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I am trying to find the integral of this by using integration of rational functions by partial fractions.

$$\int \frac{x^2 - 5x + 16}{(2x+1)(x-2)^2}dx$$

I am not really sure how to start this but the books gives some weird formula to memorize with no explanation of why $\frac {A}{(ax+b)^i}$ and $ \frac {Ax + B}{(ax^2 + bx +c)^j}$

I am not sure at all what this means and there is really no explanation of any of it, I am guessing $i$ is for imaginary number, and $j$ is just a representation of another imaginary number that is no the same as $i$. $A$, $B$ and $C$, I have no idea what that means and I am not familiar with capital letters outside of triangle notation so I am guessing that they are angles of lines for something.

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    Please avoid using $$ environment in the title. – Asaf Karagila May 31 '12 at 11:53
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    Just a friendly advice: If you really think that i and j in that equation do stand for some imaginary numbers, you should probly invest more time in understanding the context of your exercise. As those are usually just indices and therefore natural numbers. :-) –  May 31 '12 at 11:59
  • Have you looked at this discussion yet? – Arturo Magidin May 31 '12 at 21:00
  • Quaternion speaks: $ij=k$ – Frenzy Li Jun 06 '12 at 14:29
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    "$A$, $B$ and $C$, I have no idea what that means and I am not familiar with capital letters outside of triangle notation so I am guessing that they are angles of lines for something." $A$, $B$ and $C$ are constants, thus independent of the variable $x$. – Américo Tavares Jun 06 '12 at 16:21
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    Americo's comment is helpful and informative, not offensive, so whoever flagged it as such is mistaken. – Zev Chonoles Jun 07 '12 at 00:51
  • "the books gives some weird formula to memorize" You would do better if you accept that the books gives the formula to understand, not to memorize. You spend a lot of time complaining that you have to memorize so many things, but the point is that you should try to understand them. – Phira Jun 10 '12 at 12:03

3 Answers3

8

See first Arturo's excellent answer to Integration by partial fractions; how and why does it work?


I am guessing i is for imaginary number, and j is just a representation of another imaginary number that is no the same as i.

I don't know what an indice or natural number is and it is not mentioned naywhere in the text. (in a comment)

The numbers $i$ and $j$ are natural numbers, i.e. they are positive integers $1,2,3,\dots,n,\dots .$ Their set is denoted by $\mathbb{N}$.

$A$, $B$ and $C$, I have no idea what that means and I am not familiar with capital letters outside of triangle notation so I am guessing that they are angles of lines for something.

In this context the leters $A$, $B$ and $C$ are constants, i.e. independent of the variable $x$.

  • Let $$\begin{equation*} \frac{P(x)}{Q(x)}:=\frac{x^{2}-5x+16}{\left( 2x+1\right) \left( x-2\right) ^{2}}\tag{1}. \end{equation*}$$ The denominator $Q(x):=\left( 2x+1\right) \left( x-2\right) ^{2}$ has factors of the form $(ax+b)^{i}$ only. Each one originates $i\in\mathbb{N}$ partial fractions whose integrals can be computed recursively and/or found in tables of integrals. See $(6),(7),(8)$ bellow for the present case.) $$\begin{equation*} \frac{A_{i}}{(ax+b)^{i}}+\frac{A_{i-1}}{(ax+b)^{i-1}}+\ldots +\frac{A_{1}}{ax+b}. \end{equation*}\tag{2}$$ The exponent of the factor $\left( x-2\right) ^{2}$ is $i=2$ and of the factor $2x+1$ is $i=1$. Therefore we should find the constants $A_{1}$, $A_{2}$, $B$ such that $$\begin{equation*} \frac{P(x)}{Q(x)}=\frac{x^{2}-5x+16}{\left( 2x+1\right) \left( x-2\right) ^{2}}=\frac{B}{2x+1}+\frac{A_{2}}{\left( x-2\right) ^{2}}+\frac{A_{1}}{x-2}\end{equation*}.\tag{3}$$

  • One methodis to reduce the RHS to a common denominator $$\begin{equation*} \frac{x^{2}-5x+16}{\left( 2x+1\right) \left( x-2\right) ^{2}}=\frac{B\left(x-2\right) ^{2}+A_{2}\left( 2x+1\right) +A_{1}\left( x-2\right) \left(2x+1\right) }{\left( 2x+1\right) \left( x-2\right) ^{2}}. \end{equation*}$$ $$\tag{3a}$$ [See remak below.] This means that the polynomials of the numerators must be equal on both sides of this last equation. Expanding the RHS, grouping the terms of the same degree
    $$\begin{eqnarray*} P(x) &:=&x^{2}-5x+16=B\left( x-2\right) ^{2}+A_{2}\left( 2x+1\right) +A_{1}\left( x-2\right) \left( 2x+1\right) \\ &=&\left( Bx^{2}-4Bx+4B\right) +\left( 2A_{2}x+A_{2}\right) +\left( 2A_{1}x^{2}-3A_{1}x-2A_{1}\right) \\ &=&\left( B+2A_{1}\right) x^{2}+\left( -4B+2A_{2}-3A_{1}\right) x+\left( 4B+A_{2}-2A_{1}\right) \end{eqnarray*}$$ $$\tag{3b}$$ and equating the coefficients of $x^{2}$, $x^{1}$ and $x^{0}$, we conclude that they must satisfy‡ the following system of 3 linear equations [See (*) for a detailed solution of the system] $$\begin{equation*} \left\{ \begin{array}{c} B+2A_{1}=1 \\ -4B+2A_{2}-3A_{1}=-5 \\ 4B+A_{2}-2A_{1}=16 \end{array} \right. \Leftrightarrow \left\{ \begin{array}{c} A_{1}=-1 \\ A_{2}=2 \\ B=3. \end{array} \right.\tag{3c} \end{equation*}$$ In short, this method reduces to solving a linear system. So, we have $$\begin{equation*} \frac{x^{2}-5x+16}{\left( 2x+1\right) \left( x-2\right) ^{2}}=\frac{3}{2x+1}+ \frac{2}{\left( x-2\right) ^{2}}-\frac{1}{x-2}. \end{equation*}\tag{4}$$

  • We are now left with the integration of each partial fraction $$\begin{equation*} \int \frac{x^{2}-5x+16}{\left( 2x+1\right) \left( x-2\right) ^{2}}dx=3\int \frac{1}{2x+1}dx+2\int \frac{1}{\left( x-2\right) ^{2}}dx\\-\int \frac{1}{x-2} dx.\tag{5} \end{equation*}$$

Can you proceed from here? Remember these basic indefinite integral formulas:

$$\int \frac{1}{ax+b}dx=\frac{1}{a}\ln \left\vert ax+b\right\vert +C, \tag{6}$$

$$\int \frac{1}{\left( x-r\right) ^{2}}dx=-\frac{1}{x-r}+C,\tag{7}$$

$$\int \frac{1}{x-r}dx=\ln \left\vert x-r\right\vert +C.\tag{8}$$

--

† Another method is to evaluate both sides of $(3)$ at 3 different values, e.g. $x=-1,0,1$ and obtain a system of 3 equations. Another one is to compute $P(x)$

$$\begin{equation*} P(x)=x^{2}-5x+16=B\left( x-2\right) ^{2}+A_{2}\left( 2x+1\right) +A_{1}\left( x-2\right) \left( 2x+1\right) \end{equation*}$$

first at the zeros of each term, i.e. $x=2$ and $x=-1/2$ $$\begin{eqnarray*} P(2) &=&10=5A_{2}\Rightarrow A_{2}=2 \\ P\left( -1/2\right) &=&\frac{75}{4}=\frac{25}{4}B\Rightarrow B=3; \end{eqnarray*}$$

and then at e.g. $x=0$ $$\begin{equation*} P(0)=16=4B+A_{2}-2A_{1}=12+2-2A_{1}\Rightarrow A_{1}=-1. \end{equation*}$$

For additional methods see this Wikipedia entry

‡ If $B+2A_{1}=1,-4B+2A_{2}-3A_{1}=-5,4B+A_{2}-2A_{1}=16$, then $x^{2}-5x+16=\left( B+2A_{1}\right) x^{2}+\left( -4B+2A_{2}-3A_{1}\right) x+\left(4B+A_{2}-2A_{1}\right)$ for all $x$ and $(3a)$ is an identity.


REMARK in response a comment below by OP. For $x=2$ the RHS of $(3a)$ is not defined. But we can compute as per $(3b,c)$ or as per †, because we are not plugging $x=2$ in the fraction $(3a)$. In $(3c)$ we assure that the numerators of $(3a)$ $$x^{2}-5x+16$$ and $$B\left( x-2\right) ^{2}+A_{2}\left( 2x+1\right) +A_{1}\left( x-2\right) \left( 2x+1\right) $$ are identically equal, i.e. they must have equal coefficients of $x^2,x,x^0$.


(*) Detailed solution of $(3c)$. Please note that we cannot find $A,B$ and $C$ with one equation only, as you tried below in a comment ("$16=2b+A_1−A_2$ I have no idea how to solve this.") $$\begin{eqnarray*} &&\left\{ \begin{array}{c} B+2A_{1}=1 \\ -4B+2A_{2}-3A_{1}=-5 \\ 4B+A_{2}-2A_{1}=16 \end{array} \right. \\ &\Leftrightarrow &\left\{ \begin{array}{c} B=1-2A_{1} \\ -4\left( 1-2A_{1}\right) +2A_{2}-3A_{1}=-5 \\ 4\left( 1-2A_{1}\right) +A_{2}-2A_{1}=16 \end{array} \right. \Leftrightarrow \left\{ \begin{array}{c} B=1-2A_{1} \\ -4+5A_{1}+2A_{2}=-5 \\ 4-10A_{1}+A_{2}=16 \end{array} \right. \\ &\Leftrightarrow &\left\{ \begin{array}{c} B=1-2A_{1} \\ A_{2}=-\frac{1+5A_{1}}{2} \\ 4-10A_{1}-\frac{1+5A_{1}}{2}=16 \end{array} \right. \Leftrightarrow \left\{ \begin{array}{c} B=1-2A_{1} \\ A_{2}=-\frac{1+5A_{1}}{2} \\ A_{1}=-1 \end{array} \right. \\ &\Leftrightarrow &\left\{ \begin{array}{c} B=1-2\left( -1\right) \\ A_{2}=-\frac{1+5\left( -1\right) }{2} \\ A_{1}=-1 \end{array} \right. \Leftrightarrow \left\{ \begin{array}{c} A_{1}=-1 \\ A_{2}=2 \\ B=3 \end{array} \right. \end{eqnarray*}$$


Comment below by OP

I watched the MIT lecture on this and they use the "cover up" method to solve systems like this and I am attempting to use that here. I have $$\frac{A}{2x+1} + \frac{B}{x-2} + \frac{C}{(x-2)^2}$$ Is there anything wrong so far? It appears to me to be correct. Now I try to find B by making x = 2 and multplying by x-2 which gets rid of C and A since it makes them zero and then the RHS which cancels out and leaves me with B = 2 but that also works for C I think so I am confused, and for A I get 55/6 which I know is wrong but the method works and I am doing the math right so what is wrong?

Starting with $$\frac{x^{2}-5x+16}{(2x+1)(x-2)^{2}}=\frac{A}{2x+1}+\frac{B}{x-2}+\frac{C}{(x-2)^{2}}\tag{3'}$$

we can multiply it by $(x-2)^{2}$

$$\frac{x^{2}-5x+16}{2x+1}=\frac{A(x-2)^{2}}{2x+1}+B(x-2)+C.$$

To get rid of $A$ and $B$ we make $x=2$ and obtain $C$

$$\frac{2^{2}-5\cdot 2+16}{2\cdot 2+1}=\frac{A(2-2)^{2}}{2x+1}+B(2-2)+C$$

$$\Rightarrow 2=0+0+C\Rightarrow C=2$$

We proceed by multiplying $(3')$ by $2x+1$

$$\frac{x^{2}-5x+16}{(x-2)^{2}}=A+\frac{B(2x+1)}{x-2}+\frac{C(2x+1)}{(x-2)^{2}}$$

and making $x=-1/2$ to get rid of $B$ and $C$

$$\frac{\left( -1/2\right) ^{2}-5\left( -1/2\right) +16}{(-1/2-2)^{2}}=A+ \frac{B(2\left( -1/2\right) +1)}{-1/2-2}+\frac{C(2\left( -1/2\right) +1)}{ (-1/2-2)^{2}}$$

$$\Rightarrow 3=A+0+0\Rightarrow A=3$$

Substituing $A=3,C=2$ in $(3')$, we have

$$\frac{x^{2}-5x+16}{(2x+1)(x-2)^{2}}=\frac{3}{2x+1}+\frac{B}{x-2}+\frac{2}{ (x-2)^{2}}$$

Making e.g. $x=1$ (it could be e.g. $x=0$)

$$\frac{1^{2}-5+16}{(2+1)(1-2)^{2}}=\frac{3}{2+1}+\frac{B}{1-2}+\frac{2}{ (1-2)^{2}},$$

$$\Rightarrow 4=1-B+2\Rightarrow B=-1.$$

Thus

$$\frac{x^{2}-5x+16}{(2x+1)(x-2)^{2}}=\frac{3}{2x+1}-\frac{1}{x-2}+\frac{2}{(x-2)^{2}},\tag{3''}$$

which is the same decomposition as $(4)$.

  • I really can not follow what you are trying to say in this. What does " Each one originates i∈N partial fractions which are easy to integrate" mean? –  Jun 04 '12 at 20:02
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    I do not understand the part where you actually split the problem into 3 fractions, I get the part with 2x+ 1 and (x-2)^2 but why is there then another x-2 denominator? –  Jun 04 '12 at 20:36
  • Because there is an algebraic theorem that states that the expansion into partial fractions has (in the denominator) not only the term with higher exponent $(x-2)^2$ but also the linear term $(x-1)$(exponent $1$). (For the exponent $i$ the same theorem requires $i$ partial fractions.) – Américo Tavares Jun 04 '12 at 20:41
  • So this is just something I should memorize and not worry about understanding? –  Jun 04 '12 at 20:43
  • You might understand it but the proof is not that easy. (In a book I have it has 3 pages). – Américo Tavares Jun 04 '12 at 20:46
  • Okay I will just memorize that part. –  Jun 04 '12 at 20:49
  • I really do not understand the linear systems part where you have B+2a = 1 and such. How does this happen? –  Jun 04 '12 at 21:01
  • @Jordan: (I added an explanation: if $B+2A_{1}=1,-4B+2A_{2}-3A_{1}=-5,4B+A_{2}-2A_{1}=16$, then $x^{2}-5x+16=\left( B+2A_{1}\right) x^{2}+\left( -4B+2A_{2}-3A_{1}\right) x+\left( 4B+A_{2}-2A_{1}\right)$ for all $x$). – Américo Tavares Jun 04 '12 at 21:14
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    I really can not follow what is going on. –  Jun 04 '12 at 21:33
  • This is the part I can not understand "and equating the coefficients of x2, x1 and x0, we conclude that they must satisfy the following linear system of 3 equations " –  Jun 04 '12 at 21:48
  • Two fractions $P(x)/Q(x)$ and $R(x)/Q(x)$ are equivalent iff $P(x)=R(x)$. $P(x)=x^{2}-5x+16, R(x)=\left( B+2A_{1}\right) x^{2}+\left( -4B+2A_{2}-3A_{1}\right) x+\left( 4B+A_{2}-2A_{1}\right)$ – Américo Tavares Jun 04 '12 at 22:10
  • I do not understand how to evaluate the A B A at 3 different values thing, do I just set A = 0 B = -1 and A = 1 and then evaluate it? What happens? –  Jun 04 '12 at 22:11
  • You set e.g. $x=2$ (not $A_1,A_2,B$) and obtain the equation $P(2)=10=5A_{2}$, etc – Américo Tavares Jun 04 '12 at 22:16
  • So if x = 2 then R(x) must equal 0? –  Jun 04 '12 at 22:17
  • No, if $x=0$ then $R(0)$ must equal $P(0)$. If $x=a$, then $R(a)$ must equal $P(a)$. – Américo Tavares Jun 04 '12 at 22:20
  • But how do I evaluate R(0) when I have A A B? –  Jun 04 '12 at 22:25
  • I don't follow why all those terms just dissapeared. –  Jun 04 '12 at 22:31
  • The variable $x$ disapear, but the coefficients do not disappear. We get three equations. The three equations in $(3c)$ or alternatively the 3 last equations $$\begin{eqnarray} P(2) &=&10=5A_{2}\Rightarrow A_{2}=2 \ P\left( -1/2\right) &=&\frac{75}{4}=\frac{25}{4}B\Rightarrow B=3; \end{eqnarray}$$

    $$\begin{equation} P(0)=16=4B+A_{2}-2A_{1}=12+2-2A_{1}\Rightarrow A_{1}=-1. \end{equation}$$

    – Américo Tavares Jun 04 '12 at 22:38
  • I do not follow at all what that is. Am I plugging in zeroes into 3a? –  Jun 04 '12 at 22:41
  • I think I understand, I plugged in x = 0 and I got $ 16 = 2b + A_1 - A_2$ I have no idea how to solve this. –  Jun 04 '12 at 22:54
  • You plug $x=0$ and you get the equation $16=4B+A_2−2A_1$. Then you plug $x=2$ and you get the equation $10=5A_2$. Finaly for $x=-1/2$ you get the equation $75/4=(25/4)B$. Now you need to find $A_1,A_2,B$, solving the system of these three equations. – Américo Tavares Jun 04 '12 at 23:01
  • When I plug in x= 2 I get undefined = the other side. –  Jun 04 '12 at 23:03
  • If you use the equation $$\begin{equation} P(x)=x^{2}-5x+16=B\left( x-2\right) ^{2}+A_{2}\left( 2x+1\right) +A_{1}\left( x-2\right) \left( 2x+1\right) \end{equation}$$, when you plug $x=2$, you get $P(2)=10=5A_2$, don't you? – Américo Tavares Jun 04 '12 at 23:08
  • I was using the equation from 3a, is that wrong? –  Jun 04 '12 at 23:08
  • Now I see your doubt. For $x=2$ the RHS of $(3a)$ is not defined. But you still can compute as I did because you want to have the numerators equal, since the denominators are equal. And to have the numerators equal you must have equal coefficients of $x^2,x,x^0$. – Américo Tavares Jun 04 '12 at 23:23
  • So $x^2 = B$? And so forth for the A terms? –  Jun 04 '12 at 23:32
  • You make the term $B(x-2)=0$ if you plug $x=2$ in $B(x−2)^2+A_2(2x+1)+A_1(x−2)(2x+1)$. And you know that $x^2−5x+16=2^2-5\cdot 2+16=10$. – Américo Tavares Jun 04 '12 at 23:39
  • In $(3)$ you have two rational fractions in $x$ (fractions whose numerators and denominators are polynomials in $x$). First you reduce them to a common denominator. Then you look at the numerators, which are quadratic polynomials. And these two polynomials, in general, let's say $a^2+bx+c$ and $dx^2+ex+f$ are equal ($a^2+bx+c=dx^2+ex+f$) iff $a=d,b=e,c=f$. The same for a cubic polynomial, etc. Do you understand this explanation? – Américo Tavares Jun 04 '12 at 23:57
  • This had just become way, way too complex to follow for a single problem. I am going to try and ask help for an easier problem. –  Jun 05 '12 at 00:05
  • I don't know, I think they will be good reference later but I can't make sense of anything right now. –  Jun 05 '12 at 00:09
  • @Jordan I detailed the computation of the constants $A_1,A_2$ and $B$. – Américo Tavares Jun 07 '12 at 12:56
  • @Tavares I watched the MIT lecture on this and they use the "cover up" method to solve systems like this and I am attempting to use that here. I have $\frac{A}{2x+1} + \frac{B}{x-2} + \frac{C}{(x-2)^2} Is there anything wrong so far? It appears to me to be correct. Now I try to find B by making x = 2 and multplying by x-2 which gets rid of C and A since it makes them zero and then the RHS which cancels out and leaves me with B = 2 but that also works for C I think so I am confused, and for A I get 55/6 which I know is wrong but the method works and I am doing the math right so what is wrong? –  Jun 08 '12 at 02:37
  • @Jordan See addenda with my computation using this method. – Américo Tavares Jun 08 '12 at 10:53
  • @Jordan Glad to help. – Américo Tavares Jun 08 '12 at 16:19
6

Rather than continue to give explicit hints on your homework problems for this assignment, I am going to treat this question as a for partial fractions.

My preferred site reference for partial fractions is Paul's Online Math Notes. It's a great thing to know about and consider when you're learning calculus.

It has good exposition, lots of examples, explicit if-then problem solving plans, and is overall a great reference.

  • Also, just remember that the idea behind partial fractions is to 'undo' combining fractions by finding a common denominator, etc. --- essentially, you're trying to take one big fraction, which is hard to integrate, and replace it by the sum of simpler fractions, which are easier to integrate. – John Engbers May 31 '12 at 11:41
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    +1 Very nice and educative answer. No need to solve for him or even hints. That Paul's site is very clear. – DonAntonio May 31 '12 at 11:56
  • I was just trying to get a quick run down of the problem before class because this is a homework question and I need full points on the homework because I will fail several tests in this class. –  May 31 '12 at 11:57
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    "...because you will fail several tests in this class"? Sir, your optimism is overwhelming. – DonAntonio May 31 '12 at 13:39
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    Math classes are very difficult for people who aren't naturally good at math. It takes more time to study and even then tests are very stressful and I always forget things I know on a test and make mistakes, no matter what. So I need that buffer of other points because I will get a D or C average on the tests. –  Jun 01 '12 at 13:08
  • I downvoted this comment because of how bad I found Paul's Online Math Notes to be and I really do not want anyone else to have to suffer through it. I read through it several times and learned nothing. –  Jun 04 '12 at 20:00
3

Write $$\frac{1}{(2x-1)\cdot (x-2)^{2}} = \frac{A}{2x+1} + \frac{Bx + C}{(x-2)^{2}}$$

Once you have written this down it makes the job more easier. Now, the denominator terms cancel and you are left with
\begin{align*} 1 &= A \cdot \bigl(x-2)^{2} + B\cdot x \cdot (2x+1) + C \cdot (2x+1) \\\ 1 &= A \cdot \bigl(x^{2} - 4x +4) + 2Bx^{2} + Bx + 2Cx + C \\\ 1 &= x^{2} \cdot (A + 2B) + x \cdot (-4A + B + 2C) + (4A + C) \end{align*} Now comparing both the sides you find that \begin{align*} A+2B &=0 \\\ -4A+B+2C &=0 \\\ 4A+C &=1 \end{align*}

From here find the value of $A,B$ and $C$ and try to solve the problem.

  • Aren't you mising an x-2 term? –  Jun 04 '12 at 20:46
  • What is Bx and why isn't there an Ax? –  Jun 04 '12 at 22:48
  • I do not follow from \begin{align} 1 &= A \cdot \bigl(x-2)^{2} + B\cdot x \cdot (2x+1) + C \cdot (2x+1) \\ 1 &= A \cdot \bigl(x^{2} - 4x +4) + 2Bx^{2} + Bx + 2Cx + C \\ 1 &= x^{2} \cdot (A + 2B) + x \cdot (-4A + B + 2C) + (4A + C) \end{align} Now comparing both the sides you find that \begin{align} A+2B &=0 \\ -4A+B+2C &=0 \\ 4A+C &=1 \end{align} –  Jun 04 '12 at 22:49