# How to evaluate the integral: $\int\ln x\;\sin^{-1} x\, dx$?

Can the following integral integrated by parts?
$$\int\ln x\;\sin^{-1} x\, dx$$

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Your "accept rate" would make an integral fall apart: don't you like any answer you've gotten to your 9 questions as to accept one of them as "the best"? –  DonAntonio Aug 14 '12 at 17:21
Can you please explain how to do that? –  Swapnanil Saha Aug 14 '12 at 17:22
@swapnanilsaha There should be an empty check mark next to answers to your questions. Clicking that will accept someones answer. Note that you can only accept one answer. –  Holdsworth88 Aug 14 '12 at 17:24
@Holdsworth88 : Thankyou very much. –  Swapnanil Saha Aug 14 '12 at 17:26
"Can the following integral integrated by parts?" - repeated use of it, yes. To start you out: $u=\arcsin\,x$, $\mathrm dv=\log\,x\mathrm dx$. –  Ｊ. Ｍ. Aug 14 '12 at 17:27

Integration by parts formula

$$\int u(x)\underset{dv}{\underbrace{v^{\prime }(x)dx}}=u(x)v(x)-\int v(x) \underset{du}{\underbrace{u^{\prime }(x)dx}}.$$

If we apply the LIATE rule to

$$\int \ln x\arcsin x\,dx,$$

we should choose

$$u =\ln x,\quad dv=\arcsin x\,dx.$$

Normally there is a choice of the terms $u,v'$ of the integrand $uv'$ that makes integration much easier. However in the present case the other possible choice $u=\arcsin x,v'=\ln x$ leads to integrals of similar difficulties.

$$\begin{eqnarray*} I &=&\int \ln x\arcsin x\,dx, \qquad \text{(}v =\int \arcsin x\,dx\quad \text{see evaluation below)} \\ &=&\left( \ln x\right) \left( x\arcsin x+\sqrt{1-x^{2}}\right) -\int \frac{ 1}{x}\left( x\arcsin x+\sqrt{1-x^{2}}\right) \,dx \\ &=&\left( \ln x\right) \left( x\arcsin x+\sqrt{1-x^{2}}\right) -\int \arcsin x\,dx-\int \frac{1}{x}\sqrt{1-x^{2}}\,dx \\ &&\text{(see evaluation of the last integral below)} \\ &=&\left( \ln x\right) \left( x\arcsin x+\sqrt{1-x^{2}}\right) -\left( \sqrt{1-x^{2}}+x\arcsin x\right) \\ &&-\sqrt{1-x^{2}}-\frac{1}{2}\ln \frac{\sqrt{1-x^{2}}-1}{\sqrt{1-x^{2}}+1}+C. \\ &=&\left( -1+\ln x\right) \left( x\arcsin x+\sqrt{1-x^{2}}\right) -\sqrt{ 1-x^{2}} -\frac{1}{2}\ln \frac{\sqrt{1-x^{2}}-1}{\sqrt{1-x^{2}}+1}+C. \end{eqnarray*}$$

• Evaluation of $\int \arcsin x\,dx$ by substitution $$\begin{eqnarray*} \int \arcsin x\,dx &=&\int u\cos u\,du,\quad u=\arcsin x \\ &=&\cos u+u\sin u \\ &=&\sqrt{1-x^{2}}+x\arcsin x+C. \end{eqnarray*}$$
• Evaluation of $\int \frac{1}{x}\sqrt{1-x^{2}}\,dx$ by substitution and partial fractions $$\begin{eqnarray*} \int \frac{1}{x}\sqrt{1-x^{2}}\,dx &=&-\int \frac{u^{2}}{1-u^{2}}\,du,\qquad u=\sqrt{1-x^{2}} \\ &=&u+\frac{1}{2}\ln \left( u-1\right) -\frac{1}{2}\ln \left( u+1\right) \\ &=&u+\frac{1}{2}\ln \frac{u-1}{u+1} \\ &=&\sqrt{1-x^{2}}+\frac{1}{2}\ln \frac{\sqrt{1-x^{2}}-1}{\sqrt{1-x^{2}}+1}+C. \end{eqnarray*}$$
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Alternatively, $$\frac{\sqrt{1-x^2}}{x}=\frac{1}{x\sqrt{1-x^2}}-\frac{x}{\sqrt{1-x^2}}$$ –  Ｊ. Ｍ. Aug 14 '12 at 23:48
@J.M. Thanks, with this split the integral becomes $$\int \frac{1}{x}\sqrt{1-x^{2}}\,dx=\sqrt{1-x^{2}}-\text{arctanh}\frac{1}{ \sqrt{1-x^{2}}}+C.$$ –  Américo Tavares Aug 14 '12 at 23:54
Following J.M.'s hint, you may want to prove, again integrating by parts, that $$\int\log x\,dx=x\log x-x+C\,\,,\,\,C=\,\,\text{a constant}$$and perhaps also to note that $$\int \frac{x}{\sqrt{1-x^2}}dx=-\frac{1}{2}\int\frac{-2x}{\sqrt{1-x^2}}dx$$
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