1

Question:

Determine: $$\int\frac{\sqrt{\tan x}}{\sin x\cos x}dx$$

My book's attempt:

$$\int\frac{\sqrt{\tan x}}{\sin x\cos x}dx$$

$$=\int\frac{\sqrt{\frac{\sin x}{\cos x}}}{\sin x\cos x}dx$$

$$=\int\frac{\frac{\sqrt{\sin x}}{\sqrt{\cos x}}}{\sin x\cos x}dx\tag{1}$$

$$...$$

My book assumed in $(1)$ that $\sin x$ and $\cos x$ are both positive. However, the question didn't mention that we are in the first quadrant. From the question, we can only understand that $\tan x$ is positive (because of $\sqrt{\tan x}$): $x$ could be in the 1st or the third quadrant. So, isn't my book making an invalid move in $(1)$?

Blue
  • 75,673
  • 1
    I guess, they compute the integral for $x\in (0,\pi/2)$... – Surb Feb 02 '22 at 12:26
  • 4
    They have certainly reduced the domain of validity. Wether they are correct in the end or not, depends on the $\cdots$, because they may have reached an expression that, regardless of how it was obtained, turns out to be an antiderivative defined in the entire initial domain. – PierreCarre Feb 02 '22 at 12:30
  • @PierreCarre ok sir, I understand. Thanks for your reply! – tryingtobeastoic Feb 02 '22 at 12:32
  • You have posted around 10 questions on the validity of substitutions in integrals. Almost all of them say the same thing @PierreCarre did. Maybe a bit of revisiting would help – DatBoi Feb 02 '22 at 12:54
  • This was answered to you here. 2. I prefer Quanto's procedure, but if you'd like to take cases, in the third quadrant, the given integrand equals $\left(-\sin x\right)^{-\frac{1}{2}}\left(-\cos x\right)^{-\frac{3}{2}}.$
  • – ryang Feb 02 '22 at 13:23
  • 1
    For concerned future users visiting, my question was answered satisfactorily by surb and pierrecarre's comments (ryang's comment is helpful too). Quanto's answer is very helpful too. – tryingtobeastoic Feb 05 '22 at 12:56