Substitution in a definite integral

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the method of substitution in definite integrals, specifically Theorem 6, which states that if \( g \) is a differentiable function on \([a,b]\) with \( g(a)=A \) and \( g(b)=B \), and \( f \) is continuous on the range of \( g \), then the equality \( \int_a^b f(g(x))g'(x)dx = \int_A^B f(u)du \) holds. The theorem simplifies the integration process by allowing the substitution of variables. An example illustrates this method using \( I=\int_0^8 \frac{\cos{\sqrt{x+1}}}{\sqrt{x+1}}\,dx \) with the substitution \( u=\sqrt{x+1} \).

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mcastillo356
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TL;DR
Need some help understanding the so-called Theorem.
Hi, PF
I am going to reproduce the introduction of the textbook; then the Theorem:

The method of substitution cannot be forced to work. There is no substitution that will do much good with the integral ##\int{x(2+x^7)^{1/5}}\,dx##, for instance. However, the integral ##\int{x^6(2+x^7)^{1/5}}\,dx## will yield to the substitution ##u=2+x^7##. The substitution ##u=g(x)## is more likely to work if ##g'(x)## is a factor of the integrand.

The following theorem simplifies the use of the method of susbstitution in definite integrals.

THEOREM 6 Substitution in a definite integral

Suppose that ##g## is a differentiable function on ##[a,b]## that satisfies ##g(a)=A## and ##g(b)=B##. Also suppose that ##f## is continous on the range of ##g##. Then

$$\displaystyle\int_a^b{\,f(g(x))g'(x)dx}=\displaystyle\int_A^B{\,f(u)du}$$

PROOF Let ##F## be an antiderivative of ##f: F'(u)=f(u)##. Then

##\displaystyle\frac{d}{dx}\,F(g(x))=F'(g(x))g'(x)##.
Thus,
$$\displaystyle\int_a^b{f(g(x))g'(x)}=F(g(x))\Bigg |_a^b=F(g(b))-F(g(a))
=F(B)-F(A)=F(u)\Bigg |_A^B=\displaystyle\int_A^B{\,f(u)du}$$

EXAMPLE 5 Evaluate the integral ##I=\displaystyle\int_0^8{\displaystyle\frac{\cos{\sqrt{x+1}}}{\sqrt{x+1}}\,dx}##.

Solution Let ##u=\sqrt{x+1}##. Then ##du=\displaystyle\frac{dx}{2\sqrt{x+1}}##. If ##x=0##, then ##u=1##; if ##x=8##, then ##u=3##. Thus

$$I=2\displaystyle\int_1^3{\cos{u}\,du}=2\sin{u\Bigg |_1^3}=2\sin{3}-2\sin{1}$$

Paradoxically, I understand the example 5, but can't deal with the theory, ie, the theorem 6. Try to focus the doubt about the theorem will be my attempt: why in the equality ##\displaystyle\int_a^b{\,f(g(x))g'(x)dx}=\displaystyle\int_A^B{\,f(u)du}##, at the left, the integrand is a composite function?.

Greetings

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mcastillo356 said:
Try to focus the doubt about the theorem will be my attempt: why in the equality ##\displaystyle\int_a^b{\,f(g(x))g'(x)dx}=\displaystyle\int_A^B{\,f(u)du}##, at the left, the integrand is a composite function?.
What do you mean "why is it a composite function"? Because the theorem deals with the integral of a composite function. Note that "Integration by substitution" is like the inverse of the chain rule. And "integration by parts" is like the inverse of the product rule.
 
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Substitute ##g(x)=u.## Then ##\dfrac{du}{dx}=\dfrac{g(x)}{dx}=g'(x)## and the integrand becomes
\begin{align*}
\int_a^b f(g(x)) g'(x)\,dx= \int_{x=a}^{x=b}f(u) \dfrac{du}{dx}\,dx=\int_{g(a)}^{g(b)}f(u) \,du=\int_A^B f(u)\,du
\end{align*}
which is the standard substitution method.

The crucial point is that we have ##f(\;g\;)\cdot g'## which allows to not only substitute ##u=g(x)## but simultaneously get rid of ##dx## by substituting it with ##du.## ##g'## is the correction factor that cancels out.

Here is the general n-dimensional transformation theorem of integrals:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integration_by_substitution#Substitution_for_multiple_variables
 
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1) ##\frac{d}{dx}f(g(x))=f'(g(x))g'(x)##
2) use the Fundamental theorem of calculus twice: ##\int_a^bf'(g(x))g'(x)dx = f(g(b))-f(g(a))=\int_{g(a)}^{g(b)}f'(x)dx##

Remark: in the multidimensional case ##g## must be a diffeomorphism (if only we have no intention to measure the topological degree of ##g##).
 
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wrobel said:
1) ##\frac{d}{dx}f(g(x))=f'(g(x))g'(x)##
2) use the Fundamental theorem of calculus twice: ##\int_a^bf'(g(x))g'(x)dx = f(g(b))-f(g(a))=\int_{g(a)}^{g(b)}f'(x)dx##
The inverse chain rule!
 
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By the way, there are two pretty different theorems which are usually confused. The proofs are very different as well.

Theorem 1. Assume that ##f\in C[a,b].## Then
$$\frac{d}{dx}\int_a^xf(s)ds=f(x),\quad x\in[a,b].$$

Theorem 2. Assume that a function ##g\in C[a,b]## is differentiable in [a,b] and such that ##g'## is Riemann integrable in [a,b]. Then
$$\int_a^x g'(s)ds=g(x)-g(a).$$
 
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Hi, PF
wrobel said:
1) ##\frac{d}{dx}f(g(x))=f'(g(x))g'(x)##
Nice introduction.
wrobel said:
2) use the Fundamental theorem of calculus twice: ##\int_a^bf'(g(x))g'(x)dx = f(g(b))-f(g(a))=\int_{g(a)}^{g(b)}f'(x)dx##
Let ##g:[a,b]\rightarrow{I}## be a differentiable function with a continous derivative, where ##\mbox{I}\subset{\mathbb{R}}## is an interval. Suppose that ##f\,I\,\rightarrow{\mathbb{R}}## is a continous function. Then
$$\displaystyle\int_a^b{\,f(g(x))g'(x)dx}=\displaystyle\int_A^B{\,f(u)du}$$
In Leibniz notation, the substitution ##u=g(x)## yields
##\displaystyle\frac{du}{dx}=g'(x)##.
Working heuristically (investigating or discovering? Wikipedia doesn't support nor refuse infinitesimals?) with infinitesimals yields the equation
##du=g'(x)dx##,
which suggests the substitution formula above.
Proof
Integration by substitution can be derived from the fundamental theorem of calculus as follows. Let ##f## and ##g## be two functions satisfying the above hypothesis that ##f## is continous on ##I## and ##g'## is integrable on ##[a,b]##. Hence the integrals
##\displaystyle\int_a^b{\,f(g(x))g'(x)dx}##
and
##\displaystyle\int_{g(a)}^{g(b)}{\,f(u)du}##
in fact exist, and it remains to show that they are equal.

Applying the fundamental theorem of calculus twice gives (here I say: the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus is, in my personal opinion, is not the issue of this thread; it is ment to be part of the comprehended background; however, a doubt has raised: the term "twice"):

wrobel said:
By the way, there are two pretty different theorems which are usually confused. The proofs are very different as well.

Theorem 1. Assume that ##f\in C[a,b].## Then
$$\frac{d}{dx}\int_a^xf(s)ds=f(x),\quad x\in[a,b].$$

Theorem 2. Assume that a function ##g\in C[a,b]## is differentiable in [a,b] and such that ##g'## is Riemann integrable in [a,b]. Then
$$\int_a^x g'(s)ds=g(x)-g(a).$$

Now what I think is that when we mention to use twice, we talk about the left and the right sides of the theorem of substitution in a definite integral, this is, demonstrate the following:

wrobel said:
2) use the Fundamental theorem of calculus twice: ##\int_a^bf'(g(x))g'(x)dx = f(g(b))-f(g(a))=\int_{g(a)}^{g(b)}f'(x)dx##
Since ##f## is continous, it has an antiderivative ##F##. The composite function ##F\circ{g}## is then defined (why is it then defined?) Since ##g## is differentiable, combining the chain rule and the definition of an antiderivative gives

##(F\circ{g})'(x)=F'(g(x))\cdot{g'(x)}=f(g(x))\cdot{g'(x)}##

Applying the fundamental theorem of calculus twice gives

##\displaystyle\int_a^b{f(g(x)\cdot{g'(x)\,dx}}=\displaystyle\int_a^b{(F\circ{g})'(x)\,dx}##
##=(F\circ{g})(b)-(F\circ{g})(a)##
##=F(g(b))-F(g(a))##
##=\displaystyle\int_{g(a)}^{g(b)}\,f(u)du##

which is the substitution rule
Source, Wikipedia. Thanks, @fresh_42
Greetings.
 

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