Integration using Eulers formula

In integral calculus, complex numbers and Eulers

formula may be used to evaluate integrals involving ( )
1 ( 2ix ) 1 e2ix e2ix
trigonometric functions. Using Eulers formula, any e + 2 + e2ix dx = + 2x +C
trigonometric function may be written in terms of eix 4 4 2i 2i
and eix , and then integrated. This technique is often
1
simpler and faster than using trigonometric identities or = (2x + sin 2x) + C.
4
integration by parts, and is suciently powerful to in-
tegrate any rational expression involving trigonometric
functions. 3 Second example
Consider the integral
1 Eulers formula
Eulers formula states that
sin2 x cos 4x dx.

eix = cos x + i sin x. This integral would be extremely tedious to solve using
trigonometric identities, but using Eulers identity makes
Substituting x for x gives the equation
it relatively painless:

eix = cos x i sin x. ( )2 ( 4ix )

2 eix eix e + e4ix
These two equations can be solved for the sine and cosine: sin x cos 4x dx = dx
2i 2

1 ( 2ix )( )
eix + eix eix eix = e 2 + e2ix e4ix + e4ix dx
cos x = and sin x = . 8
2 2i
1 ( 6ix
= e 2e4ix + e2ix + e2ix 2e4ix + e
8
2 Simple example
At this point we can either integrate directly, or we can
Consider the integral rst change the integrand to cos 6x 2 cos 4x + cos 2x
and continue from there. Either method gives

cos2 x dx.
1 1 1
sin2 x cos 4x dx = sin 6x+ sin 4x sin 2x+C.
The standard approach to this integral is to use a half- 24 8 8
angle formula to simplify the integrand. We can use Eu-
lers identity instead:
4 Using real parts
( )2
2 eix + eix In addition to Eulers identity, it can be helpful to make
cos x dx = dx
2 judicious use of the real parts of complex expressions.
For example, consider the integral
1 ( 2ix )
= e + 2 + e2ix dx
4

At this point, it would be possible to change back to real
numbers using the formula e2ix + e2ix = 2 cos 2x. Alter- ex cos x dx.
natively, we can integrate the complex exponentials and
not change back to trigonometric functions until the end: Since cos x is the real part of eix , we know that

1
2 5 FRACTIONS

ex cos x dx = Re ex eix dx.

The integral on the right is easy to evaluate:

x ix e(1+i)x
e e dx = e(1+i)x dx = + C.
1+i
Thus:

( )
e(1+i)x
ex cos x dx = Re +C
1+i
( ix )
x e
= e Re +C
1+i
( ix )
e (1 i)
= ex Re +C
2
cos x + sin x
= ex + C.
2

5 Fractions
In general, this technique may be used to evaluate any
fractions involving trigonometric functions. For example,
consider the integral

1 + cos2 x
dx.
cos x + cos 3x
Using Eulers identity, this integral becomes

1 6 + e2ix + e2ix
dx.
2 eix + eix + e3ix + e3ix

If we now make the substitution u = eix , the result is the

integral of a rational function:

i 1 + 6u2 + u4
du.
2 1 + u2 + u4 + u6
Any rational function is integrable (using, for example,
partial fractions), and therefore any fraction involving
trigonometric functions may be integrated as well.
 3

6 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

6.1 Text
Integration using Eulers formula Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integration_using_Euler{}s_formula?oldid=765016853 Con-
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