3.1 Integration by Parts
Learning Objectives
- Recognize when to use integration by parts.
- Use the integration-by-parts formula to evaluate indefinite integrals.
- Use the integration-by-parts formula for definite integrals.
By now we have a fairly thorough procedure for how to evaluate many basic integrals. However, although we can integrate
by using the substitution,
something as simple looking as
defies us. Although there is no product rule for integration, there is a technique based on the product rule for differentiation that allows us to exchange one integral for another. We call this technique integration by parts.
The Integration-by-Parts Formula
If
then by using the product rule, we obtain ![]()
We rewrite this formula as
and then integrate both sides of the last equation:
![]()
Since
is an antiderivative of
, we have
![]()
By making the substitutions
and
which in turn make
and
we have the more compact form
![]()
Integration by Parts
Let
and
be functions with continuous derivatives. Then, the integration-by-parts formula for the integral involving these two functions is:
The advantage of using the integration-by-parts formula is that we can exchange one integral for another, possibly easier, integral. The following example illustrates its use.
Using Integration by Parts
Use integration by parts with
and
to evaluate ![]()
Solution
By choosing
we have
Since
we can take
to be any antiderivative of
, and the simplest choice would be
It is handy to keep track of these values as follows:
![Rendered by QuickLaTeX.com \ds \begin{array}{ccccccc}\hfill u&\ds =\hfill &\ds x\hfill &\ds &\ds \hfill dv&\ds =\hfill &\ds \text{sin}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\,dx \hfill \\[3mm]\ds \hfill du&\ds =\hfill &\ds 1\,dx \hfill &\ds &\ds \hfill v&\ds =\hfill &\ds - \text{cos}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x).\hfill \end{array}](https://pressbooks.openedmb.ca/app/uploads/quicklatex/quicklatex.com-ac340d09d550908d0835954ed574c033_l3.png)
Applying the integration-by-parts formula (*) results in
![Rendered by QuickLaTeX.com \ds \begin{array}{cccc}\hfill \ds\int x\,\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}\text{sin}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\,dx &\ds =\left(x\right)\left( - \text{cos}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\right)-\int \left( - \text{cos}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\right)\left(1\,dx \right)\hfill &\ds &\ds \text{substitute}\hfill \\[5mm]\ds &\ds = - x\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}\text{cos}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)+\int \text{cos}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\,dx \hfill &\ds &\ds \text{simplify}\hfill \\[5mm]\ds &\ds = - x\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}\text{cos}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)+\text{sin}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)+C.\hfill &\ds &\ds \text{integrate} \cos(x)\hfill \end{array}](https://pressbooks.openedmb.ca/app/uploads/quicklatex/quicklatex.com-b78fb4ef871402e33853841b62155c6d_l3.png)
Analysis
At this point, there are probably a few items that need clarification. First of all, you may be curious about what would have happened if we had chosen
and
If we had done so, then we would have
and
Thus, after applying integration by parts, we would get
Unfortunately, with the new integral, we are in no better position than before. It is important to keep in mind that when we apply integration by parts, we may need to try several choices for
and
before finding a choice that works.
Second, you may wonder why, when we find
as an antiderivative of
we do not use
To see that it makes no difference, we can rework the problem using ![]()
![Rendered by QuickLaTeX.com \ds \begin{array}{cc}\ds {\int }^{\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}}x\,\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}\text{sin}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\,dx \hfill &\ds =\left(x\right)\left( - \text{cos}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)+K\right)-{\int }^{\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}}\left( - \text{cos}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)+K\right)\left(1\,dx \right)\hfill \\[5mm]\ds \hfill &\ds = - x\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}\text{cos}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)+Kx+{\int }^{\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}}\text{cos}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\,dx -{\int }^{\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}}K\,dx \hfill \\[5mm]\ds \hfill &\ds = - x\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}\text{cos}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}+Kx+\text{sin}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)-Kx+C\hfill \\[5mm]\ds \hfill &\ds = - x\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}\text{cos}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)+\text{sin}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)+C.\hfill \end{array}](https://pressbooks.openedmb.ca/app/uploads/quicklatex/quicklatex.com-7c5f31cb3598f1475b026dec601ce37f_l3.png)
As you can see, it makes no difference in the final solution.
Last, we can verify that our antiderivative is correct by differentiating ![]()
![Rendered by QuickLaTeX.com \ds \begin{array}{cc}\ds \frac{d}{\,dx }\left( - x\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}\text{cos}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)+\text{sin}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)+C\right)\hfill &\ds =\left(-1\right)\text{cos}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)+\left( - x\right)\left( - \text{sin}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\right)+\text{cos}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\hfill \\[5mm]\ds \hfill &\ds =x\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}\text{sin}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x).\hfill \end{array}](https://pressbooks.openedmb.ca/app/uploads/quicklatex/quicklatex.com-3c94a3459f0d68e05a1f26ea874d84cd_l3.png)
Therefore, the answer we obtained is correct.
Evaluate
using the integration-by-parts formula with
and ![]()
Answer
![]()
Hint
Find
and
and use the previous example as a guide.
The natural question to ask at this point is: How do we know how to choose
and
Sometimes it is a matter of trial and error; however, the acronym LIATE can often help to take some of the guesswork out of our choices. This acronym stands for Logarithmic Functions, Inverse Trigonometric Functions, Algebraic Functions, Trigonometric Functions, and Exponential Functions. This mnemonic serves as an aid in determining an appropriate choice for ![]()
The type of function in the integral that appears first in the list should be our first choice of
For example, if an integral contains a logarithmic function and an algebraic function, we should choose
to be the logarithmic function, because L comes before A in LIATE. The integral in
has a trigonometric function
and an algebraic function
Because A comes before T in LIATE, we chose
to be the algebraic function. When we have chosen
is selected to be the remaining part of the function to be integrated, together with ![]()
Why does this mnemonic work? Remember that whatever we pick to be
must be something we can integrate. Since we do not have integration formulas that allow us to integrate simple logarithmic functions and inverse trigonometric functions, it makes sense that they should not be chosen as values for
Consequently, they should be at the head of the list as choices for
Thus, we put LI at the beginning of the mnemonic. (We could just as easily have started with IL, since these two types of functions won’t appear together in an integration-by-parts problem.) The exponential and trigonometric functions are at the end of our list because they are fairly easy to integrate and make good choices for
Thus, we have TE at the end of our mnemonic. (We could just as easily have used ET at the end, since when these types of functions appear together it usually doesn’t really matter which one is
and which one is
) Algebraic functions are generally easy both to integrate and to differentiate, and they come in the middle of the mnemonic.
Using Integration by Parts
Evaluate ![]()
Solution
Begin by rewriting the integral:
![]()
Since this integral contains the algebraic function
and the logarithmic function
choose
since L comes before A in LIATE. After we have chosen
we must choose ![]()
Next, since
we have
Also,
and so we take
. Summarizing,
![Rendered by QuickLaTeX.com \ds \begin{array}{ccccccc}\hfill u&\ds =\hfill &\ds \text{ln}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\hfill &\ds &\ds \hfill dv&\ds =\hfill &\ds {x}^{-3}\,dx \hfill \\[3mm]\ds \hfill du&\ds =\hfill &\ds \frac{1}{x}\,dx \hfill &\ds &\ds \hfill v&\ds =\hfill &\ds -\frac{1}{2}{x}^{-2}.\hfill \end{array}](https://pressbooks.openedmb.ca/app/uploads/quicklatex/quicklatex.com-8ec1add0bae676f8797814d97135f950_l3.png)
Substituting into (*) gives
Evaluate ![]()
Answer
![]()
Hint
Use
and ![]()
In some cases, as in the next two examples, it may be necessary to apply integration by parts more than once.
Applying Integration by Parts More Than Once
Evaluate ![]()
Solution
Using LIATE, choose
and
Thus,
and
which means we can take
. Therefore,
![Rendered by QuickLaTeX.com \ds \begin{array}{ccccccc}\hfill u&\ds =\hfill &\ds {x}^{2}\hfill &\ds &\ds \hfill dv&\ds =\hfill &\ds {e}^{3x}\,dx \hfill \\[3mm]\ds \hfill du&\ds =\hfill &\ds 2x\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\,dx \hfill &\ds &\ds \hfill v&\ds =\hfill &\ds \frac{1}{3}{e}^{3x}.\hfill \end{array}](https://pressbooks.openedmb.ca/app/uploads/quicklatex/quicklatex.com-61d231257b8b0b25df0b4a99ef8e5bad_l3.png)
Substituting into (*) produces
![]()
We still cannot integrate
directly, but the integral now has a lower power on
We can evaluate this new integral by using integration by parts again. To do this, choose
and
Thus,
and
which means we can take
. Now we have
![Rendered by QuickLaTeX.com \ds \begin{array}{ccccccc}\hfill u&\ds =\hfill &\ds x\hfill &\ds &\ds \hfill dv&\ds =\hfill &\ds \frac{2}{3}{e}^{3x}\,dx \hfill \\[3mm]\ds \hfill du&\ds =\hfill &\ds \,dx \hfill &\ds &\ds \hfill v&\ds =\hfill &\ds \frac{2}{9}{e}^{3x}.\hfill \end{array}](https://pressbooks.openedmb.ca/app/uploads/quicklatex/quicklatex.com-c2690bec28b78a57e24d4a7a8df9546a_l3.png)
Going back to the previous equation and using (*) yields
![Rendered by QuickLaTeX.com \ds\begin{array}{ll} \ds{\int }^{\text{}}{x}^{2}{e}^{3x}\,dx &=\ds\frac{1}{3}{x}^{2}{e}^{3x}-\int \frac{2}{3}x{e}^{3x}\,dx \hfill\\[5mm]&=\ds\frac{1}{3}{x}^{2}{e}^{3x}-\left(\frac{2}{9}x{e}^{3x}-{\int }^{\text{}}\frac{2}{9}{e}^{3x}\,dx \right).\hfill\end{array}](https://pressbooks.openedmb.ca/app/uploads/quicklatex/quicklatex.com-b475d9bc381ed76da2adbccb406313db_l3.png)
After evaluating the last integral and simplifying, we obtain
Applying Integration by Parts When LIATE Doesn’t Quite Work
Evaluate ![]()
Solution
If we use a strict interpretation of the mnemonic LIATE to make our choice of
we end up with
and
Unfortunately, this choice won’t work because we are unable to evaluate
However, since we can evaluate
, we can try choosing
and
We then have
![Rendered by QuickLaTeX.com \begin{array}{ll}\ds\int t e^{t^2}\,dt&\ds=\int e^{t^2}\frac12 (2t)\,dt=\frac12\int e^{t^2}(t^2)'\, dt\hfill\\[5mm]&\ds=\frac12\int e^w dw=\frac12e^w+C=\frac12e^{t^2}+C,\end{array}](https://pressbooks.openedmb.ca/app/uploads/quicklatex/quicklatex.com-46c82401fe46a285e058038b70a51429_l3.png)
and so we can take ![]()
With these choices we have
![Rendered by QuickLaTeX.com \ds \begin{array}{ccccccc}\hfill u&\ds =\hfill &\ds {t}^{2}\hfill &\ds &\ds \hfill dv&\ds =\hfill &\ds t{e}^{{t}^{2}}dt\hfill \\[3mm]\ds \hfill du&\ds =\hfill &\ds 2t\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}dt\hfill &\ds &\ds \hfill v&\ds =\hfill &\ds \frac{1}{2}{e}^{{t}^{2}}.\hfill \end{array}](https://pressbooks.openedmb.ca/app/uploads/quicklatex/quicklatex.com-4db403ae35fceef28b8de728572c1d6a_l3.png)
Thus, we obtain
![Rendered by QuickLaTeX.com \ds \begin{array}{cc}\ds {\int }^{\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}}{t}^{3}{e}^{{t}^{2}}dt\hfill &\ds ={t}^{2}\cdot\frac{1}{2}e^{{t}^{2}}-\int \frac{1}{2}{e}^{{t}^{2}}2tdt\hfill \\[5mm]\ds \hfill &\ds =\frac{1}{2}{t}^{2}{e}^{{t}^{2}}-\frac{1}{2}{e}^{{t}^{2}}+C.\hfill \end{array}](https://pressbooks.openedmb.ca/app/uploads/quicklatex/quicklatex.com-0dedf62697cd4c6106783d08917d27ac_l3.png)
Applying Integration by Parts More Than Once
Evaluate ![]()
Solution
This integral appears to have only one function—namely,
—however, we can always use the constant function 1 as the other function. In this example, let’s choose
and
(The decision to use
is easy. We can’t choose
because if we could integrate it, we wouldn’t be using integration by parts in the first place!) Consequently,
and we can take
as an antiderivative of 1. After applying integration by parts to the integral and simplifying, we obtain
Unfortunately, this process leaves us with a new integral that is very similar to the original. However, let’s see what happens when we apply integration by parts again. This time let’s choose
and
making
and, again,
Substituting, we have
After simplifying, we obtain
The last integral is now the same as the original. It may seem that we have simply gone in a circle, but now we can actually evaluate the integral. To see how to do this more clearly, let
be a particular antiderivative of
. Substituting
instead of
into the above equality, we obtain the following equation for
.
![]()
To find
, add
to both sides of the equation:
![]()
and then divide by 2
![]()
Since
was a particular antiderivative of
, we have
![]()
where
is an arbitrary constant.
Analysis
If this method feels a little strange at first, we can check the answer by differentiation:
![Rendered by QuickLaTeX.com \ds \begin{array}{c}\ds\frac{d}{dx }\left(\frac{1}{2}x\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}\text{sin}\left(\text{ln}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\right)-\frac{1}{2}x\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}\text{cos}\left(\text{ln}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\right)\right)=\hfill\\[5mm]\ds =\frac{1}{2}\left(\text{sin}\left(\text{ln}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\right)\right)+\text{cos}\left(\text{ln}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\right)\cdot \frac{1}{x}\cdot \frac{1}{2}x-\left(\frac{1}{2}\text{cos}\left(\text{ln}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\right)-\text{sin}\left(\text{ln}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\right)\cdot \frac{1}{x}\cdot \frac{1}{2}x\right)\hfill \\[5mm]\ds =\text{sin}\left(\text{ln}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}(x)\right).\hfill \end{array}](https://pressbooks.openedmb.ca/app/uploads/quicklatex/quicklatex.com-f59d6fe773babe956527c9464188e2e4_l3.png)
Evaluate ![]()
Answer
![]()
Hint
This is similar to
from one of the previous examples.
Integration by Parts for Definite Integrals
Now that we have used integration by parts successfully to evaluate indefinite integrals, we turn our attention to definite integrals. The integration technique is really the same, only we add a step to evaluate the integral at the upper and lower limits of integration.
Integration by Parts for Definite Integrals
Let
and
be functions with continuous derivatives on
Then


Finding the Area of a Region
Find the area of the region bounded above by the graph of
and below by the x-axis over the interval ![]()
Solution
This region is shown in Figure 1 below. To find the area, we must evaluate 

For this integral, let’s choose
and
thereby making
and
After applying the integration-by-parts formula (**) for definite integrals, we obtain

We use a substitution of
to evaluate
. We have that
, and hence
. Also, when
,
, and when
,
. It follows that

Therefore,
Finding a Volume of Revolution
Find the volume of the solid obtained by revolving the region bounded by the graph of
the x-axis, the y-axis, and the line
about the y-axis.
Solution
We use cylindrical shells method to solve this problem. Begin by sketching the region to be revolved, along with a typical rectangle (see the following graph).

According to the formula, we must evaluate 
To do this, let
and
These choices lead to
and
as an antiderivative of
. Using integration by parts, we obtain
![Rendered by QuickLaTeX.com \ds \begin{array}{cccc}\hfill \text{Volume}&\ds =2\pi \underset{0}{\overset{1}{\int }}x{e}^{ - x}\,dx =2\pi \left( - x{e}^{ - x}{}\Big|_{0}^{1}+\underset{0}{\overset{1}{\int }}{e}^{ - x}\,dx \right)\hfill &\ds &\ds \hfill \\[5mm]\ds &\ds =-2\pi x{e}^{ - x}{}\Big|_{0}^{1}-2\pi {e}^{ - x}{}\Big|_{0}^{1}\hfill &\ds &\ds \hfill \\[5mm]\ds &\ds =2\pi -\frac{4\pi }{e}.\hfill &\ds &\ds \hfill \end{array}](https://pressbooks.openedmb.ca/app/uploads/quicklatex/quicklatex.com-a0115fe8d903a26ca6b7efd8ba84e21f_l3.png)
Evaluate 
Answer
![]()
Hint
Use integration by parts with
and ![]()
Key Concepts
- The integration-by-parts formula allows the exchange of one integral for another, possibly easier, integral.
- Integration by parts applies to both definite and indefinite integrals.
Key Equations
- Integration by parts formula

- Integration by parts for definite integrals

Exercises
In using the technique of integration by parts, you must carefully choose which expression is u. For each of the following exercises, use the guidelines in this section to choose u. Do not evaluate the integrals.
1. ![]()
Answer
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2. ![]()
3. ![]()
Answer
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4. ![]()
5. ![]()
Answer
or
; this example requires two applications of integration by parts, and it is important to choose
in the same way in both of them.
For the following exercises, evaluate the integral using integration by parts.
6. ![]()
7. ![]()
(Hint:
is equivalent to
)
Answer
![]()
8. ![]()
9. ![]()
Answer
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10. ![]()
11. ![]()
Answer
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12. ![]()
13. ![]()
Answer
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14. ![]()
15. ![]()
Answer
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16. ![]()
17. ![]()
Answer
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18. ![]()
19. ![]()
Answer
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20. ![]()
21. ![]()
Answer
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22. ![]()
23. ![]()
Answer
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24. ![]()
(Hint: you can simplify the integrand using properties of logarithms.)
25. ![]()
Answer
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26. ![]()
27. ![]()
Answer
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28. ![]()
29. ![]()
Answer
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30. ![]()
31. ![]()
Answer

32. ![]()
33. ![]()
Answer
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For the following exercises, compute the given definite integral using integration by parts.
34. 
35. 
Answer
![]()
36. 
(Hint: make a substitution
)
37. 
Answer
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38. 
39. 
Answer
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40. 
41. 
Answer
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42. 
43. Evaluate 
Answer
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Assume that n is a positive integer. Derive the following formulas using integration by parts. These formulas are called reduction formulas because the exponent in the x term has been reduced by one in each case.
44. ![]()
45. ![]()
Answer
Take
and
.
46. ![]()
47. Integrate
using two methods:
- Using parts, letting

- Substitution, letting

Answer
![]()
State whether you would use integration by parts to evaluate the integral. If so, identify u and dv. If not, describe the technique you would use. You don’t have to evaluate the integral.
48. ![]()
49. ![]()
Answer
No need to use integration by parts. Make a substituion
.
50. ![]()
51. ![]()
Answer
No need to use integration by parts. Make a substitution
.
52. ![]()
53. ![]()
Answer
No need to use integration by parts. Make a substitution
.
For the following exercises, sketch the region bounded by the given curves and find its area using integration by parts.
54. ![]()
55*. ![]()
(Hint: take
and
.)
Answer
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56. ![]()
57. ![]()
Answer
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58. ![]()
For the following exercises, find the volume generated by rotating the region bounded by the given curves about the specified axes.
59.
about the x-axis.
Answer
![]()
60.
about the y-axis
61.
,
about ![]()
Answer
![]()
62.
about the x-axis.
63.
about the y-axis.
Answer
![]()
64. A particle moving along a straight line has a velocity of
after t sec. How far does it travel in the first 2 sec?
Glossary
- integration by parts
- a technique of integration that allows the exchange of one integral for another using the formula
