in later; first check over your work for the constants in the numerators of the partial fractions. The numbers are almost correct.

i had
(ax+b)(x^2+4)+(cx+d)(x^2+9)=(5x^2+30)
ax^3+bx^2+4Ax+4B+Cx^3+9Cx+Dx^2+9D=5X62+30

A+C=0 and 4A+9C=0 therefore A and C both equal 0
B+D=5 and 4B+9D=30, so 5D=10 and D=2 so B=3
and i have
3/(x^2+9)+2(x^2+4)

:( can't figure out what's wrong!
 
  • #17
Earlier, you wrote
Shannabel said:
3/(x^2+4)+2/(x^2+9)
which wasn't correct. Now, you have
Shannabel said:
3/(x^2+9)+2(x^2+4)
which is correct. You swapped the coefficients earlier.
 
  • #18
Shannabel said:
i had
(ax+b)(x^2+4)+(cx+d)(x^2+9)=(5x^2+30)
ax^3+bx^2+4Ax+4B+Cx^3+9Cx+Dx^2+9D=5X62+30

A+C=0 and 4A+9C=0 therefore A and C both equal 0
B+D=5 and 4B+9D=30, so 5D=10 and D=2 so B=3
and i have
3/(x^2+9)+2(x^2+4)
This is correct. You can easily check by verifying that 3/(x^2+9)+2/(x^2+4) = (5x^2 + 30)/[(x^2+9)(x^2+4)]
Shannabel said:
:( can't figure out what's wrong!
 
Last edited:
  • #19
Mark44 said:
This is correct. You can easily check by verifying that 3/(x^2+9)+2(x^2+4) = (5x^2 + 30)/[(x^2+9)(x^2+4)]

okay, so from here i should integrate and end up with arctan functions... how do i do this?
 
  • #20
[tex]\int \frac{a~dx}{x^2 + a^2} = tan^{-1}(x/a) + C[/tex]

This formula is essentially the same as the one I gave in an earlier post.

A mistake you made earlier was thinking that the following was true:
[tex]\int \frac{dx}{x^2 + a^2} = ln(x^2 + a^2) + C[/tex]

More generally, this also is not true:
[tex]\int \frac{dx}{f(x)} = ln(f(x)) + C[/tex]
 
  • #21
This should be: 3/(x^2+9)+2/(x^2+4).

To integrate the first term:

[tex]\int\frac{3\,dx}{x^2+9}=\int\frac{3\,dx}{9((x/3)^2+1)}[/tex]
[itex]\displaystyle =\int\frac{dx}{3((x/3)^2+1)}[/itex]​
Let u=x/3 → du=(1/3)dx

The integral becomes: [itex]\displaystyle \int\frac{du}{u^2+1}=\tan^{-1}(u) + C[/itex]
 
  • #22
Got it! Thanks :)
 
  • #23
Shannabel said:
okay, so i solved and got
A=0
B=3
C=0
D=2

so then i had
3/(x^2+4)+2/(x^2+9)

which i could integrate to get
3ln(x^2+4)+2ln(x^2+9)

and i could continue, but my possible answers all involve arctan so i think I'm on the wrong track here...?

SammyS said:
This should be: 3/(x^2+9)+2/(x^2+4).
Good eye - I missed that.
 

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