Glossary
Antidifferentiation
The process of finding the antiderivative or indefinite integral of a function. It is the reverse operation of differentiation.
Example:
To find the position function from a velocity function, you would perform antidifferentiation.
Completing the Square for Integration
An algebraic technique used to transform quadratic expressions within an integrand into a perfect square trinomial, often to facilitate integration using inverse trigonometric forms or u-substitution.
Example:
To integrate , you can use Completing the Square for Integration to rewrite the denominator as , which then leads to an arctan integral.
Constant of Integration (C)
An arbitrary constant added to the antiderivative of a function because the derivative of any constant is zero, meaning there are infinitely many antiderivatives for a given function.
Example:
After integrating , we must add the Constant of Integration (C), resulting in , to represent all possible antiderivatives.
Exponential and Logarithmic Integrals
Antiderivatives involving exponential functions ($e^x$) and natural logarithmic functions ($\ln|x|$), which have straightforward integration rules.
Example:
The integral of is simply , and the integral of is , both being fundamental Exponential and Logarithmic Integrals.
Inverse Trigonometric Integrals
Antiderivatives that result in inverse trigonometric functions (arcsin, arccos, arctan, etc.), often arising from integrands involving specific quadratic forms.
Example:
The integral is a classic Inverse Trigonometric Integral that evaluates to .
Long Division for Integration
A technique used to simplify rational functions where the degree of the numerator is greater than or equal to the degree of the denominator, by dividing the polynomials before integrating.
Example:
Before integrating , you should perform Long Division for Integration to rewrite the expression into a simpler polynomial plus a remainder term.
Power Rule for Antiderivatives
A fundamental rule for integrating functions of the form x^n, where you add 1 to the exponent and divide by the new exponent, plus a constant of integration.
Example:
When integrating , apply the Power Rule for Antiderivatives to get .
Trigonometric Integrals
Antiderivatives of common trigonometric functions like sine, cosine, tangent, cotangent, secant, and cosecant, which often require memorization of their basic forms.
Example:
Knowing that the Trigonometric Integral of is is essential for solving many calculus problems.
U-substitution (U-sub)
A powerful technique used to simplify complex integrals, especially those involving composite functions, by replacing a part of the integrand with a new variable 'u'.
Example:
To integrate , you can use U-substitution by letting , which simplifies the integral significantly.