MATH ANALYSIS 2

Integration Techniques
(Part 3: Integration by Trigonometric Substitution)

JONJIE M. CATIBOG
 Integration by Trigonometric Substitution

You have already seen how some techniques of integration require a change-of-
variable substitution. In this lecture, you will learn substitutions involving
trigonometric functions that lead to trigonometric integrals. We will show with
three cases how changing a variable by a trigonometric substitution often
enables us to evaluate an integral containing an expression of one of the following
forms where 𝑎 > 0:

𝑎2 − 𝑥 2 , 𝑎2 + 𝑥 2 , 𝑥 2 − 𝑎2
Case 1: 𝑎2 − 𝑥 2 where 𝑎 > 0

The relationship between 𝑎 and 𝑥 can be illustrated

in a right triangle such that 𝑎 is the length of the
hypotenuse and 𝑥 is the length of one side of the
triangle. By Pythagorean Theorem, the length of the
other side is 𝑎2 − 𝑥 2.

With the given angle 𝜃 in the figure, it is clear that

𝑥
sin 𝜃 = → 𝒙 = 𝒂 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜽
𝑎
Examples
9 − 𝑥2 By applying Case 1, we let 𝑥 = 3 sin 𝜃. Then 𝑑𝑥 = 3 cos 𝜃 𝑑𝜃. Moreover,
1. Evaluate න 𝑑𝑥. 9 − 𝑥 2 = 9 − 3 sin 𝜃 2 = 9 − 9 sin2 𝜃 = 9 1 − sin2 𝜃 = 9 cos 2 𝜃 = 3 cos 𝜃
𝑥2

9 − 𝑥2 3 cos 𝜃 Substitute the obtained expressions for 𝑥, 𝑑𝑥 and 9 − 𝑥 2 .

න 𝑑𝑥 = න 3 cos 𝜃 𝑑𝜃 Then simplify.
𝑥2 3 sin 𝜃 2

9 cos 2 𝜃
=න 𝑑𝜃 Cancel the common factor 9. Then use the trigonometric
9 sin2 𝜃 cos 𝜃
identity cot 𝜃 = sin 𝜃 .

= න cot 2 𝜃 𝑑𝜃 Use the trigonometric identity cot 2 𝜃 = csc 2 𝜃 − 1.

= න csc 2 𝜃 − 1 𝑑𝜃 Evaluate the integral of each term. Apply the integration

formula ‫ ׬‬csc 2 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = − cot 𝑥 + 𝐶.
= − cot 𝜃 − 𝜃 + 𝐶
(continued on the next slide)
Examples
9 − 𝑥2
1. Evaluate න 𝑑𝑥.
𝑥2
𝑎𝑑𝑗
Using the figure below, since cot 𝜃 = 𝑜𝑝𝑝 , it follows that
= − cot 𝜃 − 𝜃 + 𝐶 9 − 𝑥2
cot 𝜃 =
𝑥
and since 𝑥 = 3sin 𝜃, we have
𝑥 𝑥
𝟗 − 𝒙𝟐 𝒙 = sin 𝜃 → 𝜃 = sin−1
=− − 𝐬𝐢𝐧−𝟏 + 𝑪 3 3
𝒙 𝟑

3
𝑥

9 − 𝑥2
Case 2: 𝑎2 + 𝑥 2 where 𝑎 > 0

The relationship between 𝑎 and 𝑥 can be illustrated

in a right triangle such that 𝑎 is the length of one
side and 𝑥 is the length of the other side. By
Pythagorean Theorem, the length of the hypotenuse
is 𝑎2 + 𝑥 2 .

With the given angle 𝜃 in the figure, it is clear that

𝑥
tan 𝜃 = → 𝒙 = 𝒂 𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝜽
𝑎
Examples
By applying Case 2, we let 𝑥 = 4 tan 𝜃. Then 𝑑𝑥 = 4 sec 2 𝜃 𝑑𝜃. Moreover,
2. Evaluate න 𝑥2 + 16 𝑑𝑥.
𝑥 2 + 16 = 4 tan 𝜃 2 + 16 = 16 tan2 𝜃 + 16 = 16 tan2 𝜃 + 1 = 16 sec 2 𝜃 = 4 sec 𝜃

න 𝑥 2 + 16 𝑑𝑥 = න 4 sec 𝜃 4 sec 2 𝜃 𝑑𝜃 Substitute the obtained expressions for 𝑑𝑥 and 𝑥 2 + 16.

Then simplify.

= න 16 sec 3 𝜃 𝑑𝜃 Factor out the constant 16. For ‫ ׬‬sec 3 𝜃 𝑑𝜃, we apply the
result of Example 4 in Module 2.3.

1 1
= 16 sec 𝜃 tan 𝜃 + ln sec 𝜃 + tan 𝜃 +𝐶
2 2
Since 𝑥 2 + 16 = 4 sec 𝜃, it follows that
= 8 sec 𝜃 tan 𝜃 + 8 ln sec 𝜃 + tan 𝜃 + 𝐶 𝑥 2 + 16
sec 𝜃 =
4
𝑥 2 + 16 𝑥 𝑥 2 + 16 𝑥 and
𝑥
=8 + 8 ln + +𝐶 𝑥 = 4 tan 𝜃 → tan 𝜃 =
4 4 4 4 4
(continued on the next slide)
Examples
2. Evaluate න 𝑥 2 + 16 𝑑𝑥.

𝑥 2 + 16 𝑥 𝑥 2 + 16 𝑥 Simplify the expression. For the second

=8 + 8 ln + +𝐶 term, use the property ln
𝑎
= ln 𝑎 − ln 𝑏.
4 4 4 4 𝑏

1 Since 𝑥 2 + 16 + 𝑥 always yields a positive

= 𝑥 𝑥 2 + 16 + 8 ln 𝑥 2 + 16 + 𝑥 − 8 ln 4 + 𝐶 value, we delete the absolute-value symbol.
2 Moreover, since −8 ln 4 + 𝐶 is a sum of two
constants, we simplify it as one constant.
𝟏
= 𝒙 𝒙𝟐 + 𝟏𝟔 + 𝟖 𝐥𝐧 𝒙𝟐 + 𝟏𝟔 + 𝒙 + 𝑪
𝟐
Case 3: 𝑥 2 − 𝑎2 where 𝑎 > 0

The relationship between 𝑥 and 𝑎 can be illustrated

in a right triangle such that 𝑥 is the length of the
hypotenuse and 𝑎 is the length of one side. By
Pythagorean Theorem, the length of the other side is
𝑥 2 − 𝑎2 .

With the given angle 𝜃 in the figure, it is clear that

𝑥
sec 𝜃 = → 𝒙 = 𝒂 𝐬𝐞𝐜 𝜽
𝑎
Examples
𝑑𝑥 By applying Case 3, we let 𝑥 = 2 sec 𝜃. Then 𝑑𝑥 = 2 sec 𝜃 tan 𝜃 𝑑𝜃. Moreover,
3. Evaluate න .
𝑥3 𝑥2 − 4 𝑥 2 − 4 = 2 sec 𝜃 2 − 4 = 4 sec 2 𝜃 − 4 = 4 sec 2 𝜃 − 1 = 4 tan2 𝜃 = 2 tan 𝜃

𝑑𝑥 2 sec 𝜃 tan 𝜃 𝑑𝜃 Substitute the obtained expressions for 𝑥, 𝑑𝑥 and 𝑥 2 − 4. Then

න =න simplify by cancelling 2 tan 𝜃 from the numerator and the denominator.
𝑥3 𝑥2 − 4 2 sec 𝜃 3 2 tan 𝜃

sec 𝜃 𝑑𝜃 1 sec 𝜃 1
=න Factor out the constant 8. Then observe that = sec2 𝜃 = cos 2 𝜃.
8 sec 3 𝜃 sec3 𝜃

1
= න cos 2 𝜃 𝑑𝜃 Apply Case 3(ii) of Trigonometric Integrals in Module 2.2.
8

1 1 + cos 2𝜃 1
Factor out the constant 2. Then evaluate the integral of each term.
= න 𝑑𝜃
8 2 1
For ‫ ׬‬cos 2𝜃 𝑑𝜃, let 𝑢 = 2𝜃. Then 2 𝑑𝑢 = 𝑑𝜃. Apply ‫׬‬cos 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = sin 𝑥 + 𝐶.

1 1
= 𝜃 + sin 2𝜃 + 𝐶
16 2 (continued on the next slide)
Examples
𝑑𝑥
3. Evaluate න .
𝑥3 𝑥2 − 4

1 1 Simplify the expression. Then apply the trigonometric

= 𝜃 + sin 2𝜃 + 𝐶 identity sin 2𝑥 = 2 sin 𝑥 cos 𝑥.
16 2

1 1 Since 𝑥 = 2 sec 𝜃, it follows that

𝑥 𝑥
= 𝜃 + (2sin 𝜃 cos 𝜃) + 𝐶 sec 𝜃 = → 𝜃 = sec −1
16 32 2 2
Moreover, using the figure below, we have
1 𝑥 1 𝑥2−4 2 𝑥2 − 4 2
= sec −1 + +𝐶 sin 𝜃 =
𝑥
and cos 𝜃 =
𝑥
16 2 16 𝑥 𝑥
𝑥
𝟏 −𝟏
𝒙 𝒙𝟐 − 𝟒 𝑥2 − 4
= 𝐬𝐞𝐜 + +𝑪
𝟏𝟔 𝟐 𝟖𝒙𝟐

2
Practice
Evaluate the following indefinite integrals.

25 − 𝑥 2
1. න 𝑑𝑥
𝑥

𝑑𝑥
2. න
𝑥2 𝑥2 + 9

𝑥2
3. න 𝑑𝑥
𝑥2 − 16
Online References
Integration by Trigonometric Substitution

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3rzxSgvZZk

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV5dhv0A2wU

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocgjfF2AboA

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4EK92CSuBE

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fD7MbnXbTls