What is the integration of 1/(1-sec(θ)) dθ?

Please provide the steps as well.
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1 Answer
May 12, 2018

#int 1/(1-sec theta)d theta = cot(theta/2)+ theta +C#

Explanation:

Using the identity:

#sec theta = 1/cos theta#

so that using the parametric formulas we have:

#sec theta = (1+tan^2(theta/2))/(1-tan^2(theta/2))#

and substitute:

#t = tan(theta/2)#

#theta = 2 arctant#

#d theta = 2/(1+t^2)#

Then:

#int 1/(1-sec theta)d theta = 2int 1/(1-(1+t^2)/(1-t^2)) dt/(1+t^2)#

#int 1/(1-sec theta)d theta = 2int (1-t^2)/(1 -t^2 -1-t^2)dt/(1+t^2)#

#int 1/(1-sec theta)d theta = int (t^2-1)/(t^2(t^2+1))dt#

Decompose in partial fractions:

#(t^2-1)/(t^2(t^2+1)) = A/t^2+B/(t^2+1)#

#(t^2-1)/(t^2(t^2+1)) = (A(t^2+1)+Bt^2)/(t^2(t^2+1))#

#t^2-1 = (A+B)t^2 +A#

#{(A=-1), (B=2):}#

#(t^2-1)/(t^2(t^2+1)) = -1/t^2+2/(t^2+1)#

Then:

#int 1/(1-sec theta)d theta = -int dt/t^2 +2 int dt/(1+t^2)#

#int 1/(1-sec theta)d theta = 1/t +2 arctan t +C#

and undoing the substitution:

#int 1/(1-sec theta)d theta = cot(theta/2)+ theta +C#