Integration by Parts: Solving ∫sin²x dx with Ease

annamariesmit
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
how would one integrate by parts the following:
\int sin^2xdx

thanks!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
answer

hi
use the fact that sin^2 x = (1-cos2x)/2
from the formula cos2x=1-2sin^2 x

Tell me how you wrote that equation
 
annamariesmit said:
how would one integrate by parts the following:
\int sin^2xdx

thanks!

Are you required to use integration by parts? As rsm said, there are simple and standard substitutions for sin^2(x) and cos^2(x).

If you are required to use integration by parts, then, since integration by parts requires a product, the obvious thing to do it write this as a product:
\int sin^2(x) dx= \int (sin(x))(sin(x) dx)
Let u= sin(x) and let dv= sin(x) dx. Then du= cos(x)dx and v= -cos(x)
\int sin^2 x dx= -sin(x)cos(x)+ \int cos^2(x) dx
Now do the same thing with that integral. Of course, what happens is you will get back to your original \int sin^2(x) dx- but with a lot of other things. Solve that equation algebraically for \int sin^2(x)dx
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
Back
Top