Integration of Rational
Functions Using Partial
Fractions
Capstone
Basic Project
Calculus
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Learning Competency
This lesson serves as an enrichment for the following DepEd competency:
Compute the antiderivative of a function using
substitution rule and table of integrals (including
those whose antiderivatives involve logarithmic
and inverse trigonometric functions).
(STEM_BC11I-IVb-c-1)
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Learning Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to do the following:
● Illustrate partial fraction
decomposition.
● Compute the antiderivative of rational
functions by partial fraction
decomposition.
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Partial Fractions
A partial fraction decomposition is
the reverse process of adding two
fractions. Given a rational fraction,
we express it as a sum of two or
more fractions.
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Partial Fractions
5𝑥+1
The fraction can be expressed as the
𝑥 2 −1
2 3
sum of and . The two fractions are
𝑥+1 𝑥−1
5𝑥+1
the partial fractions of .
𝑥 2 −1
5
Partial Fractions
In performing partial fraction decomposition, we
should check if the rational function is proper.
A proper rational function is a rational function
where the degree of the numerator is less than
the degree of the denominator.
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Partial Fractions
Another thing that we should consider are
the factors of the denominator of the
rational function. Here are the different
classifications of factors that we should
consider.
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Nonrepeated Linear Factors
Non-repeated Linear Factors
If a linear factor 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏 occurs once as a factor of
the denominator, then there corresponds a
𝑨
partial fraction for this factor, where 𝐴 is a
𝒂𝒙+𝒃
nonzero constant.
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Nonrepeated Linear Factors
Example 1:
2𝑥+1
Decompose into partial
𝑥 2 −1
fractions.
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Nonrepeated Linear Factors
Example 1:
2𝑥+1
Decompose into partial fractions.
𝑥 2 −1
𝟏 𝟑
+
𝟐(𝒙 + 𝟏) 𝟐(𝒙 − 𝟏)
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Repeated Linear Factors
Repeated Linear Factors
If a linear factor 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏 occurs 𝑛 times as a factor of
the denominator, then there corresponds 𝑛 partial
𝑨 𝑨𝟐 𝑨𝒏
fractions + + ⋯+ for this factor,
𝒂𝒙+𝒃 (𝒂𝒙+𝒃)𝟐 (𝒂𝒙+𝒃)𝒏
where 𝐴1 , 𝐴2 , …, 𝐴𝑛 are nonzero constants.
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Repeated Linear Factors
Example 2:
𝑥
Decompose into partial
(𝑥−1)2
fractions.
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Repeated Linear Factors
Example 2:
𝑥
Decompose into partial fractions.
(𝑥−1)2
𝟏 𝟏
+ 𝟐
𝒙−𝟏 𝒙−𝟏
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Nonrepeated Quadratic Factors
Non-repeated Quadratic Factors
2
If a quadratic factor 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐 occurs once as
a factor of the denominator, then there
𝑨𝒙+𝑩
corresponds a partial fraction for this
𝒂𝒙𝟐 +𝒃𝒙+𝒄
factor, where 𝐴 and 𝐵 are constants and 𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵
≠ 0.
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Nonrepeated Quadratic Factors
Example 3:
3 2
𝑥 −𝑥 +1
Decompose 2 2 into partial
𝑥 (𝑥 +1)
fractions.
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Nonrepeated Quadratic Factors
Example 3:
3 2
𝑥 −𝑥 +1
Decompose into partial
𝑥 2 (𝑥 2 +1)
fractions.
𝟏 𝒙−𝟐
𝟐
+ 𝟐
𝒙 𝒙 +𝟏 16
Repeated Quadratic Factors
Repeated Quadratic Factors
If a quadratic factor 𝑎𝑥 2 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐 occurs 𝑛 times as a factor
of the denominator, then there corresponds 𝑛 partial
𝑨𝟏 𝒙+𝑩𝟏 𝑨𝟐 𝒙+𝑩𝟐 𝑨𝒏 𝒙+𝑩𝒏
fractions 𝟐 + 𝟐 𝟐 + ⋯+ 𝟐 𝒏 for this
𝒂𝒙 +𝒃𝒙+𝒄 𝒂𝒙 +𝒃𝒙+𝒄 𝒂𝒙 +𝒃𝒙+𝒄
factor, where 𝐴1 , 𝐴2 , … , 𝐴𝑛 and 𝐵1 , 𝐵2 , … , 𝐵𝑛 are constants
and 𝐴𝑛 𝑥 + 𝐵𝑛 ≠ 0.
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Repeated Quadratic Factors
Example 4:
3
2𝑥 +2𝑥+1
Decompose 2 2 into partial
𝑥 +1
fractions.
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Repeated Quadratic Factors
Example 4:
3
2𝑥 +2𝑥+1
Decompose into partial
𝑥 2 +1 2
fractions.
𝟐𝒙 𝟏
+
𝒙𝟐 + 𝟏 𝒙𝟐 + 𝟏 𝟐
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Remember
Note that the denominator may have a
combination of linear and quadratic
factors.
Example:
3𝑥 + 4 𝐴 𝐵𝑥 + 𝐶 𝐷𝑥 + 𝐸
2 2
= + 2 + 2
(𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 + 1) 𝑥 + 1 𝑥 + 1 (𝑥 + 1)2
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What kind of factors
should you check in
decomposing a rational
function into partial
fractions?
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Integration of Rational Functions
Rational functions are functions of the form
𝑔 𝑥
𝑓 𝑥 = , where 𝑔(𝑥) and ℎ(𝑥) are polynomials
ℎ(𝑥)
and ℎ(𝑥) ≠ 0. We can evaluate the integral of rational
functions using algebraic or trigonometric
substitution, but not all rational functions can be
integrated this way.
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Integration of Rational Functions
To evaluate the integral of rational
functions, we can decompose the
rational function into partial fractions
and then apply integration rules and
techniques.
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Integration of Rational Functions
Example 5:
𝑥−11
Evaluate න 2 𝑑𝑥.
𝑥 −𝑥−2
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Integration of Rational Functions
Example 5:
𝑥−11
Evaluate න 2 𝑑𝑥.
𝑥 −𝑥−2
𝟒 𝐥𝐧 |𝒙 + 𝟏| − 𝟑 𝐥𝐧 𝒙 − 𝟐 + 𝑪
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Let’s Practice!
𝟓𝒙−𝟏𝟗
1. Evaluate න 𝟐 𝒅𝒙.
𝒙 −𝟔𝒙+𝟗
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Let’s Practice!
𝟓𝒙−𝟏𝟗
1. Evaluate න 𝟐 𝒅𝒙.
𝒙 −𝟔𝒙+𝟗
𝟒
𝟓 𝐥𝐧 𝒙 − 𝟑 + +𝑪
𝒙−𝟑
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Try It!
𝟔𝒙+𝟑𝟐
1. Evaluate න 𝟐 𝒅𝒙.
𝒙 +𝟖𝒙+𝟏𝟔
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Let’s Practice!
𝟏𝟐𝒙+𝟏𝟏
2. Evaluate න 𝟐 𝒅𝒙.
𝟐𝒙 +𝟕𝒙+𝟑
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Let’s Practice!
𝟏𝟐𝒙+𝟏𝟏
2. Evaluate න 𝟐 𝒅𝒙.
𝟐𝒙 +𝟕𝒙+𝟑
𝐥𝐧 𝟐𝒙 + 𝟏 + 𝟓 𝐥𝐧 𝒙 + 𝟑 + 𝑪
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Try It!
𝟏𝟎𝒙−𝟐
2. Evaluate න 𝟐 𝒅𝒙.
𝟑𝒙 +𝟏𝟎𝒙+𝟑
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Check Your Understanding
Decompose the following into partial fractions.
18𝑥+46
1.
2𝑥 2 −3𝑥−35
3𝑥 2 +9𝑥−6
2.
(𝑥+3)(𝑥 2 +3𝑥−1)
56𝑥+34
3.
64𝑥 2 +80𝑥+25
𝑥 3 −2𝑥 2 −18𝑥+21
4.
(𝑥 2 −7)(𝑥 2 +5𝑥+4)
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Check Your Understanding
Evaluate the following integrals.
3−7𝑥
1. න 2 𝑑𝑥
𝑥 +3𝑥
2
6𝑥 +4𝑥+8
2. න 𝑑𝑥
𝑥−7 𝑥 2 +2𝑥+3
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Bibliography
Edwards, C.H., and David E. Penney. Calculus: Early Transcendentals. 7th ed.
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2008.
Larson, Ron H., and Bruce H. Edwards. Essential Calculus: Early Transcendental
Functions. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008.
Leithold, Louis. The Calculus 7. New York: HarperCollins College Publ., 1997.
Smith, Robert T., and Roland B. Milton. Calculus. New York: McGraw Hill, 2012.
Tan, Soo T. Applied Calculus for the Managerial, Life, and Social Sciences: A Brief
Approach. Australia: Brooks/Cole Cengage Learning, 2012.
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