Need help with deciphering calculus 2 problem

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
2 replies · 2K views
Al3x L3g3nd
Messages
14
Reaction score
1

Homework Statement



Use substitution to show that for any continuous function f,
$$\int_0^{\pi/2} f(\sin x)\,dx = \int_0^{\pi/2} f(\cos x)\,dx.$$

Homework Equations


$$\cos(\pi/2-x)=\sin x$$

The Attempt at a Solution



My confusion is that f is inside the integral, and I have no idea if it would change anything.

When I do the substitution normally, I get ##\int_0^{\pi/2} f(\cos u)\,du##, but that doesn't help because it is in terms of u and not x.

Can someone help me understand this?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
Shoot. I don't know how the formatting works on this site. The squigly line is an integrand and they all go from 0 to pi/2.
 
Last edited:
Al3x L3g3nd said:
When I do the substitution normally, I get ##\int_0^{\pi/2} f(\cos u)\,du##, but that doesn't help because it is in terms of u and not x.
I don't think it matters. In the definite integrals of f(x) dx, from x = a to x = b, x is a dummy variable, since it could be replaced everywhere by any other letter and the meaning would be unchanged. So IIRC you can just change the letters from
[tex]\int_0^{\pi/2} f(\cos u)\,du[/tex]
to
[tex]\int_0^{\pi/2} f(\cos x)\,dx[/tex]
and you're done.