Trig substitution for integral of x²/√(4x²+8)

  • Thread starter Thread starter ProBasket
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Trig
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
6 replies · 2K views
ProBasket
Messages
140
Reaction score
0
i need to find the appropriate trigonometric substitution for this problem. i don't know why, but I am only having problems finding the right sub. i can do the rest pretty easily. please help me with this:

[tex]\int \frac{x^2}{sqrt(4x^2+8)}[/tex]

here's what i done:

sqrt(4(x^2+2)) ----> a*tan(theta)

so I'm thinking that x should be equal to sqrt(2)/2*tan(theta), but it's incorrect. can someone help? (i know it's the wrong sub because I'm doing my homework online and it askes me for the trig sub first to check)
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
How about a substitutiton involving [itex]\sinh[/itex] ...?After all,it's still a trigonometric function,except,that it's not circular.

Daniel.

P.S.It should give the result immediately.
 
ProBasket said:
i need to find the appropriate trigonometric substitution for this problem. i don't know why, but I am only having problems finding the right sub. i can do the rest pretty easily. please help me with this:

[tex]\int \frac{x^2}{sqrt(4x^2+8)}[/tex]

here's what i done:

sqrt(4(x^2+2)) ----> a*tan(theta)

so I'm thinking that x should be equal to sqrt(2)/2*tan(theta), but it's incorrect. can someone help? (i know it's the wrong sub because I'm doing my homework online and it askes me for the trig sub first to check)

can i try?

[tex] \[<br /> \int_{}^{} {\frac{{x^2 }}{{\sqrt {4x^2 + 8} }}} dx \\ \\<br /> = \int_{}^{} {\frac{{x^2 }}{{2\sqrt {x^2 + 2} }}} dx \\ [/tex]
let
[tex]x = \sqrt 2 \tan \theta[/tex]

[tex]\[<br /> \int_{}^{} {\frac{{2\tan ^2 \theta \sqrt 2 \sec ^2 \theta }}{{2\sqrt 2 \sec \theta }}d\theta } \\ <br /> = \int_{}^{} {\tan ^2 \theta } \sec \theta d\theta \\ <br /> = \int_{}^{} {\sec \theta d \sec \theta } \\ <br /> \]<br /> [/tex]
 
you know that

[tex]1 + tan^2\theta = sec^2 \theta[/tex]

Use the subtitution, [tex]x = \sqrt{2} tan \theta[/tex]
 
Oh I see when I finished typing the latex, somebody posted the solution.
 
ah thanks for the help. don't know why i added the 1/2.

we haven't gone over sinh yet and don't think we ever will, so it'll be better if i don't use it.