Method of Partial Fractions integral help

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King_Silver
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Moved from a technical forum, so homework template missing
I have a question where f(x) = 20-2x^2/(x-1)(x+2)^2 and have solved for constants A,B and C.
A = 2
B = -4
C = -4
I have worked this out myself. Now I am told to compute the indefinite integral and I am getting this answer but apparently it is wrong and I don't understand how?
My answer: 2ln(abs(x-1))-4ln(x+2)-4ln(abs(x+2)^2)

Help?
 
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Your constants are right but you're integration isn't correct.

[tex]\int -\frac{4}{(x+2)^{2}} \neq -4\ln|(x+2)^{2} |[/tex]
 
Morgan Chafe said:
Your constants are right but you're integration isn't correct.

[tex]\int -\frac{4}{(x+2)^{2}} \neq -4\ln|(x+2)^{2} |[/tex]
Yea that is the part I am stuck on, I don't know what part of that integration is going wrong.
 
King_Silver said:
I have a question where f(x) = 20-2x^2/(x-1)(x+2)^2 and have solved for constants A,B and C.
A = 2
B = -4
C = -4
I have worked this out myself. Now I am told to compute the indefinite integral and I am getting this answer but apparently it is wrong and I don't understand how?
My answer: 2ln(abs(x-1))-4ln(x+2)-4ln(abs(x+2)^2)

Help?
Actually it's called the "Method of Partial Fractions".

To evaluate the integral, ##\displaystyle \int -\,\frac{4}{(x+2)^{2}}dx \, ,\ ## use the substitution u = x+2 .
 
King_Silver said:
I have a question where f(x) = 20-2x^2/(x-1)(x+2)^2 and have solved for constants A,B and C.
A = 2
B = -4
C = -4
I have worked this out myself. Now I am told to compute the indefinite integral and I am getting this answer but apparently it is wrong and I don't understand how?
My answer: 2ln(abs(x-1))-4ln(x+2)-4ln(abs(x+2)^2)

Help?

First: you have written
[tex]f(x) = 20 - \frac{2x^2}{(x-1)}(x+2)^2[/tex]
Is that what you meant, or did you want
[tex]f(x) = \frac{20 - 2 x^2}{(x-1)(x+2)^2}?[/tex]
If you meant the latter, you need to use parentheses, like this: (20 - 2 x^2)/[(x-1)(x+2)^2].

Second: what denominators go with the constants A,B,C? We can guess, but we should not need to.

Third: ##\int (x+2)^{-2} \, dx## does not involve logarithms.
 
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Thanks everyone I actually realized my mistake it was fairly stupid :) fixed it now and got it right!
it was (4/(x+2))+2ln(abs(x-1))-4ln(abs(x+2))
 
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