sinm x cosn xdx, where n is odd.

Strategy for integrating

Z
sinm x cosn xdx

We use substitution:
If n is odd (that is if the power of cosine is odd) we can use substitution with
u = sin x, du = cos xdx and convert the remaining factors of cosine using
cos2 x = 1 − sin2 x. This will work even if m = 0.
Example Z
sin5 x cos3 xdx

I Let u = sin(x), du = cos x dx, cos2 x = 1 − sin2 x = 1 − u 2 .

sin5 x cos3 xdx = sin5 x cos2 x cos x dx = (sin5 x)(1 − sin2 x) cos x dx.
R R R
I
6 8 6 8
= u 5 (1 − u 2 ) du = u 5 − u 7 du = u6 − u8 + C = sin6 x − sin8 x + C .
R R
I

Annette Pilkington Trigonometric Integrals

 sinm x cosn xdx, where n is odd.
R

The substitution u = sin x works even if m = 0 and we have an odd power of

cosine. R
Example cos5 x dx.
5
= cos4 x cos x dx = (cos2 x)2 cos x dx =
R R R
R cos x dx
I
2 2
(1 − sin x) cos x dx.
I Let u = sin x, du = cos x dx.
I Then
cos5 x dx = (1 − sin2 x)2 cos x dx = (1 − u 2 )2 du = 1 − 2u 2 + u 4 du
R R R R

u3 u5 sin3 x sin5 x
=u−2 + + C = sin x − 2 + + C.
3 5 3 5

Annette Pilkington Trigonometric Integrals

 sinm x cosn xdx, where m is odd.
R

Z
sinm x cosn xdx

If m is odd (that is if the power of sine is odd) we can use substitution with
u = cos x, du = − sin xdx and convert the remaining factors of sine using
sin2 x = 1R− cos2 x. This will work even if n = 0.
Example sin5 x cos4 xdx . (Note that the power of cosine is even here, so the
substitution u = sin x will not work.)
I Let u = cos(x), du = − sin x dx, sin2 x = 1 − cos2 x = 1 − u 2 .
sin5 x cos4 xdx = sin4 x cos4 x sin x dx = (sin2 x)2 (cos4 x) sin x dx.
R R R
I

= R (1 − cos2 x)2 cos4 x sin x dx = (1 − u 2 )2 u 4 (−1 du) =

R R
I
2 4 4
− (1 − 2u + u )u du
h 5 7 9
i
= − u 4 − 2u 6 + u 8 du = − u5 − 2 u7 + u9 + C
R
I
h 5 7 9
i
I = − cos5 x − 2 cos7 x + cos9 x + C .
I Note the substitution u = Rcos x will work for odd powers of the sine
function. See for example sin3 x dx in the extra examples at the end of
your notes.
Annette Pilkington Trigonometric Integrals
 sinm x cosn xdx, where both m and n are even.
R

Z
sinm x cosn xdx

If both powers are even we reduce the powers using the half angle formulas:
1 1
sin2 x = (1 − cos 2x) cos2 x = (1 + cos 2x)
2 2
Alternatively, you can switch to powers of sine and cosine using
cos2 x + sin 2
R x 2= 1 and use the reduction formulas from the previous section.
Example sin x cos2 xdx .
2 2
R R 1 1
Rsin x cos 2xdx = [ 2 (1 − cos 2x)][ 2 (1 + cos 2x)] dx =
I
1
4
[1 − cos (2x)] dx
I Now we can use the half angle formula again: cos2 (2x) = 12 (1 + cos 4x).
R“ ” R“ ”
sin2 x cos2 xdx = 14 1 − cos2 (2x) dx = 41 1 − [ 12 (1 + cos 4x)] dx
R
I

= 14 12 − 12 cos 4x dx = 18 1 − cos 4x dx = x8 − sin324x + C

R R
I

See also the examples sin4 x cos2 x dx and sin2 x dx in the extra
R R
I
problems at the end of your notes.
Annette Pilkington Trigonometric Integrals
 sinm x cosn xdx, where both m and n are even.
R

Z
sinm x cosn xdx

Note If both powers are even, as an alternative to using the half angle
formulas, you can switch to powers of sine and cosine using cos2 x + sin2 x = 1
and use the reduction formulas which can be derived using integration by parts:
Z Z
1
cosn x = [cosn−1 x sin x + (n − 1) cosn−2 xdx]
n
Z Z
−1
sinn xdx = [sinn−1 x cos x − (n − 1) sinn−2 xdx]
n
Example sin2 x cos2 xdx .
R

sin2 x cos2 xdx = [1 − cos2 x][cos2 x] dx = [cos2 x − cos4 (x)] dx

R R R
I

I We can then integrate cos2 x using the half angle formula and reduce the
integral of cos4 x to that of cos2 x using the reduction formula above.

Annette Pilkington Trigonometric Integrals

R
secm x tann xdx

Strategy for integrating

Z
secm x tann xdx

If m is even and m > 0, use substitution with u = tan x, and use one factor of
sec2 x for du = sec2 x dx. Use sec2 x = 1 + tan2 x to convert the remaining
factors of sec2 x to a function of u = tan x. This works even if n = 0 as long as
m ≥ 4. R
Example sec4 x tan xdx
sec4 x tan xdx = sec2 x sec2 x tan x dx.
R R
I

I Let u = tan x, du = sec2 x dx, sec2 x = 1 + tan2 x.

sec2 x sec2 x tan x dx = [1 + tan2 x] tan x sec2 x dx = [1 + u 2 ]u du
R R R
I
2 4 2 4
= [u + u 3 ] du = u2 + u4 + C = tan2 x + tan4 x + C .
R
I

Annette Pilkington Trigonometric Integrals

R
secm x tann xdx

Strategy for integrating

Z
secm x tann xdx

If n is odd and m ≥ 1 use substitution with u = sec x, du = sec x tan x dx,

and convert remaining powers of tan to a function of u using
tan2 x = sec2 x − 1. This works as long as m ≥ 1.

sec3 x tan xdx.

R
Example
sec x tan xdx = sec2 x sec x tan x dx.
3
R R
I

I Let u = sec x, du = sec x tan x dx.

3
sec2 x sec x tan x dx = u 2 du = u3 + C
R R
I

sec3 x
I = 3
+ C.
See also sec3 x tan5 x dx in the extra examples.
R
I

Annette Pilkington Trigonometric Integrals

R
secm x tann xdx

Strategy for integrating

Z
secm x tann xdx

If m odd and n is even we can reduce to powers of secant using the identity
sec2 x = 1 +R tan2 x.
Example sec x tan2 xdx (see integral of sec x and sec3 x below.)
sec x tan2 xdx = sec x[sec2 x − 1] dx = sec3 x − sec x dx.
R R R
I

I You will see how to calculate these integrals in the ”powers of Secant”
section below.
See also sec3 x tan2 x dx in the extra examples.
R
I

Annette Pilkington Trigonometric Integrals

R R R
sin(mx) cos(nx)dx, sin(mx) sin(nx)dx, cos(mx) cos(

To evaluate
Z Z Z
sin(mx) cos(nx)dx sin(mx) sin(nx)dx cos(mx) cos(nx)dx

we reverse the identities

sin((m − n)x) = sin(mx) cos(nx) − cos(mx) sin(nx)
sin((m + n)x) = sin mx cos nx + sin nx cos mx
cos((m − n)x) = cos(mx) cos(nx) + sin(nx) sin(mx)
cos((m + n)x) = cos(mx) cos(nx) − sin(nx) sin(mx)
to get
1ˆ ˜
sin(mx) cos(nx) = sin((m − n)x) + sin((m + n)x
2
1ˆ ˜
sin(mx) sin(nx) = cos((m − n)x) − cos((m + n)x
2
1ˆ ˜
cos(mx) cos(nx) = cos((m − n)x) + cos((m + n)x
2
Annette Pilkington Trigonometric Integrals
R
sin(mx) cos(nx)dx.

R
Example sin 7x cos 3xdx
We use sin(mx) cos(nx) = 12 sin((m − n)x) + sin((m + n)x .
ˆ ˜
I

sin 7x cos 3xdx = 21 sin(4x) + sin(10x) dx

R R
I
h i
cos(4x) cos(10x)
I = −12 4
+ 10
+ C.
R R
I Also see cos(8x) cos(2x) dx and sin(x) sin(2x) dx in the extra
examples.

Annette Pilkington Trigonometric Integrals

Powers of Secant

Example Z
sec xdx = ln | sec x + tan x| + C

“ ”
sec x+tan x sec2 x+sec x tan x
R R R
I sec xdx = sec x sec x+tan x
dx = sec x+tan x
dx
I Using the substitution u = sec x + tan x, we get
du = (sec2 x + sec x tan x) dx giving us that the above integral is
Z
1
du = ln |u| = ln | sec x + tan x| + C .
u

Z
sec2 x dx = tan x + C .

Annette Pilkington Trigonometric Integrals

Powers of Secant
Example Z
sec3 xdx

I We use integration by parts with u = sec x, dv = sec2 x dx. We get

du = sec x tan x dx and v = tan x.
sec3 xdx = sec2 x sec x dx = sec x tan x − tan2 x sec x dx
R R R
I

= sec x tan x − (sec2 x −1) sec x dx = sec x tan x − sec3 x dx + sec x dx

R R R
I

Solving for sec3 x dx, we get

R
I
Z Z
sec x tan x 1 sec x tan x 1
sec3 xdx = + sec1 xdx = + ln | sec x+tan x|+C .
2 2 2 2

I In fact for n ≥ 3, we can derive a reduction formula for powers of sec in

this way:

secn−2 x tan x
Z Z
n−2
secn xdx = + secn−2 xdx.
n−1 n−1

Annette Pilkington Trigonometric Integrals

Powers of Tangent
Z
tann xdx

sin x
R R
I tan xdx= cos x
dx
I Using the substitution u = cos x, we get du = − sin x we get
dx = −1
R sin x R
I
cos x u
du = − ln |u| = ln | sec x| + C .
tan2 xdx= (sec2 x − 1)dx = tan x − x + C
R R
I

tan3 xdx= (sec2 x − 1) tan xdx = (sec2 x) tan xdx − tan xdx
R R R R
I
2 2
= tan2 x − ln | sec x| + C = tan2 x + ln | cos x| + C .
I In fact for n ≥ 2, we can derive a reduction formula for powers of tan x
using this method:

tann−1 x
Z Z
tann xdx = − tann−2 xdx
n−1

Annette Pilkington Trigonometric Integrals