INTEGRATION BY PARTIAL

FRACTIONS
Tutorial Manual

MUT
Maths 2
Partial fractions: Flashback
An algebraic fraction with a single denominator can be expressed as the sum of
two or more separate fractions. An algebraic fraction expressed as a sum of two
or more fractions is expressed in partial fractions. The concept of partial fractions
is a follow on from what you have already covered in high school or Pre-tech
studies. However, this Tutorial Manual assumes no prior knowledge and all
concepts related to partial fractions will be explained in detail.

Improper fraction
Before expressing a fraction in terms of its partial fractions, check first that it is
a proper fraction. A fraction is an improper fraction if the degree of the
numerator is equal to or higher than the degree of the denominator. For example
x3
 x  1 x  3
and
x2
 x  1 x  1
are both improper fractions for reasons stated above.
To convert an improper fraction to a proper, you have to use long division to
obtain a mixed fraction. Before perfoming long division, start by clearing the
brackets in the denominator.

Example
Covert the following algebraic fractions to mixed numbers using long division.

x3
a)
 x  1 x  3

x2
b)
 x  1 x  1

1
Solutions
a) Before long division, clear the bracket in the denominator to get
x3 x3

 x  1 x  3 x2  2x  3

Then proceed with long division to get:

x3 7x  6 7x  6
 x2 2  x2
x  2x  3
2
x  2x  3  x  1 x  3

b) We proceed as before
x2 x2
 2
 x  1 x  1 x  1
After the long division, we finally get
x2 1 1
 1 2  1
x 1
2
x 1  x  1 x  1
The finer details of the long division will be left as an exercise.

Forms of partial fractions

We shall now look at the different forms of partial fractions that you will probably
encounter in this course. However, it will be easy to generalise from there.

Linear factors
Example
3
Express in partial fractions.
 x  1 x  1

2
Solution
The expression is a proper fraction so long division needed.
3 A B
 
 x  1 x  1 x  1 x 1

Multiplying both sides by  x  1 x  1 , we get

3  A  x  1  B  x  1

3
Let x  1, we get 3  2 B  B   .
2
3
Let x  1, we get 3  2A  A  .
2
We finally have
3  32 3
  2
 x  1 x  1 x  1 x 1
3 3
 
2  x  1 2  x  1

Quadratic factors
Example
x2  3
Express in partial fractions.
x  x2  2

Solution
This is a proper fraction and so there is no need for long division.
Furthermore, it is not possible to factorise x 2  2. We therefore proceed to
partialise as follows:
x2  3 A Bx  C
  2
x  x  2 x x  2
2

Multiplying throughout by x  x 2  2  , we get

x 2  3  A  x 2  2    Bx  C  x (1)

3
 3
Let x  0, we get 3  2A  A  .
2
Collecting like terms from equation (1), we get
x 2  3   A  B  x 2  Cx  2 A

Compare coefficients, we have

3 1
 x 2  : 1 A B1  B B .
2 2
 x : 0  C  C  0.

We finally have
x2  3 3
 12 x  0
 2

x  x2  2 x x2  2
3 x
 
2x 2  x  2
2

Repeated factors
3
Express in partial fractions.
x  x  1
2

Solution
By inspection, we notice that there are repeated roots in the roots. We therefore
proceed to partialise as follows:
3 A B C
  
x  x  1 x x  1  x  12
2
(2)
 3  A  x  1  Bx  x  1  Cx
2

Let x  0, we get 3  A  A  3.
Let x  1, we get 3  C  C  3.
Collecting like terms in equation (2), we have
3   A  B  x2   2 A  B  C  x  A

4
Comparing coefficients, we have
 x 2  : 0  A  B  B   A  3.

We finally have
3 3 3 3
  
x  x  1 x x  1  x  12
2

3 3 3
  
x x  1  x  12

3
If the expression had a repeated quadratic root like , we would have
x  1
2 2 2
x
partialised with linear expressions for the numerator as follows:
3 A B Cx  D Ex  F
   2 
x 2  x 2  1 x  1  x 2  12
2
x x2

Integration using partial fractions

This section assumes you have done a thorough reading on the chapter on Basic
Integration and Completing the Square of the Maths 2 Tutorial Manual.
Material from those sections is used extensively in this section. If you haven’t
done the readings, go back and do so as the material will not be repeated here.

This section is pretty much straightforward and examples are a sufficient

illustration.

Example
Evaluate the following integrals:
4 x 2  12 x  39
a)  x 2  x 2  4 x  13 dx

5 x 2  21
b)   x 2  3 x 2  9  dx

5
Solutions
a) We first express the expression as a partial fraction:
4 x 2  12 x  39 A B Cx  D
  2 2
x  x  4 x  13 x x
2 2
x  4 x  13 (3)
 4 x 2  12 x  39   Ax  B   x 2  4 x  13  x 2  Cx  D 

Let x  0, we get 39  13B  B  3.

Collecting like terms in equation (3), we have
4 x 2  12 x  39   A  C  x3   4 A  B  D  x 2  13 A  4 B  x  13B

Comparing the respective coefficients, we have:

 x 3  : 0  A C (4)

 x 2  : 4  4A  B  D (5)

12  13 A  4 B  12  13 A  12
 x : (6)
 A  0.

Substitute for A in equation (4), we have C  0. Substitute for A and B in (5),

we have
4  4 A  B  D
4  03 D
D 1

4 x 2  12 x  39 3 1
Finally, we have  2 2
x  x  4 x  13 x
2 2
x  4 x  13

Next, we complete the square on x 2  4 x  13 as follows

x 2  4 x  13  x 2  4 x  22  22  13   x  2   32
2

6
The integral can now be evaluated as follows:

4 x 2  12 x  39  3 1 
 x2  x2  4 x  13   x2  x  2 2  32 dx
dx   
 
3 1
 dx   dx
 x  2   32
2 2
x
3 1  x2
   tan 1  C
x 3  3 

b) As before, we first rewrite the expression as a partial fraction:

5 x 2  21 Ax  B Cx  D
 2 
 x  3 x  9  x  3 x 2  9
2 2

 5 x 2  21   Ax  B   x 2  9    Cx  D   x 2  3

There are no factors in the denominator so we proceed to collect like terms:

5x 2  21   A  C  x3   B  D  x 2   9 A  3C  x  9B  3D

Comparing coefficients, we have:

x3 : 0  AC (7)
x2 : 5 BD (8)
x: 0  9 A  3C (9)
x0 : 21  9B  3D (10)
From (7), we have A  C. Substituting for A in (9), we have
0  9C  3C
0  6C
C 0

Substituting for C in (7), we have A  0.

7
From (8), we have B  5  D. Substituting for B in (10), we have
21  9  5  D   3D
21  45  9 D  3D
24  6 D
D4

Substituting for D in (8), we have:

B  5 D  5 4 1

Finally, we have
5 x 2  21 1 4
 2  2
 x  3 x  9  x  3 x  9
2 2

The integral can now be evaluated as follows:

5 x 2  21  1 4 
  x 2  3 x 2  9  dx    x 2  3  x 2  9  dx
1 1
 dx  4 2 dx
x 3 2
x 9
1  x  4 1  x 
 tan 1    3 tan  3   C
3  3  

Example
Evaluate the following integral
x3  3 x2  2 x  4
 x 2  x 2  2 x  2
dx

Solution
x3  3 x2  2 x  4 A B Cx  D
  
x 2  x 2  2 x  2 x x2 x2  2 x  2

 x 3  3 x 2  2 x  4  Ax  x 2  2 x  2   B  x 2  2 x  2    Cx  D  x 2

Let x  0, we get 4  2B  B  2.

8
Collecting like terms, we get
x 3  3 x 2 2 x  4   A  C  x 3   2 A  B  D  x 2   2 A  2 B  x  2 B

Comparing coefficients, we have

 x 3  : 1 A C (11)

 x 2  : 3  2A  B  D (12)

2  2 A  2B
 x :
 A  1  B  1.
Substituting for A in equation (11) we get C  1  A  2.
Substituting for A and B in equation (12), we get
D  3  2 A  B  3  2  1  6.

Our integral therefore becomes

x3  3 x2  2 x  4 1 1 2x  6
 x  x  2 x  2
2 2
dx    dx  2 2 dx   2
x x x  2x  2
dx

Let u  x 2  2 x  2,
du
  2x  2
dx
du
  dx
2x  2

2 2x  2  2  6
  ln x   2 dx
x x  2x  2
2 2x  2 4
  ln x    2 dx   2 dx
x x  2x  2 x  2x  2
2 1 1
  ln x    du  4 dx
 x  1  12
2
x u

 ln  x 2  2 x  2   tan 1  x  1  C
2
  ln x 
x

9
Examples
Evaluate the following integrals
s5
1.  s4  3s 3  2s 2 ds
1
2.  s 2
 1 s 2  1
ds

1
3.  s 2
 1  s  1
2
ds

Solutions
1.
s5 s5 s5
 
s 4  3 s 3  2 s 2 s 2  s 2  3 s  2  s 2  s  1 s  2 

s5 A B C D
   
s 2  s  1 s  2  s s 2 s  1 s  2
 s  5  As  s  1 s  2   B  s  1 s  2   Cs 2  s  2   Ds 2  s  1

5
s  0 5  2B  B 
2
s  1  4C
3
s  2  3  D  4  1  D  
4
3 13
 s 3  0  A C  D  A   C  D  4  
4 4
Therefore
s5 13 1 5 1 1 3 1
 s  s  1 s  2  ds   4  s ds  2  s
2 2
ds  4
s1
ds  
4 s2
ds

13 5 3
 ln s   4ln  s  1  ln  s  2   C
4 2s 4

10
2.
1 As  B C D
  
s 2
 1  s  1
2
s 2  1 s  1  s  1 2

1   As  B  s  1  C  s  1  s 2  1  D  s 2  1
2

1
s  1 1  2D  D
2
1   As  B   s 2  2 s  1  C  s  1  s 2  1  D  s 2  1

 s 3  0  A C  A  C

 s 2  0  2 A  B  C  D  2C  B  C  D  BC  D0

 s 0  A  2B  C  C  2B  C  B0

1
 C  D  0 C  D  
2
1
A  C 
2
Therefore
1 1 s 1 1 1 1
 s 2
 1  s  1
2
ds  
2 s 1
2
ds  
2 s 1
ds  
2  s  1 2
ds

 ln  s 2  1  ln  s  1 
1 1 1
C
4 2 2  s  1

3.
1 1

s 2
 1 s 2  1  s 2  1  s  1 s  1
1 As  B C D
  
 s2  1  s  1 s  1 s2  1 s  1 s  1
1   As  B  s  1 s  1  C  s 2  1  s  1  D  s 2  1  s  1

1
s  1 1  4D  D
4
11
 1
s  1  1  C  2  2   C  
4
 s 3  0  A C  D

1 1 1
 s 2  0  A B  C  D  B  A C  D  0  
4 4 2
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
 s 2
 1 s  12
ds   
2 s 1
2
ds  
4 s1
ds  
4 s 1
ds

1 1 1
  tan  1 s  ln  s  1  ln  s  1  C
2 4 4

Exercise:
Evaluate the following integrals:

3x 2  28 x  70
a)   2 x  1  x 2  6 x  25 dx
x3  x 2  4 x  1
b)   x 2  1 x 2  4  dx
2 x2
c)   x  2  x  1 2
dx

3x3  20 x 2  48x  14
d)  x4  6x3  14x2 dx

12
Solutions

3 5  x 3
a) ln  2 x  1  tan 1  C
2 4  4 

1 1 1  x
b) ln  x  1  ln  x  1  tan 1    C
2 2 2 2

8 2 10
c) ln  x  2    ln  x  1  C
9 3  x  1 9

1 1  x 3
d)  3ln x  tan 1  C
x 5  5 

________________________________________________________________

13