3/22/2021 Integration of Rational Functions

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Calculus
Integration of Functions

Integration of Rational Functions

P (x)
Recall that a rational function is a ratio of two polynomials .
Q(x)

We will assume that we have a proper rational function in which the degree of the

numerator is less than the degree of the denominator.

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3/22/2021 Integration of Rational Functions

In order to convert improper rational function into a proper one, we can use long
division:

P (x) R (x)
= F (x) + ,
Q (x) Q (x)

R(x)
where F (x) is a polynomial, is a proper rational function.
Q(x)

To integrate a proper rational function, we can apply the method of partial fractions.

This method allows to turn the integral of a complicated rational function into the sum of
integrals of simpler functions.

The denominators of the partial fractions can contain nonrepeated linear factors,
repeated linear factors, nonrepeated irreducible quadratic factors, and repeated
irreducible quadratic factors.

To evaluate integrals of partial fractions with linear or quadratic denominators, we use

the following 6 formulas:

Adx
1. ∫ = A ln|ax + b|
ax + b

Adx A
2. ∫ =
k k−1
(ax + b) a (1 − k) (ax + b)

For partial fractions with irreducible quadratic denominators, we first complete the
square:

2 2
b 4ac − b
2
ax + bx + c = a [(x + ) + ].
2
2a 4a

Hence, we can write:



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3/22/2021 Integration of Rational Functions
′ ′
Ax + B At + B 1 At + B
∫ dx = ∫ dt = ∫ dt,
k k k k
2 2 2 a 2 2
(ax + bx + c) [a (t + m )] (t + m )

where

2
b 4ac − b Ab
2 ′
t = x + , m = , B = B − .
2
2a 4a 2a

The possible cases for fractions with quadratic denominators are covered by the following
integrals:

tdt 1
2 2
3. ∫ = ln(t + m )
2 2
t + m 2

dt 1 t
4. ∫ = arctan
2 2
t + m m m

tdt 1
5. ∫ =
k k−1
2 2 2 2
(t + m ) 2 (1 − k) (t + m )

dt
Finally, the integral ∫ k
can be evaluated in k steps using the reduction formula
2 2
(t +m )

dt t 2k − 3 dt
6. ∫ = + ∫
k k−1 2 k−1
2 2 2 2 2 2m (k − 1) 2 2
(t + m ) 2m (k − 1) (t + m ) (t + m )

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3/22/2021 Integration of Rational Functions

Solved Problems
Click or tap a problem to see the solution.

Example 1
x+2
Find the integral ∫ dx.
x−1

Example 2
2x+3
Evaluate the integral ∫ 2
dx.
x −9

Example 3
2
2x
Find the integral ∫ dx.
x+1

Example 4
2
x −2
Evaluate ∫ dx.
x+1

Example 5
Find the integral ∫
dx
. 
(2x−1)(x+3)

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3/22/2021 Integration of Rational Functions

Example 6
x
Find the integral ∫ 2
dx.
x −9

Example 7
dx
Evaluate the integral ∫ 2
.
x +4x+8

Example 8
xdx
Evaluate the integral ∫ 2
.
x +2x+1

Example 9
x+1
Find the integral ∫ 3
dx.
(x−2)

Example 10
xdx
Evaluate the integral ∫ 2
.
x +2x+2

Example 11
2
x dx
Evaluate the integral ∫ .
(x−1)(x−2)(x−3)

Example 12
xdx
Find the integral ∫ 3
.
(x+2)

Example 13
dx
Evaluate ∫ .
(x+1)(x2 +1)

Example 14
dx
Evaluate the integral ∫ 2
.
x (x+1)

Example 15 

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3/22/2021 Integration of Rational Functions

dx
Find the integral ∫ 3
.
x +1

Example 16
dx
Evaluate the integral ∫ 4
.
x −1

Example 17
5x
Calculate the integral ∫ 3
dx.
(x−1)

Example 18
dx
Evaluate the integral ∫ 2
.
2
(x −1)

Example 19
dx
Find the integral ∫ 2
.
(x2 +x+1)

Example 1.
x+2
Find the integral ∫ dx.
x−1

Solution.
As the rational fraction in the integrand is improper we perform a long division to get

x + 2 3
= 1 + .
x − 1 x − 1

Now we can easily evaluate the integral:

x + 2 3 dx
∫ dx = ∫ (1 + ) dx = ∫ dx + 3 ∫ = x + 3 ln|x − 1| + C.
x − 1 x − 1 x − 1


Example 2.
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3/22/2021 Integration of Rational Functions
2x+3
Evaluate the integral ∫ 2
dx.
x −9

Solution.
We decompose the integrand into partial functions:

2x + 3 2x + 3 A B
= = + .
2
x − 9 (x − 3) (x + 3) x − 3 x + 3

Equate coefficients:

A (x + 3) + B (x − 3) = 2x + 3, ⇒ Ax + 3A + Bx − 3B = 2x + 3,

⇒ (A + B) x + 3A − 3B = 2x + 3.

Hence,

3
A =
A + B = 2 2
{ , ⇒ { .
1
3A − 3B = 3 B =
2

Then

3 1
2x + 3 2 2
= + .
2
x − 9 x − 3 x + 3

The integral is equal to

2x + 3 3 dx 1 dx 3 1
∫ dx = ∫ + ∫ = ln|x − 3| + ln|x + 3| + C
2
x − 9 2 x − 3 2 x + 3 2 2

1 3
= ln∣
∣(x − 3) (x + 3)∣
∣ + C.
2

Example 3.
2
2x
Find the integral ∫ dx.
x+1


Solution.
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3/22/2021 Integration of Rational Functions

Since the rational fraction in the integrand is improper we perform a long division to
obtain

2
x 1
= x − 1 + .
x + 1 x + 1

Hence

2 2
2x x 1
∫ dx = 2 ∫ dx = 2 ∫ (x − 1 + ) dx
x + 1 x + 1 x + 1

2
dx x
= 2 [∫ xdx − ∫ dx + ∫ ] = 2( − x + ln|x + 1|) + C
x + 1 2

2
= x − 2x + 2 ln|x + 1| + C.

Example 4.
2
x −2
Evaluate ∫ dx.
x+1

Solution.
First we divide the numerator by the denominator, obtaining

2
x − 2 1
= x − 1 − .
x + 1 x + 1

Then

2
x − 2 1 dx
∫ dx = ∫ (x − 1 − ) dx = ∫ xdx − ∫ dx − ∫
x + 1 x + 1 x + 1

2
x
= − x − ln|x + 1| + C.
2

Example 5.
Find the integral ∫
dx
. 
(2x−1)(x+3)

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3/22/2021 Integration of Rational Functions

Solution.
First we decompose the integrand:

1 A B
= + .
(2x − 1) (x + 3) 2x − 1 x + 3

Determine the coefficients A and B :

1 = A (x + 3) + B (2x − 1) ,

1 = Ax + 3A + 2Bx − B,

1 = (A + 2B) x + (3A − B) .

We get the following system:

2
A + 2 (3A − 1) = 0 A =
A + 2B = 0 7A − 2 = 0 7
{ , ⇒ { , ⇒ { , ⇒ { .
1
3A − B = 1 B = 3A − 1 B = 3A − 1 B = −
7

So the partial fraction decomposition has the form

1 2 1
= − .
(2x − 1) (x + 3) 7 (2x − 1) 7 (x + 3)

The initial integral is written as the sum of two simpler integrals:

dx 2 dx 1 dx
I = ∫ = ∫ − ∫ .
(2x − 1) (x + 3) 7 2x − 1 7 x + 3

Integrating yields:

2 1 1 1
I = ⋅ ln|2x − 1| − ln|x + 3| + C = (ln|2x − 1| − ln|x + 3|) + C
7 2 7 7

1 ∣ 2x − 1 ∣
= ln∣ ∣ + C.
7 ∣ x + 3 ∣


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3/22/2021 Integration of Rational Functions

Example 6.
x
Find the integral ∫ 2
dx.
x −9

Solution.
We decompose the rational function:

x x A B
= = + .
2
x − 9 (x − 3) (x + 3) x − 3 x + 3

Calculate the unknown coefficients:

x = A (x + 3) + B (x − 3) ,

x = Ax + 3A + Bx − 3B,

x = (A + B) x + (3A − 3B) .

Hence

1
A =
A + B = 1 A + B = 1 2
{ , ⇒ { , ⇒ { .
1
3A − 3B = 0 A − B = 0 B =
2

The partial fraction decomposition has the form

x 1 1 1
= ( + ).
2
x − 9 2 x − 3 x + 3

Now we can easily evaluate the integral:

x 1 dx 1 dx 1 1
∫ dx = ∫ + ∫ = ln|x − 3| + ln|x + 3| + C
2
x − 9 2 x − 3 2 x + 3 2 2

1 1
2
= ln|(x − 3) (x + 3)| + C = ln∣
∣x − 9∣
∣ + C.
2 2

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3/22/2021 Integration of Rational Functions

Problems
Page 11-6 Problems
Page 7-19
2

Recommended Pages

Integration of Rational Functions

Integration of Irrational Functions

Integration of Hyperbolic Functions

Calculus Formulas

Reduction Formulas for Integrals

Properties of Definite Integrals

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