ANTIDERIVATIVES Per.

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By the end of the week, it is going to become strangely important for us to be able to find, for a given
function, another function of which the given function is the derivative. This new function is called an
ANTIDERIVATIVE of the given function, and, for a function f(x), is typically denoted F(x).
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Thus, for example, an antiderivative of f(x) = 𝑥 is F(x) = ln(x), because Dxlnx = 𝑥.

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The function f(x) = 𝑥 actually has infinitely many antiderivatives, since the derivative of

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G(x) = lnx + C, where C is any constant, is also . We will stick to the simplest antiderivative, and
𝑥
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emphasize that lnx is an antiderivative of 𝑥
rather than the antiderivative of 𝑥
.

The antiderivatives of polynomials follow a predictable pattern.

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Consider the function F(x) = 𝑥 3. 𝐹 ′ (𝑥) = 3 ∙ 𝑥 2 = 𝑥 2 (because 3 and cancel).
3 3 3

1 𝑥3 1 3
So we can say 𝑥 3 is an antiderivative of x2. Most people will write instead of 𝑥 .
3 3 3

𝑥4 𝑥5
Show that 4
is an antiderivative of x3, and 5
is an antiderivative of x4.

What are the antiderivatives of x6 and x8 ?

The key to understanding antiderivatives is that you are just doing a derivative backwards. Every rule
you know for derivatives has its reverse rule for antiderivatives. Thus, the Power Rule for derivatives for
polynomials says that you multiply the exponent, then drop the exponenent one. For antidifferentiation,
we just do the opposite steps in the opposite order: Raise the exponent one, then divide by the new
exponent.

𝑥 𝑛+1
This can be written algebraically: For f(x) = xn, F(x) = 𝑛+1
.

𝑥 10
So, for example, for n = 9, f(x) = x9, F(x) = 10
.
For Trig and other functions, just run the derivative rule backwards. For example, you know that the
derivative of sin(x) is cos(x). Therefore, the antiderivative of cos(x) is sin(x).

Because antiderivatives are following the same rules as derivatives, they also have the same properties.
That means that we carry through constant factors, and find antiderivatives of terms separately.

𝑥3 𝑥4
For example, since the antiderivative of x2 is , and the antiderivative of x3 is , we can find the
3 4
following antiderivatives:

𝑥3 𝑥4
f(x) = x2 + x3  F(x) = +
3 4

5𝑥 3
f(x) = 5x2  F(x) = 3

𝑥4
f(x) = –x3  F(x) = − 4

Watch the negative sign on trig antiderivatives, because some of them reverse. For example,

Dxcos(x) = –sin(x), not +sin(x), so the antiderivative of sin(x) is not + cos(x), but –cos(x).

Thus we have:

f(x) = sin(x)  F(x) = –cos(x)

f(x) = cos(x)  F(x) = sin(x)

f(x) = sec2(x)  F(x) = tan(x)

f(x) = csc2(x)  F(x) = –cot(x)

f(x) = sec(x)tan(x)  F(x) = sec(x)

f(x) = csc(x)cot(x)  F(x) = –csc(x)

FIND AN ANTIDERIVATIVE FOR EACH FUNCTION (This is the homework part):

1. f(x) = 3x4 2. f(x) = 17x2 3. f(x) = 15x4 + 12x 4. f(x) = sin(x) + cos(x)

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5. f(x) = –csc2(x) 6. f(x) = –3x2 7. f(x) = 4 8. 𝑓(𝑥) = 9. f(x) = − 10. f(x) =
1+𝑥 2 𝑥 𝑥2