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Exercise 763Calculus › Single-variable calculus › Integration › Integration techniquesL1Added 2 Nov 2026

Integrating ln and arctan by parts

#integration by parts#logarithm#arctangent

Statement

Compute ∫01ln⁡(1+x2) dx\displaystyle\int_0^1\ln(1+x^2)\,dx and ∫01arctan⁡x dx\displaystyle\int_0^1\arctan x\,dx.

Hint

Neither function has an obvious antiderivative. Write f=f⋅1f=f\cdot1 and integrate by parts, differentiating ff and integrating 11.

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Solution

Idea. Differentiating ln⁡(1+x2)\ln(1+x^2) or arctan⁡x\arctan x produces *rational* functions, which we know how to integrate.

First integral. With u=ln⁡(1+x2)u=\ln(1+x^2), v′=1v'=1:
∫01ln⁡(1+x2) dx=[xln⁡(1+x2)]01−∫012x21+x2 dx=ln⁡2−2∫01(1−11+x2)dx.\int_0^1\ln(1+x^2)\,dx=\bigl[x\ln(1+x^2)\bigr]_0^1-\int_0^1\frac{2x^2}{1+x^2}\,dx=\ln2-2\int_0^1\left(1-\frac1{1+x^2}\right)dx.
The last integral is 1−π41-\frac\pi4, so the result is
ln⁡2−2+π2≈0.2639.\ln2-2+\frac\pi2\approx0.2639.

Second integral. With u=arctan⁡xu=\arctan x, v′=1v'=1:
∫01arctan⁡x dx=[xarctan⁡x]01−∫01x1+x2 dx=π4−12ln⁡2≈0.4388.\int_0^1\arctan x\,dx=\bigl[x\arctan x\bigr]_0^1-\int_0^1\frac x{1+x^2}\,dx=\frac\pi4-\frac12\ln2\approx0.4388.

Check. Both are positive and smaller than the value of the integrand at x=1x=1 (ln⁡2≈0.69\ln2\approx0.69, π4≈0.79\frac\pi4\approx0.79), as they should be for increasing integrands.