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Integrals by trigonometric identities

Integrals by trigonometric identities

An identity before integrating

sin⁡2x\displaystyle \sin^2x, cos⁡2x\displaystyle \cos^2x and tan⁡2x\displaystyle \tan^2x have no basic integral, and no inner derivative in them. A trigonometric identity turns them into a sum of functions that have integrals. The double-angle identities are on the exam’s formula sheet: cos⁡2x=2cos⁡2x−1=1−2sin⁡2x\displaystyle {\cos2x}={2\cos^2x-1}={1-2\sin^2x} and sin⁡2x=2sin⁡xcos⁡x\displaystyle {\sin2x}={2\sin x\cos x}. From them:

sin⁡2x\displaystyle \sin^{2}x =\displaystyle = 1−cos⁡2x2\displaystyle \frac{1-\cos2x}{2}
cos⁡2x\displaystyle \cos^{2}x =\displaystyle = 1+cos⁡2x2\displaystyle \frac{1+\cos2x}{2}
sin⁡xcos⁡x\displaystyle \sin x\cos x =\displaystyle = 12sin⁡2x\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}\sin2x
tan⁡2x\displaystyle \tan^{2}x =\displaystyle = 1cos⁡2x−1\displaystyle \frac{1}{\cos^{2}x}-1
  • The last one comes from dividing sin⁡2x+cos⁡2x=1\displaystyle {\sin^2x+\cos^2x}={1} by cos⁡2x\displaystyle \cos^2x.
Three examples

In the examples below, replace each expression by an identity, and then find the integral:

  • ∫sin⁡2x dx=∫(12−12cos⁡2x)dx=x2−sin⁡2x4+C\displaystyle {\int\sin^2x\,dx}={\int\left(\frac{1}{2}-\frac{1}{2}\cos2x\right)dx}={\frac{x}{2}-\frac{\sin2x}{4}+C}.
  • ∫tan⁡2x dx=∫(1cos⁡2x−1)dx=tan⁡x−x+C\displaystyle {\int\tan^2x\,dx}={\int\left(\frac{1}{\cos^2x}-1\right)dx}={\tan x-x+C}.
  • ∫(sin⁡x+cos⁡x)2dx=∫(sin⁡2x+2sin⁡xcos⁡x+cos⁡2x)dx=∫(1+sin⁡2x)dx=x−cos⁡2x2+C\displaystyle {\int\left(\sin x+\cos x\right)^2dx}={\int\left(\sin^2x+2\sin x\cos x+\cos^2x\right)dx}={\int\left(1+\sin2x\right)dx}={x-\frac{\cos2x}{2}+C}.
The mean of sin⁡2x\displaystyle \sin^2x

The example below calculates ∫0πsin⁡2x dx\displaystyle \int_0^\pi\sin^2x\,dx:

∫0πsin⁡2x dx=[x2−sin⁡2x4]0π=π2−0=π2\int_0^\pi\sin^2x\,dx=\left[\frac{x}{2}-\frac{\sin2x}{4}\right]_0^\pi=\frac{\pi}{2}-0=\frac{\pi}{2}
  • sin⁡2x+cos⁡2x=1\displaystyle {\sin^2x+\cos^2x}={1}, so ∫0π(sin⁡2x+cos⁡2x)dx=π\displaystyle {\int_0^\pi\left(\sin^2x+\cos^2x\right)dx}={\pi}.
  • Over half a period, sin⁡2x\displaystyle \sin^2x and cos⁡2x\displaystyle \cos^2x accumulate the same area: the graph of one is the graph of the other shifted by π2\displaystyle \frac{\pi}{2}. So each of them is π2\displaystyle \frac{\pi}{2}.
f(x)=sin⁡2x\displaystyle f(x)=\sin^{2}x
g(x)=cos⁡2x\displaystyle g(x)=\cos^{2}x
Exercise 1

Find the integrals with an identity.

a

    / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

    / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

    b

      / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

      / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

      c

        / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

        / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

        d

          / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

          / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

          Exercise 2

          Calculate the integrals.

          a

            / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

            / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

            b

              / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

              / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

              c

                / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

                / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

                Exercise 3

                Danny calculated ∫02π((2+sin⁡x)2−(2−sin⁡x)2)dx\displaystyle \int_0^{2\pi}\left(\left(2+\sin x\right)^2-\left(2-\sin x\right)^2\right)dx, and got 0.
                Simplify the expression inside the integral, and explain why the result is 0.

                  / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – check and a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power

                  / – fraction bar · Tab or the arrows – between numerator and denominator, then a note above or below · Enter – a new line · * – times · ^ – power, ↓ – end of the power