Evaluate the integral: I = integral (xe^(arctan
Evaluate the integral: $$ I = \int \frac{xe^{\arctan x}}{(1+x^2)^{3/2}}\,dx. $$
Explanation of Method
Substituting $t=\arctan x$ (so $x=\tan t$) reduces the whole integrand, after trig simplification, to $\sin t\,e^t$ — the same self-referential integration-by-parts pattern seen in Problem 162.
- Substitute $t=\arctan x$.
- Simplify the resulting trigonometric expression.
- Apply the self-referential integration-by-parts technique.
- Substitute back and simplify using right-triangle relationships.
Step 1 · Substitution
Let $t=\arctan x$, so $x=\tan t$ and $dx=\sec^2t\,dt$, and $1+x^2=\sec^2t$. Substituting:
$$ I = \int \frac{\tan t\,e^t}{(\sec^2t)^{3/2}}\cdot\sec^2t\,dt = \int \frac{\tan t\,e^t}{\sec^3t}\cdot\sec^2t\,dt = \int \tan t\,e^t\cdot\frac{1}{\sec t}\,dt. $$
Step 2 · Simplify
Since $\tan t/\sec t=\sin t$:
$$ I = \int \sin t\,e^t\,dt. $$
Step 3 · Apply the self-referential technique
This is the same integral solved in Problem 162: applying integration by parts twice and solving algebraically gives:
$$ I = \frac{e^t}{2}\left(\sin t-\cos t\right) + C. $$
Step 4 · Substitute back
Since $t=\arctan x$, the right-triangle relationships give $\sin t=\dfrac{x}{\sqrt{1+x^2}}$ and $\cos t=\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{1+x^2}}$. Substituting:
$$ I = \frac{e^{\arctan x}}{2}\left(\frac{x}{\sqrt{1+x^2}} - \frac{1}{\sqrt{1+x^2}}\right) + C = \frac{e^{\arctan x}}{2}\cdot\frac{x-1}{\sqrt{1+x^2}} + C. $$
Summary Table
| Quantity | Value |
|---|---|
| Substitution | $t=\arctan x,\;x=\tan t$ |
| Reduced integral | $\int\sin t\,e^t\,dt$ |
| $\sin t,\;\cos t$ back-substitution | $x/\sqrt{1+x^2},\;1/\sqrt{1+x^2}$ |
Additional Notes
- The integrand is defined for all real $x$.
- Simplifying $\tan t\,e^t/\sec t$ to $\sin t\,e^t$ before applying integration by parts avoids ever having to differentiate the messier original composite expression directly — recognizing the substitution collapses to the already-solved pattern from Problem 162 saves significant work.
- The result can be checked by differentiating $\tfrac{e^{\arctan x}}{2}\cdot\tfrac{x-1}{\sqrt{1+x^2}}$ and confirming it returns $xe^{\arctan x}/(1+x^2)^{3/2}$.
Result
The solution to the integral is: