Integrals with Trigonometric Functions: Introduction
Trigonometry covers a subset of mathematical functions and concepts that many students (and parents) find daunting — how do the six trigonometric functions work together? How can they be manipulated effectively, and how are they used across derivative and integral equations?
Trigonometry Basics
Let us not forget the basics: Trigonometry centers around the degree and radian measurements of a right triangle — thus, the “tri” in "trigonometry". There are six basic trigonometric functions, which are found by dividing one side a triangle by another: In a right triangle, the “long” side is the hypotenuse; the side closest to the angle being measured is the adjacent; and the remaining side is the opposite. Dividing each side by the other, in turn, gives us the six basic trigonometric functions:
cosx
,
sinx
,
tanx
,
secx
,
cotx
and
cscx
.
Solving Integrals with Trigonometric Functions
What happens when you encounter integrals that involve these trigonometric functions? Generally speaking, there are a few main strategies, and often multiple strategies are used together to find the integral. They are:
1. Trigonmetric Identities
2. Integration by Substitution
3. Integration by Reduction Formula
Let’s try an example. Consider this integral:
∫tan2xdx
How do we integrate this? Let's first ask ourselves: is there a trignometric identity that can transform this integral into something easier to solve? The Pythagorean Identities might come to mind. The three Pythagorean Identities are:
1.
sin2x+cos2x=1
2.
tan2x+1=sec2x
3.
cot2x+1=csc2x
Since our integral contains
tan2x
, let's see if we can use the second identity above. Rearranging the terms gives us this equation:
tan2x=sec2x−1
.
This lets us rewrite the integral as:
∫sec2x−1dx
Now, we can use the sum rule, which states:
∫f(x)+g(x)dx=∫f(x)dx+∫g(x)dx
. This allows us to rewrite the integral as:
∫sec2xdx−∫1dx
Since we know the derivative of
tanx
is
sec2x
, it follows that the integral of
sec2x
must be
tanx
. This gives us
tanx−∫1dx
. Finally,
∫1dx
is simply
x
by the Power Rule. Together, our final answer is:
∫tan2xdx=tanx−x+C
What's Next
You can try more practice problems at the top of this page to help you get more familiar with solving integral with trigonometric functions. Want even more help? Sign up for Cymath Plus today. Download the Cymath app for iOS and Android to get step-by-step assistance anytime, anywhere.