So far we have been finding antiderivatives using
substitution. What if we have a definite integral?
Consider ∫baf(g(x))g′(x)dx.
It is important to realize
that a and b are x-values,
not u-values. We cannot plug a and b in for u.
We have to do more work. There are two approaches to
computing a definite integral by substitution.
Method 1 - Finding the antiderivative, then evaluating the
integral using FTC II:
Use substitution on the indefinite integral (without the
limits of integration included) and write ∫f(g(x))g′(x)dx=∫f(u)du, as we have been doing;
Find an antiderivative F(u), as we've been doing, writing
∫f(g(x))g′(x)dx=∫f(u)du=F(u)+c;
Rewrite F(u) in terms of x to get F(g(x)). Now you
will have written ∫f(g(x))g′(x)dx=∫f(u)du=F(u)+c=F(g(x))+c, as we have been doing; and
Go back to the definite integral, with the limits of
integration for x, and write ∫baf(g(x))g′(x)dx=F(g(x))|ba=F(g(b))−F(g(a)).
(Notice: this definite integral is not equal to the indefinite
integrals in the steps above.)
Method 2 - change completely from the x world to the u
world and evaluate in the u world:
Convert the integrand to f(u)du using substitution (as we
have been doing);
Convert the limits of integration to the corresponding values
of u, and forget about x, treating u as its own variable,
getting ∫dcf(u)du, where c is u
evaluated at x=a and d is u evaluated at x=b; then
Evaluate the integral in terms of u, so if F is an
antiderivative of f, getting
∫baf(g(x))g′(x)dx=∫dcf(u)du=F(u)|dc=F(d)−F(c).
These methods are illustrated in the following video.