How do you integrate int xcos(1/2)x from 0 to pi by integration by parts method?

1 Answer
Dec 30, 2016

intxcos(1/2x)dx=2pi-4

Explanation:

If this was meant to be:

intxcos(1/2)dx

Integration by parts is not necessary, as cos(1/2) is a constant. You could bring it outside of the integral:

cos(1/2)*intxdx

=>cos(1/2)*(x^2)/2

Evaluating from 0->pi:

=>cos(1/2)*(pi^2/2-0)

=>(pi^2cos(1/2))/2

If this was meant to be (I assume):

intxcos(1/2x)dx

The integration by parts method can be summarized as:

uv-intvdu

We pick one of the terms and set it equal to u. This term we will derive. The other term we set equal to dv, and this we will "anti-derive." Figuring out which variable to derive and which to anti-derive is usually the more challenging part. With practice it becomes a much quicker process.

In this case, I would set u=x and dv=cos(1/2x). This will give du=dx and makes one less term for us to have to worry about.

u=x,du=dx

dv=cos(1/2x), v=2sin(1/2x)

=>2xsin(x/2)-2intsin(1/2x)dx

Now we can use substitution to evaluate the integral:

u=1/2x, du=1/2dx=>2du=dx

=>2xsin(x/2)-2(2)intsin(u)du

Evaluating:

2xsin(x/2)-4(-cos(u))

=>2xsin(x/2)+4cos(u)

Substituting back in for u:

=>2xsin(x/2)+4cos(x/2)

Now we can evaluate from 0->pi:

[2(pi)sin(pi/2)+4cos(pi/2)]-[2(0)sin(0/2)+4cos(0/2)]

=>[2(pi)sin(pi/2)+4cos(pi/2)]-4cos(0)

=>2pi(1)+0-4(1)

=>2pi-4

Hope this helps!