Integration of Powers Trigonometric Functions

Elgie T. Liwagon
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology
Iligan City 9200, Philippines
elgie.liwagon@g.msuiit.edu.ph

1 Integration of Powers of Sine and Cosine

sinn udu or
R R
1.1 cosn udu, where n is any odd integer.

RULE : Factor out sin u or cos u and to the remaining even powers of sine or cosine,

substitute: sin2 u = 1 − cos2 u or cos2 u = 1 − sin2 u

EXAMPLES :

R
1. cos3 3ydy
√
R sin5 x
2. √ dx
x

sinm udu or
R R
1.2 cosm udu, where m is any even integer.
1 − cos 2u
RULE : Reduce the powers by substituting the identity sin2 u = or
2
1 + cos 2u
cos2 u = .
2
EXAMPLES :

sin4 2θdθ
R
1.

R
2. cos6 ydy

1
 sinn u cosm udu where at least one of m or n is any odd
R
1.3
integer.

RULE : Apply Case 1.

EXAMPLES :

R sin5 4y
1. √ dy
cos 4y

sin2 θ cos3 θdθ

R
2.

sinn udu or
R R
1.4 cosm udu, where both m and n are even.

RULE : Apply Case 2.

EXAMPLES :

sin2 2θ cos2 2θdθ

R
1.

sin2 x cos4 xdx

R
2.

2 Integration of Powers of Tangent, Cotangent, Se-

cant and Cosecant
R
tann udu or
R
2.1 cotn udu, where n is any positive integer.

RULE : Factor out tan2 u or cot2 u and substitute: tan2 u = sec2 u − 1 or cot2 u =

csc2 u − 1.

EXAMPLES :

R
1. tan5 4ydy
√
R cot4 x
2. √ dx
x

2
 R R
2.2 tanm u secn udu or cotm u cscn udu, where n is a positive
even integer and m is any real number.

RULE : Factor out sec2 u or csc2 u, then to the remaining factors of secant or cosecant,

sunstitute the ff: sec2 u = 1 + tan2 u or cscu = 1 + cot2 u.

EXAMPLES :

R sec4 2x
1. √
3
dx
tan 2x
R
2. cot3 θ csc6 θdθ
R R
2.3 tanm u secn udu or cotm u cscn udu, where m is a positive
odd integer and n is any real number.

RULE : Factor out sec u tan u or csc u cot u, then to the remaining factors of tangent

or cotangent, sunstitute the ff: tan2 u = sec2 u − 1 or cotu = csc2 u − 1.

EXAMPLES :

R
1. cot3 θ csc4 θdθ

R√
2. 5
sec 5x tan5 5xdx
R R
2.4 secn udu or cscn udu, where n is any positive integer.

RULE : Factor out sec2 u or csc2 u and to the remaining even powers of secant or

cosecant, substitute: sec2 u = 1 + tan2 u or csc2 u = 1 + cot2 u

EXAMPLES :

R
1. csc6 xdx

R
2. sec4 3θdθ

3
2.5 REMARKS

1. To evaluate the integral of odd powers of secant and cosecant, we use integration

by parts (next lesson).

R R
2. tanm u secn udu or cotm u cscn udu where m is a positive even integer and n is

a positive odd integer. Express the integrand in terms of odd powers of secant or

cosecant and then use integration by parts (next lesson).