Integrate the natural logarithm of x (ln x) with respect to x

In order to integrate ln x you have to use integration by parts, even though it appears there is only one term to be integrated. We get around this by instead writing it as (ln x)(1), where we treat the 1 as another function of x. Now we can apply the integration by parts rule by setting u = ln x and dv/dx = 1.
Integration by parts states that the integral of u(dv/dx) = uv - the integral of v(du/dx). Integrating v(du/dx) is easy because we know that d/dx(ln x) = 1/x, and the integral of 1 is x, so the two cancel and we are left with integrating 1 again. Once integrated fully, the answer will be x[(ln x) - 1] (+c) where c is the constant of integration.

AD

Related Maths A Level answers

All answers ▸

Find the equation of the line perpendicular to the line y= 3x + 5 that passes through the point (-1,4)


How to differentiate 2x^5-4x^3+x^2 with respect to x


How do I write the function 3cosθ+4sinθ in the form Rsin(θ + α), where R and α are positive constants?


A school has 1200 pupils. 575 of these pupils are girls. 2/5 of the girls like sports. 3/5 of the boys like sport. Work out the total number of pupils in the school who like sport.