How do you integrate int (x^2 + 1)/ ((2x-1)(x+1)(x-1)) dx using partial fractions?

1 Answer
Dec 3, 2015

-5/6 ln |2x-1| + 1/3 ln |x+1| + ln |x-1| + c

Explanation:

==============================

0) Preparations needed?

As the power of your denominator (x^3) is bigger than the power of your numerator (x^2) and your denominator is already factorized, you can start with the partial fraction decomposition right away!

==============================

1) Partial fraction decomposition

Your goal is to find A, B and C so that

(x^2+1) / ((2x-1)(x+1)(x-1)) = A/(2x-1) + B/(x+1) + C/(x-1)

... multiply both sides with (2x-1)(x+1)(x-1)....

<=> x^2 + 1 = A(x+1)(x-1) + B(2x-1)(x-1) + C(2x-1)(x+1)

... expand the terms at the right side...

<=> x^2 + 1 = A * x^2 - A + B * 2x^2 - B* 3x + B + C * 2x^2 + C * x - C

... "collect" the color(red)(x^2) terms, the color(blue)(x) terms and the color(green)("constant") terms...

<=> color(red)(x^2) + color(blue)(0 * x) + color(green)(1) = color(red)(A x^2) + color(blue)(0 * Ax) color(green)(- A) + color(red)(2Bx^2) color(blue)(-3Bx) + color(green)( B) + color(red)(2Cx^2) + color(blue)(Cx) color(green)(-C)

Now, to solve this equation, you can split it into three: one equation for x^2, one for x and one for the constant terms:

{((I) color(white)(xxx) 1 = A + 2B + 2C color(white)(xxxxxxxxi) color(red)(x^2) " terms"), ((II) color(white)(xxi) 0 = -3B + C color(white)(xxxxxxxxxxx) color(blue)(x) " terms"), ((III) color(white)(xx) 1 = -A + B - C color(white)(xxxiii) color(green)("constant") " terms") :}

==============================

2) Solving linear equation system

To solve this system of linear equations, you can e.g. transform (II) as C = 3B and plug 3B for C into (I) and (III) obtaining (I') and (III'):

{ ( (I') color(white)(xx) 1 = color(white)(xx) A + 8B ), ( (III') color(white)(x) 1 = - A - 2B ) :}

Adding those equation finally leads to B = 1/3 and thus, the solution of the linear equation system is:

A = - 5/3, color(white)(xx) B = 1/3, color(white)(xx) C = 1.

==============================

3) Result of the partial fraction decomposition

This means that your original fraction can be transformed as follows:

(x^2+1) / ((2x-1)(x+1)(x-1)) = -5/3* 1/(2x-1) + 1/3* 1 /(x+1) + 1/(x-1)

==============================

4) Solving the integral

So, the last thing left to do is solving the integral!

int (x^2+1) / ((2x-1)(x+1)(x-1)) "d" x

color(white)(xxxxxxxx) = int (-5/3* 1/(2x-1) + 1/3* 1 /(x+1) + 1/(x-1)) "d" x

color(white)(xxxxxxxx) = -5/3 int 1/(2x-1) "d"x + 1/3 int 1/(x+1) "d"x + int 1/(x-1) "d"x

color(white)(xxxxxxxx) = -5/3 ln |2x-1| * 1/2 + 1/3 ln |x+1| + ln |x-1| + c