Proposed Solution to #U650 Undergraduate Problems, Mathematical Re-

flections 1 (2024)

Solution proposed by Prakash Pant, Mathematics Initiatives in Nepal, Bardiya,

Nepal.

Problem Proposed by by Mihaela Berindeanu, Bucharest, România.

Statement of the Problem:

Evaluate :
e
(ln(x) − 1)2 − 3
Z
I= dx
1 (ln(x) + 2)2
Solution of the Problem:
Substitute ln(x) as x ,
Z 1
(x − 1)2 − 3 x
I= e dx
0 (x + 2)2
Z 1
(x + 2 − 3)2 − 3 x
I= e dx
0 (x + 2)2
Z 1
(x + 2)2 − 6(x + 2) + 9 − 3 x
I= e dx
0 (x + 2)2
Z 1
6ex 6ex

x
I= e − + dx
0 (x + 2) (x + 2)2
Z 1 Z 1 Z 1
x 6ex 6ex
I= e dx − dx + 2
dx
0 0 (x + 2) 0 (x + 2)
Using integration by parts in third integral,
Z 1 Z 1
6ex 6ex 1 6ex
2
dx = − + dx
0 (x + 2) (x + 2) 0 0 (x + 2)
Thus,
1 1 Z 1
6ex 6ex 1 6ex
Z Z
x
I= e dx − dx − + dx
0 0 (x + 2) (x + 2) 0 0 (x + 2)
1 6ex 1
I = ex − dx
0 (x + 2) 0
I = (e − 1) − (2e − 3) = 2 − e, which is the answer.