How do you integrate int (sin^-1x)^2 using integration by parts?

1 Answer
Dec 17, 2016

int(sin^-1x)^2dx=x(sin^-1x)^2+2sqrt(1-x^2)sin^-1x-2x+C

Explanation:

We have:

I=int(sin^-1x)^2dx

Integration by parts takes the form intudv=uv-intvdu. For int(sin^-1x)^2dx, we have to choose values of u and dv.

Whatever value of dv has to be integrated, so it would be foolish to choose sin^-1x or (sin^-1x)^2 as dv because their integrals are not clear. So, let u=(sin^-1x)^2 and dv=dx, all that remains.

So, we have:

{(u=(sin^-1x)^2),(dv=dx):}

Take the derivative of u and integrate dv:

{(u=(sin^-1x)^2,=>,du=(2sin^-1x)/sqrt(1-x^2)dx),(dv=dx,=>,v=x):}

So we see that:

I=uv-intvdu=x(sin^-1x)^2-intx((2sin^-1x)/sqrt(1-x^2)dx)

Or:

I=x(sin^-1x)^2-2int(xsin^-1x)/sqrt(1-x^2)dx

We now have another integral to use integration by parts on. Again, don't choose sin^-1x as dv, so let dv be everything else.

{(u=sin^-1x),(dv=x/sqrt(1-x^2)dx):}

Now differentiate and integrate, respectively. Note that intx/sqrt(1-x^2)dx can be performed with the substitution t=1-x^2.

{(u=sin^-1x,=>,du=1/sqrt(1-x^2)dx),(dv=x/sqrt(1-x^2)dx,=>,v=-sqrt(1-x^2)):}

Then:

I=x(sin^-1x)^2-2[uv-intvdu]

I=x(sin^-1x)^2-2uv+2intvdu

I=x(sin^-1x)^2-2sin^-1x(-sqrt(1-x^2))+2int(-sqrt(1-x^2))/sqrt(1-x^2)dx

I=x(sin^-1x)^2+2sqrt(1-x^2)sin^-1x-2intdx

I=x(sin^-1x)^2+2sqrt(1-x^2)sin^-1x-2x+C