What is the antiderivative of $\frac{1}{x^{1/2}+x^{1/3}}$ for $x>0$?

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The antiderivative of the function $\frac{1}{x^{1/2}+x^{1/3}}$ for $x > 0$ is discussed in detail, with multiple users confirming the correctness of various methods used to solve the integral. Participants Rido12, SuperSonic4, and Prove It contributed solutions and insights, affirming the validity of the approaches taken. The discussion emphasizes the importance of collaborative problem-solving in calculus.

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Find the antiderivative ($ x > 0$):\[\int\frac{1}{x^{1/2}+x^{1/3}}dx\]
 
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If there are any mistakes -- apologies, doing this on my break.

Let $x=a^6 \implies dx=6a^5$
$$\int \frac{1}{x^{1/3}+x^{1/2}}dx=\int \frac{6a^5}{a^3+a^2}da=\int \frac{6a^3}{1+a}da$$
Let $b=a+1$
$$=\int \frac{6(b-1)^3}{b}db=6\int \frac{b^3-3b^2+3b-1}{b}db=6\int \left( b^2-3b+3-\frac{1}{b}\right) db$$
$$=6\left( \frac{b^3}{3}-\frac{3b^2}{2}+3b -\ln{b}\right)+C$$
$$=6\left( \frac{(1+a)^3}{3}-\frac{3(1+a)^2}{2}+3(1+a) -\ln{(1+a)}\right)+C$$
$$=6\left( \frac{(1+x^{1/6})^3}{3}-\frac{3(1+x^{1/6})^2}{2}+3(1+x^{1/6}) -\ln{(1+x^{1/6})}\right)+C$$
 
lfdahl said:
Find the antiderivative ($ x > 0$):\[\int\frac{1}{x^{1/2}+x^{1/3}}dx\]

Let $u = x^{1/6}$ hence $du = \dfrac{dx}{6x^{5/6}}$ and $dx = 6x^{5/6}du $

This can also be written in terms of $u$ as $dx = 6u^5 du$

Note that $x^{1/2} = x^{3/6} = u^3$ and also that $x^{1/3} = x^{2/6} = u^2$

Therefore the integral wrt u is now

$ 6\int \dfrac{u^5}{u^3 + u^2}$

I can cancel a $u^2$ as I am told that $x>0$ and so $u > 0$

$ 6 \int \dfrac{u^3}{u+1}$

Using long division to break this down (I don't know how to show this in Latex sorry)

$\dfrac{u^3}{u+1} = u^2-u+1-\dfrac{1}{u+1}$

Subsituting this back for the integrand gives

$6 \int \left(u^2 - u+1 - \dfrac{1}{u+1}\right) du = \int 6u^2 du - \int 6u du + \int 6du + \int \dfrac{6}{u+1} du$$2u^3 - 3u^2 + 6u + 6\ln (u+1) + C$ (I know that u is positive so no need for absolute value here)Back subbing for x

$2(x^{1/6})^3 - 3(x^{1/6})^2 + 6(x^{1/6}) + 6 \ln (x^{1/6} + 1) + C$

Tidy up a bit

$2x^{1/2} - 3x^{1/3} + 6x^{1/6} + 6\ln (x^{1/6} + 1) + C$

$2\sqrt{x} - 3\sqrt[3]{x} + 6\sqrt[6]{x} + 6 \ln (\sqrt[6]{x} + 1) + C$
 
lfdahl said:
Find the antiderivative ($ x > 0$):\[\int\frac{1}{x^{1/2}+x^{1/3}}dx\]

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} \int{\frac{1}{x^{\frac{1}{2}} + x^{\frac{1}{3}}}\,\mathrm{d}x} &= \int{\frac{1}{x^{\frac{3}{6}} + x^{\frac{2}{6}}}\,\mathrm{d}x} \\ &= \int{ \frac{1}{\left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^3 + \left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^2}\,\mathrm{d}x} \\ &= \int{ \frac{6\,x^{\frac{5}{6}}}{6\,x^{\frac{5}{6}}\,\left[ \left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^3 + \left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^2 \right] }\,\mathrm{d}x } \\ &= \int{\frac{6\,\left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^5}{\left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^3 + \left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^2}\,\left( \frac{1}{6\,x^{\frac{5}{6}}} \right) \,\mathrm{d}x} \end{align*}$

Now let $\displaystyle \begin{align*} u = x^{\frac{1}{6}} \implies \mathrm{d}u = \frac{1}{6\,x^{\frac{5}{6}}}\,\mathrm{d}x \end{align*}$ and the integral becomes

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} \int{ \frac{6\,\left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^5}{\left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^3 + \left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^2}\,\left( \frac{1}{6\,x^{\frac{5}{6}}} \right) \,\mathrm{d}x } &= \int{\frac{6\,u^5}{u^3 + u^2}\,\mathrm{d}u} \\ &= \int{ \frac{6\,u^3}{u + 1}\,\mathrm{d}u } \\ &= 6 \int{ \left( u^2 - u + 1 - \frac{1}{u + 1}\right) \,\mathrm{d}u } \\ &= 6\,\left( \frac{u^3}{3} - \frac{u^2}{2} + u - \ln{ \left| u + 1 \right| } \right) + C \\ &= 2\,u^3 - 3\,u^2 + 6\,u - 6\ln{ \left| u + 1 \right| } + C \\ &= 2\,\left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^3 - 3\,\left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^2 + 6\,x^{\frac{1}{6}} - 6\ln{ \left| x^{\frac{1}{6}} + 1 \right| } + C \\ &= 2\,x^{\frac{1}{2}} - 3\,x^{\frac{1}{3}} + 6\,x^{\frac{1}{6}} - 6\ln{ \left| x^{\frac{1}{6}} + 1 \right| } + C \end{align*}$
 
Rido12 said:
If there are any mistakes -- apologies, doing this on my break.

Let $x=a^6 \implies dx=6a^5$
$$\int \frac{1}{x^{1/3}+x^{1/2}}dx=\int \frac{6a^5}{a^3+a^2}da=\int \frac{6a^3}{1+a}da$$
Let $b=a+1$
$$=\int \frac{6(b-1)^3}{b}db=6\int \frac{b^3-3b^2+3b-1}{b}db=6\int \left( b^2-3b+3-\frac{1}{b}\right) db$$
$$=6\left( \frac{b^3}{3}-\frac{3b^2}{2}+3b -\ln{b}\right)+C$$
$$=6\left( \frac{(1+a)^3}{3}-\frac{3(1+a)^2}{2}+3(1+a) -\ln{(1+a)}\right)+C$$
$$=6\left( \frac{(1+x^{1/6})^3}{3}-\frac{3(1+x^{1/6})^2}{2}+3(1+x^{1/6}) -\ln{(1+x^{1/6})}\right)+C$$

Hi, Rido12

Thankyou for your solution, your method is correct:

- but you forgot to reduce the expression: \[ \frac{(1+a)^3}{3}-\frac{3(1+a)^2}{2}+3(1+a)\]

- - - Updated - - -

SuperSonic4 said:
Let $u = x^{1/6}$ hence $du = \dfrac{dx}{6x^{5/6}}$ and $dx = 6x^{5/6}du $

This can also be written in terms of $u$ as $dx = 6u^5 du$

Note that $x^{1/2} = x^{3/6} = u^3$ and also that $x^{1/3} = x^{2/6} = u^2$

Therefore the integral wrt u is now

$ 6\int \dfrac{u^5}{u^3 + u^2}$

I can cancel a $u^2$ as I am told that $x>0$ and so $u > 0$

$ 6 \int \dfrac{u^3}{u+1}$

Using long division to break this down (I don't know how to show this in Latex sorry)

$\dfrac{u^3}{u+1} = u^2-u+1-\dfrac{1}{u+1}$

Subsituting this back for the integrand gives

$6 \int \left(u^2 - u+1 - \dfrac{1}{u+1}\right) du = \int 6u^2 du - \int 6u du + \int 6du + \int \dfrac{6}{u+1} du$$2u^3 - 3u^2 + 6u + 6\ln (u+1) + C$ (I know that u is positive so no need for absolute value here)Back subbing for x

$2(x^{1/6})^3 - 3(x^{1/6})^2 + 6(x^{1/6}) + 6 \ln (x^{1/6} + 1) + C$

Tidy up a bit

$2x^{1/2} - 3x^{1/3} + 6x^{1/6} + 6\ln (x^{1/6} + 1) + C$

$2\sqrt{x} - 3\sqrt[3]{x} + 6\sqrt[6]{x} + 6 \ln (\sqrt[6]{x} + 1) + C$

Good job, SuperSonic4! Thankyou for your participation!

- - - Updated - - -

Prove It said:
$\displaystyle \begin{align*} \int{\frac{1}{x^{\frac{1}{2}} + x^{\frac{1}{3}}}\,\mathrm{d}x} &= \int{\frac{1}{x^{\frac{3}{6}} + x^{\frac{2}{6}}}\,\mathrm{d}x} \\ &= \int{ \frac{1}{\left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^3 + \left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^2}\,\mathrm{d}x} \\ &= \int{ \frac{6\,x^{\frac{5}{6}}}{6\,x^{\frac{5}{6}}\,\left[ \left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^3 + \left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^2 \right] }\,\mathrm{d}x } \\ &= \int{\frac{6\,\left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^5}{\left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^3 + \left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^2}\,\left( \frac{1}{6\,x^{\frac{5}{6}}} \right) \,\mathrm{d}x} \end{align*}$

Now let $\displaystyle \begin{align*} u = x^{\frac{1}{6}} \implies \mathrm{d}u = \frac{1}{6\,x^{\frac{5}{6}}}\,\mathrm{d}x \end{align*}$ and the integral becomes

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} \int{ \frac{6\,\left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^5}{\left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^3 + \left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^2}\,\left( \frac{1}{6\,x^{\frac{5}{6}}} \right) \,\mathrm{d}x } &= \int{\frac{6\,u^5}{u^3 + u^2}\,\mathrm{d}u} \\ &= \int{ \frac{6\,u^3}{u + 1}\,\mathrm{d}u } \\ &= 6 \int{ \left( u^2 - u + 1 - \frac{1}{u + 1}\right) \,\mathrm{d}u } \\ &= 6\,\left( \frac{u^3}{3} - \frac{u^2}{2} + u - \ln{ \left| u + 1 \right| } \right) + C \\ &= 2\,u^3 - 3\,u^2 + 6\,u - 6\ln{ \left| u + 1 \right| } + C \\ &= 2\,\left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^3 - 3\,\left( x^{\frac{1}{6}} \right) ^2 + 6\,x^{\frac{1}{6}} - 6\ln{ \left| x^{\frac{1}{6}} + 1 \right| } + C \\ &= 2\,x^{\frac{1}{2}} - 3\,x^{\frac{1}{3}} + 6\,x^{\frac{1}{6}} - 6\ln{ \left| x^{\frac{1}{6}} + 1 \right| } + C \end{align*}$
Awesome, Prove It! Thankyou for your participation!
 

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