0.

3 INTEGRATING RATIONAL FUNCTION;

PARTIAL FRACTIONS
Rational Function
Quotient of two polynomials, P(x)/Q(x)
Degree of the numerator less than the denominator-proper,
otherwise improper.
Quite difficult to integrate
In this section, we will learn a method that can be used to express
any rational functions as a sum of simple rational functions that can
be integrated.
Partial fractions
Partial Fractions

5 x  10 5 x  10 2 3
2
  
x  3 x  4 ( x  4)( x  1) ( x  4) ( x  1)

Partial fraction decomposition

1
 I. Proper rational functions.
Finding the form of a partial fraction decompositions and integrating
rational functions
Linear Factor Rule
If all of the factors of Q(x) are linear, the partial fraction
decomposition of P(x)/Q(x) can be determined by the following rule:
For each factor of the form (ax+b)m, the decomposition contains
A1 A2 Am
 2
 ....... 
ax  b (ax  b) (ax  b) m
where A1,, A2,…….., Am are constant to be determined
Examples
Evaluate:
dx
1.  x2  x  2 Linear
has one
Linear
has one
Solution term term

1 1 A B A( x  2)  B( x  1)
2    
x  x  2 ( x  1)( x  2) ( x  1) ( x  2) x2  x  2 2
Ways to find A and B
i. Substituting Zeroes for terms on the LHS

A( x  2)  B ( x  1)  1
Zeroes: x=-2 , x=1
When x=-2, have  3B  1 B  1 / 3
When x=1, have 3A  1 A  1/ 3
ii. Collecting and equating the coefficients of the like powers

From have Ax  2 A  BX  B  1
( A  B) x  (2 A  B )  1
A B  0 & 2A  B  1
Hence have B  1 / 3 A  1/ 3
3
So
dx  1/ 3 1/ 3 
 x 2  x  2    x  1  x  2  dx
1 1
 ln x  1  ln x  2  C
3 3
1 x 1
 ln C
3 x2

4
 2x2  3
2.  x( x  1) 2 dx Linear
has one
Solution term
2
2x  3 A B C
  
x( x  1) 2
x x  1 ( x  1) 2

A( x  1) 2  Bx( x  1)  Cx  2 x 2  3
Linear
has two Zeroes: x=0 , x=1
terms
When x=0, have A  3

When x=1, have C  5

To find B, just pick any numbers for x, let say x=2
When x=2, have A  2 B  2C  11
But with A=3 and C=5, have B  1
5
 2x2  3 3 1 5
So
 x( x  1) 2 dx   x  x  1  ( x  1) 2 dx
5
 3 ln x  ln x  1  C
( x  1)

x3 5
 ln  C
x 1 x 1

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3. 2x  4
 x 3  2 x 2 dx Linear
has one
term
Solution

2x  4 2x  4 A B C
x 3  2 x 2  x 2 ( x  2)   2  x  2
x x
Ax( x  2)  B( x  2)  Cx 2  2 x  4
Linear
has two Zeroes: x=0 , x=2
terms
When x=0, have  2 B  4 B  2
When x=2, have 4C  8 C2
To find A, just pick any numbers for x, let say x=3
When x=3, have 3 A  B  9C  10
But with B=-2 and C=2, have A  2
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 2x  4 2 2 2
So
 x3  2 x 2  
dx  2 dx
x x ( x  2)
2
 2 ln x   2 ln x  2  C
x
x2 2
 2 ln  C
x x

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Quadratic Factor Rule

For each factor of the form ax 2

 bx  c  ,
m

the partial fraction decomposition contains the following

sum of m partial fractions:
A1 x  B1 A2 x  B2 Am x  Bm
2
 2 2
 ..........  2
ax  bx  c (ax  bx  c) (ax  bx  c) m
where A1,A2,…..,Am, B1,B2,…..,Bm are constants to be
determined.

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 Examples
Evaluate:
1. x 2  5x  2 Linear
 ( x  1)( x 2  1) dx has one
term
Solution

x 2  5x  2 A Bx  C
  2
( x  1)( x  1) x  1
2
x 1
A( x 2  1)  ( Bx  C )( x  1)  x 2  5 x  2
irreducible
Quadratic
has one
Zero: x=-1
term When x=-1, have 2 A  2
A  1
No more zeroes, need to equate coefficients
( A  B) x 2  (C  B) x  ( A  C )  x 2  5 x  2
A B 1 B2
CB5 C 3
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 x 2  5x  2 1 2x  3
 ( x  1)( x 2  1)   ( x  1)  x 2  1 dx
dx

1 2x 3
 dx   2 dx   2 dx
x 1 x 1 x 1
  ln x  1  ln x  1  3 tan x  C
Let u=x2+1 2 1

2
x 1
 ln  3 tan 1 x  C
x 1

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 3 x 4  4 x 3  16 x 2  20 x  9
2.  2 2
dx
( x  2)( x  3)
Solution

3 x 4  4 x 3  16 x 2  20 x  9 A Bx  C Dx  E
2 2   2  2
( x  2)( x  3) ( x  2) x  3 ( x  3) 2
irreducible
4 3 2
Linear
3x  4 x  16 x  20 x  9 
Quadratic
has
has two A( x 2  3) 2  ( Bx  C )( x  2)( x 2  3)  ( Dx  E )( x  2)
one
terms
term Zero: x=-2 , when x=-2, have
49 A  49 A 1
No more zeroes, need to equate coefficients
4 3 2 4 3
3x  4 x  16 x  20 x  9  ( A  B) x  (2 B  C ) x 
(6 A  3B  2C  D) x 2  (6 B  3C  2 D  E ) x  (9 A  6C  2 E )
12
 A B  3 B2
2B  C  4 C 0
3B  2C  D  10 D4
6 B  3C  2 D  E  20 E0
6C  2 E  0 Do not need this!
Thus
4 3 2
3x  4 x  16 x  20 x  9 1 2x 4x
 dx   dx   2 dx   2 2 dx
2
( x  2)( x  3) 2
x2 x 3 ( x  3)
Let u=x2+3 Let u=x2+3

2
2
 ln x  2  ln( x  3)  2 C
x 3
2 2
 ln ( x  2)( x  3)  2  C
x 3 13
II. Improper rational functions
 Degree of numerator greater than or equal to the degree of denominator
 Can be integrated by first performing long division, and then working
with the remainder term.
Example

1. Evaluate 3x 4  3x 3  5 x 2  x  1
 2
x  x2
dx -- Improper

Solution 2
3x  1
x 2  x  2 3x 4  3x 3  5 x 2  x  1
3x 4  3x 3  6 x 2
2
x  x 1
2
x  x2
1
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 So 3x 4  3x 3  5 x 2  x  1 2 1
2
 (3x  1)  2
x  x2 x  x2
Thus

3x 4  3x 3  5 x 2  x  1 1
 2
x  x2 dx  (3 x 2
 1
) dx  2
x  x2
dx

From ex. 1: 1 x 1
3
Linear Factor
Rule gives
x x  ln
3 x2
C

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 Examples OF PAST FINAL EXAMS
 3

 x tan x dx
3
sec
1. (a) Find the value of
0

12  21x  8 x 2
(b) Evaluate  4 x 2  x 3 dx
dx
2. (a) Evaluate x 2
4  x2
.
1 . 1 u
.
(b) (i) Show that  u(a  bu )du  a ln a  bu  C
2
1
(ii) Evaluate 
1
x (5  3 x )
dx

using the integration formula in (b)(i).

16
 sin 2 x
2. (a) Evaluate
 cos3 x dx.
x3
(b) Evaluate  x 2 ( x  1)dx

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