How do you integrate extanxdx using integration by parts?

1 Answer
May 14, 2016

You have to apply the definition: udv=uvvdu. Nonetheless, this integral does seem solvable analytically.

Explanation:

Integration by parts

If you apply it once:

Choose: dv=exp(x)dx, and u=tanx
Which gives you: v=exp(x), and du=sec2x2xdx

Thus:

exp(x)tanxdx=exp(x)sec2x2xexp(x)sec2x2xdx

Unfortunately, the more you go, the more complicate it gets, neither if you make u=exp(x), and dv=tanxdx, the exponential "locks" the integrals, making them cumbersome. Maybe this integral is no solvable by integration by part, I am not sure even analytically.

Learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differentiation_of_trigonometric_functions, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_integrals, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integration_by_parts

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A possible way to solve it is by Taylor expansion, expand tanx, which is the problematic part of the integral. I will try to add a second answer using this method.

Taylor expansion to tangent