Integrate cos^(5)(4x): Techniques & Solutions

  • Thread starter Thread starter frasifrasi
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Integral
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the integral of cos^(5)(4x), exploring various techniques for integration, including substitution and trigonometric identities. Participants are examining the complexities involved in integrating powers of trigonometric functions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the possibility of direct integration and the necessity of using substitution. There are mentions of trigonometric identities and the chain rule, with some questioning the complexity of the integration process. Others suggest rewriting the integral in a different form to facilitate integration.

Discussion Status

The conversation is active, with participants providing hints and suggestions for approaching the integral. Some express frustration with the perceived difficulty of the problem, while others encourage a more methodical approach to the integration process. There is no explicit consensus on the best method yet.

Contextual Notes

Participants are navigating the challenges of integrating powers of trigonometric functions and considering the implications of substitution and integration techniques. There is a shift in focus towards a different question regarding the convergence of a series, indicating a broader range of topics being discussed.

frasifrasi
Messages
276
Reaction score
0
For the integral

cos^(5)(4x), can I just integrate it directly to -1/4*sin^(6)(4x)... or which technique should I use?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Nope you can't do that. To make things easier, you may want to sub u=4x first, and then you have to use a trig identity to make the (cos(u))^5 "easy" to integrate.

Hint: \sin^2{x} + \cos^2{x} = 1
 
frasifrasi said:
For the integral

cos^(5)(4x), can I just integrate it directly to -1/4*sin^(6)(4x)... or which technique should I use?
what is the derivative of your answer then? it will not give you your original problem.


remember, when you're dealing with powers, you have to take into consideration the "chain rule."
 
But then I would have two 1-sin^2(X) in the integral, is there an easier way?
 
As neutrino suggested, after obtaining cos^5(u) write it as cos^4(u)*cos(u) = ((1-sin^2(u))^2)*cos(u). Now giving sin(u)=v, can you proceed?
 
Ok, so i get:

(1-v^2)^2 dv

= 1 - 2(v^2) + v^4...
 
Now, I have to integrate the whole thing?

How would I sub back? --let v = sin(4x)?
 
v = sin(u) and u=4x.

You've expanded the brackets in the post above but did you integrate it?
 
Too much work for this question.
 
  • #10
If you are only interested in questions that can be done trivially, then I recommend you drop calculus.
Do you really consider it too difficult to integrate
\frac{1}{4}\int (v^4- 2v^2+ 1)dv?
 
  • #11
I second Halls of Ivy. I am not sure what is so difficult here. It is a matter of individually integrating 3 simple terms and then plugging in for v.

In the time it took to write too much work for this question, you could have finished!

Casey
 
  • #12
In context, my statement is valid...
 
  • #13
frasifrasi said:
Sorry I offended your wife. In context, my statement is valid...

I have no idea what this means.
 
Last edited:
  • #14
I think frasifrasi means that they only wanted to know how to substitute back for v once the integration was done so it was too much work to put the full integration in the previous post for the relatively simple clarification.
 
  • #15
Yeah, I was just saying that more work wasn't really necessary, not meaning to complain in any way.

but hey, I have another question...

For the series (-1)^(n)/ln(n), I used the alternating series test to show that it converges, but how do I show that it converges conditionally?

If I look at the abs value 1/ln(x) , I am not sure how to establish that it diverges...

Thank you for the help!
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

Replies
7
Views
2K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
13K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
3K