Let be a function defined on an interval . A function is called an antiderivative of on if:
If and are both antiderivatives of on , then:
for some constant .
Since , we have:
By MVT, is constant. ∎
The indefinite integral of is:
where is any antiderivative of and is the constant of integration.
For :
For :
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Find:
Find:
Solution: Recognize that :
An antiderivative F(x) is a specific function with F'(x) = f(x). The indefinite integral ∫f(x)dx is the family of all antiderivatives: F(x) + C.
Because if F(x) is an antiderivative, so is F(x) + C for any constant. The '+C' represents all possible antiderivatives.
No. But continuous functions always have antiderivatives (Fundamental Theorem). Functions with jump discontinuities may not.
Identify the form of the integrand. Look for: power functions (x^n), exponentials (e^x, a^x), trig functions, inverse trig patterns (1/√(1-x²), 1/(1+x²)), and logarithms (1/x).
For n ≠ -1: ∫x^n dx = x^(n+1)/(n+1) + C. For n = -1: ∫1/x dx = ln|x| + C.