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Integration by partial fractions?

I'm having lots of trouble with this one. Any help would be appreciated.

Integral of:

3x^2-6

--------- dx

(x+1)(x-2)

3 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    First divide to get a quotient and a remainder where the remainder has degree less than that of the denominator. In this case, you will be dividing 3x^2-6 by x^2-x-2 to get 3+3x/(x+1)(x-2). Now do the partial fractions decomposition on the second piece. So you want to write

    3x/(x+1)(x-2)=A/(x+1) +B/(x-2).

    Multiply by (x+1)(x-2) to get

    3x=A(x-2)+B(x+1).

    Let x=2 to find B=2 and let x=-1 to find A=1.

    Thus, you are integrating

    3+ 1/(x+1) +2/(x-2).

  • 1 decade ago

    Let (3x^2-6)/[(x+1)(x-2)] = A/(x+1) + B/(x-2), where A and B are constants to be determined.

    Multiply both sides by the original denominator, and get

    3x^2-6 = A(x-2) + B(x+1).

    Now, use the "method of creating zeros". Let x=2. Then the term with A will drop out, and you can solve for B. Then, go back to the equation above, plug in x=-1, and the term with B will drop out, and you can get A.

    Once you have A and B, you can integrate A/(x+1) + B/(x-2), using the rule

    integral of 1/(x+a) dx = ln |x+a|

    and you're done.

  • raj
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    integral of 3x^2-6/(x+1)(x-2)=3x^2-6/x^2-x-2

    dividing x^2-x-2)3x^2 -6(3

    3x^2-3x-6

    ----------------

    3x

    so the expression reduces to 3+[3x/(x+1)(x-2)]

    let A/(x+1)+B/(x-2)=3x/(x+1)(x-2)

    A(x-2)+B(x+1)=3x

    comparing the coefficients

    A+B=3

    -2A+B=0

    3A=3 so A=1

    substituting B=2

    now the integral is [3+{1/(x+1)}+{2/(x-2)}]dx

    =3x+ln(x+1)(x-2)^2+C

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