INTEGRATRION BY SUBSTITUTION

d
Since  f  g(x)   f  g(x) g(x) by the chain rule for differentiation, it follows that
dx
 f  g(x) g(x) dx  f  g(x)  C. This tells us how we must make our substitution. Let
du du du
u  g(x), then  g(x) and   dx  g(x) dx, but   
dx  du 
dx  dx  dx
since  du  u  C  g(x)  C and  g(x) dx  g(x)  C. Thus we shorten the
notation to read du  g(x) dx since that is the substitution in the integral. Note: you
must have the du term exactly to make a substitution. If you have a constant multiple of the
du term, it is easy to work with. Here are a few examples:

Example 1

 3x - 4  3x dx.
4
2
Let u  3x 2 - 4, du  6x dx;

 3x   3x   
1 1 1 5 1
u
4 4 5
2
- 4 3x dx  2
- 4 6x dx  4
du  u  C  3x 2 - 4  C
2 2 10 10

Example 2

 12x - 9
 dx. Let u  4x 2 - 6x  3, du  (8x - 6) dx  2(4x - 3) dx;
  4x - 6x  3 
2 3

  4x 
 12x - 9  3(4x - 3) 3 -3
dx   dx  2
- 6x  3 2(4x - 3) dx


 4x - 6x  3
2 3

 4x - 6x  3
2 3
2  
 - u  C  -  4x - 6x  3   C  -
3 3  1  -2 3 3
u
-2
 -3
du  2
 C
4 4x - 6x  3 
2
2 2 2 4 2

Example 3

 x - 2 dx. Let u  x - 2, du  1 dx;

2 3/2 2
 x - 2 dx  u du   C  (x - 2)3/2  C
1/2
u
3 3
This is what is known as a linear substitution.

Example 4

 x x - 2 dx. Let u  x - 2, x  u  2 du  1 dx;

 u  2 5/2 4 3/2
 x - 2 dx   (u  2)u1/2 du   2u1/2 du    C
3/2
x u u
5 3
2 4 2
 (x - 2)5/2  (x - 2)3/2  C OR (x - 2)3/2 (3x  4)
5 3 15
Example 5
 1
 dx. Let u  e x , du  e x dx; Multiply the numerator and denominator by e x
 e 2x
- 9

 1  1
then we have  e x dx   du
 ex e 
x 2
- 32  u u - 32
2

 sec -1 31 u  C  sec -1 31 e x  C  

 d1x  e1 dx  e
Consider integrals of the form  dx  
 2 dx
 ax  b1x  c1
2
 x  bx  c

If the denominator is of the form x 2  bx  c then it is either a perfect square, a difference

of squares or a sum of squares.

Example 6
 1
 2 dx By completing the square in the denominator we get
 x - 4x  13
1  1 1

 2 dx   dx  tan 31 (x - 2)  C
 x - 4x  13  (x - 2)  3
2 2
3

Example 7
 4x - 3
 2 dx. Let u  x 2 - 4x  13, du  (2x - 4) dx;
 x - 4x  13

 4x - 3 4x - 8  5
Add and subtract 5 in the numerator:  dx  
 2 dx
 x - 4x  13
2
 x - 4x  13

 2
 2
2x - 4
 x - 4x  13

dx  5
1
dx  2ln x 2 - 4x  13 
5
 
tan 31 (x - 2)  C
 (x - 2)  3
2 2
3

Example 8

 sin x dx. Let u  x  x  u2 , dx  2u du Using integration by parts:

 sin x dx   2u sin u du  - 2u cos u  2sin u  C  - 2 x cos x  2sin x  C

Example 9
 1
 dx. Let u  x1/6  x  u6 , dx  6x 5
 x - 3
x

 1 6u5 3
 6u du    6u2  6u  6  6 
 dx  
 3 2
dx      du
 x - 3
x  u - u  u - 1   u - 1
2u3  3u2  6u  6ln u - 1  C  2 x  3 3
x  6 6
x  6ln 6 x - 1  C

Example 10
 1
dx. Let x  4tan  , dx  4sec 2 d
 x 16  x 
 2 2

 1  4sec 2 1  4sec 2
dx  d   d
 x 16  x 
 2 2  16tan2 16  16tan2  
64  tan2 sec 2



1 

1
64  tan 
2
d 
1
64  cot 2 d 
1
64 
 csc 2 - 1 d

 -
1
 cot  -    C  - 1  4  tan-1 41 x    C
64 64  x 