Skip to main content
Ch. 4 - Applications of Derivatives
Hass - Thomas' Calculus 15th Edition
Hass15th EditionThomas' CalculusISBN: 9780137616077Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 4, Problem 4.7.15a

Finding Antiderivatives
In Exercises 1–16, find an antiderivative for each function. Do as many as you can mentally. Check your answers by differentiation.
csc x cot x

Verified step by step guidance
1
Recall that an antiderivative (or indefinite integral) of a function is a function whose derivative is the original function. Here, we want to find a function F(x) such that F'(x) = csc x cot x.
Recognize the derivative of a common trigonometric function: the derivative of csc x is -csc x cot x. This is a key insight because it relates directly to the integrand.
Since the derivative of csc x is -csc x cot x, the antiderivative of csc x cot x will be the negative of csc x plus a constant of integration C.
Write the antiderivative as an integral: \(\int csc\ x\ cot\ x\ d x = -csc\ x + C\).
To verify, differentiate your result \(-csc\ x + C\) and check that it equals the original function \(csc\ x\ cot\ x\).

Verified video answer for a similar problem:

This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above.
Video duration:
3m
Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Antiderivatives (Indefinite Integrals)

An antiderivative of a function is another function whose derivative equals the original function. Finding antiderivatives involves reversing differentiation, often represented as indefinite integrals with a constant of integration. For example, if F'(x) = f(x), then F(x) is an antiderivative of f(x).
Recommended video:
05:04
Introduction to Indefinite Integrals

Trigonometric Functions and Identities

Understanding the properties and derivatives of trigonometric functions like csc(x) and cot(x) is essential. Knowing identities such as cot(x) = cos(x)/sin(x) helps simplify expressions and find antiderivatives. Familiarity with these functions' behavior aids in recognizing patterns during integration.
Recommended video:
6:04
Introduction to Trigonometric Functions

Verification by Differentiation

After finding an antiderivative, differentiating it should return the original function. This step confirms the correctness of the solution. It reinforces the connection between differentiation and integration, ensuring the antiderivative found is accurate.
Recommended video:
05:53
Finding Differentials