Integration

TRIGONOMETRIC IDENTITIES

Graham S McDonald
and Silvia C Dalla

A self-contained Tutorial Module for practising

integration of expressions involving products of
trigonometric functions such as sin nx sin mx

● Table of contents
● Begin Tutorial

c 2004 g.s.mcdonald@salford.ac.uk
 Table of contents
1. Theory
2. Exercises
3. Answers
4. Standard integrals
5. Tips
Full worked solutions
Section 1: Theory 3

1. Theory
Integrals of the form Z
sin nx sin mx ,
and similar ones with products like sin nx cos mx and cos nx cos mx,
can be solved by making use of the following trigonometric identities:
1
sin A sin B = − [cos (A + B) − cos (A − B)]
2
1
sin A cos B = [sin (A + B) + sin (A − B)]
2
1
cos A cos B = [cos (A + B) + cos (A − B)]
2

Using these identities, such products are expressed as a sum of

trigonometric functions

This sum is generally more straightforward to integrate

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Section 2: Exercises 4

2. Exercises
Click on EXERCISE links for full worked solutions (9 exercises in
total).

Perform the following integrations:

Exercise 1.
Z
cos 3x cos 2x dx

Exercise 2.
Z
sin 5x cos 3x dx

Exercise 3.
Z
sin 6x sin 4x dx

● Theory ● Standard integrals ● Answers ● Tips

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Section 2: Exercises 5

Exercise 4.
Z
cos 2ωt sin ωt dt, where ω is a constant

Exercise 5.
Z
cos 4ωt cos 2ωt dt , where ω is a constant

Exercise 6.
Z
sin2 x dx

Exercise 7.
Z
sin2 ωt dt , where ω is a constant

Exercise 8.
Z
cos2 t dt

● Theory ● Standard integrals ● Answers ● Tips

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Section 2: Exercises 6

Exercise 9.
Z
cos2 kx dx, where k is a constant

● Theory ● Standard integrals ● Answers ● Tips

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Section 3: Answers 7

3. Answers
1 1
1. 10 sin 5x + 2 sin x + C,
1
2. − 16 cos 8x − 14 cos 2x + C,
1
3. − 20 sin 10x + 14 sin 2x + C,
1 1
4. − 6ω cos 3ωt + 2ω cos ωt + C,
1 1
5. 12ω sin 6ωt + 4ω sin 2ωt + C,
6. − 41 sin 2x + 12 x + C,
1
7. − 4ω sin 2ωt + 12 t + C,
1 1
8. 4 sin 2t + 2 t + C,
1 1
9. 4k sin 2kx + 2 x + C.

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Section 4: Standard integrals 8

4. Standard integrals
R R
f (x) f (x)dx f (x) f (x)dx
n xn+1 n 0 [g(x)]n+1
x n+1 (n 6= −1) [g (x)] g (x) n+1 (n 6= −1)
1 g 0 (x)
x ln |x| g(x) ln |g (x)|
x ax
e ex a x
ln a (a > 0)
sin x − cos x sinh x cosh x
cos x sin x cosh x sinh x
tan x − ln
 |cos x| tanh x ln cosh x 
cosec x ln tan x2  cosech x ln tanh x2 
sec x ln |sec x + tan x| sech x 2 tan−1 ex
sec2 x tan x sech2 x tanh x
cot x ln |sin x| coth x ln |sinh x|
sin2 x x
2 −
sin 2x
4 sinh2 x sinh 2x
4 − x2
cos2 x x
2 +
sin 2x
4 cosh2 x sinh 2x
4 + x2

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Section 4: Standard integrals 9

R R
f (x) f (x) dx f (x) f (x) dx
 
1 1
tan−1 x 1 1  a+x 
a2 +x2 a a a2 −x2 2a ln  a−x  (0 < |x| < a)
 
1 1  x−a 
(a > 0) x2 −a2 2a ln  x+a  (|x| > a > 0)

 √ 
2 2
√ 1 sin−1 x √ 1 ln  x+ aa +x  (a > 0)

a2 −x2 a a2 +x2
 √ 
2 2
(−a < x < a) √ 1 ln  x+ xa −a  (x > a > 0)

x2 −a2

√ a2
√ a2
h √ i
sinh−1 x a2 +x2
 −1 x

x


a2 − x2 2 sin a a2 +x2 2 a + a2

√ i √ h √ i
a2
a2 −x2
− cosh−1
2 2
+x x
+ x xa2−a


a2 x2 −a2 2 a

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Section 5: Tips 10

5. Tips

● STANDARD INTEGRALS are provided. Do not forget to use these

tables when you need to

● When looking at the THEORY, STANDARD INTEGRALS, AN-

SWERS or TIPS pages, use the Back button (at the bottom of the
page) to return to the exercises

● Use the solutions intelligently. For example, they can help you get
started on an exercise, or they can allow you to check whether your
intermediate results are correct

● Try to make less use of the full solutions as you work your way
through the Tutorial

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Solutions to exercises 11

Full worked solutions

Exercise 1.
1
R
cos 3x cos 2x dx: Use cos A cos B = 2 [cos (A + B) + cos (A − B)]

i.e. taking A = 3x and B = 2x:

cos 3x cos 2x dx = 12 [cos (3x + 2x) + cos (3x − 2x)]

R R

= 12 [cos 5x + cos x] dx
R

Each term under the integration sign is a function of a linear function

of x, i.e.

f (ax+b) dx = a1 f (u)du, where u = ax+b, du = a dx, i.e. dx = du

R R
a .

i.e. cos 3x cos 2x dx = 21 15 sin 5x+ 21 sin x+C = 10

1
sin 5x+ 12 sin x+C.
R

Return to Exercise 1

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Solutions to exercises 12

Exercise 2.
1
R
sin 5x cos 3x dx: Use sin A cos B = 2 [sin (A + B) + sin (A − B)]

i.e. taking A = 5x and B = 3x:

Z Z
1
sin 5x cos 3x dx = [sin (5x + 3x) + sin (5x − 3x)]
2
Z
1
= [sin 8x + sin 2x] dx
2

i.e.
Z
11 11
sin 5x cos 3x dx = − cos 8x − cos 2x + C
28 22
1 1
= − cos 8x − cos 2x + C.
16 4

Return to Exercise 2
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Solutions to exercises 13

Exercise 3.

Use sin A sin B = − 12 [cos (A + B) − cos (A − B)]

R
sin 6x sin 4x dx:

i.e. taking A = 6x and B = 4x:

Z Z
1
sin 6x sin 4x dx = − [cos (6x + 4x) − cos (6x − 4x)]
2
Z
1
= − [cos 10x − cos 2x] dx
2
i.e.
Z
1 1 11
sin 6x sin 4x dx = − sin 10x + sin 2x + C
2 10 22

1 1
= − sin 10x + sin 2x + C.
20 4

Return to Exercise 3

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Solutions to exercises 14

Exercise 4.
1
R
cos 2ωt sin ωt dt: Use sin A cos B = 2 [sin (A + B) + sin (A − B)]

i.e. taking A = ωt and B = 2ωt:

Z Z
1
cos 2ωt sin ωt dt = [sin (ωt + 2ωt) + sin (ωt − 2ωt)]
2
Z
1
= [sin 3ωt + sin (−ωt)] dt
2
Z
1
= [sin 3ωt − sin ωt] dt
2
1 1 11
= − cos 3ωt + cos ωt + C
2 3ω 2ω
1 1
= − cos 3ωt + cos ωt + C.
6ω 2ω

Return to Exercise 4
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Solutions to exercises 15

Exercise 5.
1
R
cos 4ωt cos 2ωt dt: Use cos A cos B = 2 [cos (A + B) + cos (A − B)]

i.e. taking A = 4ωt and B = 2ωt:

Z Z
1
cos 4ωt cos 2ωt dt = [cos (4ωt + 2ωt) + cos (4ωt − 2ωt)]
2
Z
1
= [cos 6ωt + cos 2ωt] dt
2

1 1 1 1
= sin 6ωt + sin 2ωt + C
2 6ω 2 2ω
1 1
= sin 6ωt + sin 2ωt + C.
12ω 4ω

Return to Exercise 5
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Solutions to exercises 16

Exercise 6.

sin2 x dx:
R
For the particular case: A=B=x,

the formula: sin A sin B = − 12 [cos (A + B) − cos (A − B)],

reduces to: sin2 x = − 12 (cos 2x − 1) (a half-angle formula)

i.e.
Z Z
1
sin2 x dx = − (cos 2x − 1) dx
2
11 1
= − sin 2x + x + C
22 2
1 1
= − sin 2x + x + C.
4 2

Return to Exercise 6

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Solutions to exercises 17

Exercise 7.

sin2 ωt dt:
R
For the particular case: A=B=ωt,

the formula: sin A sin B = − 12 [cos (A + B) − cos (A − B)],

reduces to: sin2 ωt = − 12 (cos 2ωt − 1)

i.e.
Z Z
1
sin2 ωt dt = − (cos 2ωt − 1) dt
2
1 1 1
= − sin 2ωt + t + C
2 2ω 2
1 1
= − sin 2ωt + t + C.
4ω 2

Return to Exercise 7

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Solutions to exercises 18

Exercise 8.

cos2 t dt:
R
For the particular case: A=B=t,
1
the formula: cos A cos B = 2 [cos (A + B) + cos (A − B)] ,

reduces to: cos2 t = 21 (cos 2t + 1)

i.e.
Z Z
2 1
cos t dt = (cos 2t + 1) dt
2
11 1
= sin 2t + t + C
22 2
1 1
= sin 2t + t + C.
4 2

Return to Exercise 8

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Solutions to exercises 19

Exercise 9.

cos2 kx dx:
R
For the particular case: A=B=kx,
1
the formula: cos A cos B = 2 [cos (A + B) + cos (A − B)] ,

reduces to: cos2 kx = 21 (cos 2kx + 1)

i.e.
Z Z
2 1
cos kx dx = (cos 2kx + 1)dx
2
1 1 1
= sin 2kx + x + C
2 2k 2
1 1
= sin 2kx + x + C.
4k 2

Return to Exercise 9

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