1. Perform the substitution to find $\mathrm{d}x$ in terms of $\mathrm{d}u$ and find the new limits of integration.
u = x + 3 ⟹ u 2 = x + 3 ⟹ x = u 2 − 3 u = \sqrt{x+3} \implies u^2 = x + 3 \implies x = u^2 - 3 u = x + 3 ⟹ u 2 = x + 3 ⟹ x = u 2 − 3
Differentiating with respect to u u u :
d x d u = 2 u ⟹ d x = 2 u d u \frac{\mathrm{d}x}{\mathrm{d}u} = 2u \implies \mathrm{d}x = 2u \, \mathrm{d}u d u d x = 2 u ⟹ d x = 2 u d u
When x = 1 x = 1 x = 1 , u = 1 + 3 = 2 u = \sqrt{1+3} = 2 u = 1 + 3 = 2 .
When x = 6 x = 6 x = 6 , u = 6 + 3 = 3 u = \sqrt{6+3} = 3 u = 6 + 3 = 3 .
2. Substitute all $x$ terms and limits into the integral to express it entirely in terms of $u$.
∫ 1 6 x − 2 x x + 3 d x = ∫ 2 3 ( u 2 − 3 ) − 2 ( u 2 − 3 ) u ( 2 u ) d u \int_1^6 \frac{x-2}{x\sqrt{x+3}} \, \mathrm{d}x = \int_2^3 \frac{(u^2 - 3) - 2}{(u^2 - 3)u} (2u) \, \mathrm{d}u ∫ 1 6 x x + 3 x − 2 d x = ∫ 2 3 ( u 2 − 3 ) u ( u 2 − 3 ) − 2 ( 2 u ) d u
= ∫ 2 3 u 2 − 5 u 2 − 3 × 2 d u = \int_2^3 \frac{u^2 - 5}{u^2 - 3} \times 2 \, \mathrm{d}u = ∫ 2 3 u 2 − 3 u 2 − 5 × 2 d u
= ∫ 2 3 2 u 2 − 10 u 2 − 3 d u = \int_2^3 \frac{2u^2 - 10}{u^2 - 3} \, \mathrm{d}u = ∫ 2 3 u 2 − 3 2 u 2 − 10 d u
3. Simplify the rational algebraic fraction by division to prepare for integration.
2 u 2 − 10 u 2 − 3 = 2 ( u 2 − 3 ) − 4 u 2 − 3 = 2 − 4 u 2 − 3 \frac{2u^2 - 10}{u^2 - 3} = \frac{2(u^2 - 3) - 4}{u^2 - 3} = 2 - \frac{4}{u^2 - 3} u 2 − 3 2 u 2 − 10 = u 2 − 3 2 ( u 2 − 3 ) − 4 = 2 − u 2 − 3 4
So the integral becomes: ∫ 2 3 ( 2 − 4 u 2 − 3 ) d u \text{So the integral becomes: } \int_2^3 \left( 2 - \frac{4}{u^2 - 3} \right) \, \mathrm{d}u So the integral becomes: ∫ 2 3 ( 2 − u 2 − 3 4 ) d u
4. Integrate using the standard integral formula for $\frac{1}{x^2 - a^2}$.
Using the standard result ∫ 1 x 2 − a 2 d x = 1 2 a ln ∣ x − a x + a ∣ \int \frac{1}{x^2-a^2} \, \mathrm{d}x = \frac{1}{2a} \ln \left| \frac{x-a}{x+a} \right| ∫ x 2 − a 2 1 d x = 2 a 1 ln x + a x − a with a = 3 a = \sqrt{3} a = 3 :
= [ 2 u − 4 ( 1 2 3 ln ∣ u − 3 u + 3 ∣ ) ] 2 3 = \left[ 2u - 4 \left( \frac{1}{2\sqrt{3}} \ln \left| \frac{u - \sqrt{3}}{u + \sqrt{3}} \right| \right) \right]_2^3 = [ 2 u − 4 ( 2 3 1 ln u + 3 u − 3 ) ] 2 3
= [ 2 u − 2 3 ln ( u − 3 u + 3 ) ] 2 3 = \left[ 2u - \frac{2}{\sqrt{3}} \ln \left( \frac{u - \sqrt{3}}{u + \sqrt{3}} \right) \right]_2^3 = [ 2 u − 3 2 ln ( u + 3 u − 3 ) ] 2 3
5. Substitute the limits to evaluate the definite integral.
= ( 6 − 2 3 ln ( 3 − 3 3 + 3 ) ) − ( 4 − 2 3 ln ( 2 − 3 2 + 3 ) ) = \left( 6 - \frac{2}{\sqrt{3}} \ln \left( \frac{3 - \sqrt{3}}{3 + \sqrt{3}} \right) \right) - \left( 4 - \frac{2}{\sqrt{3}} \ln \left( \frac{2 - \sqrt{3}}{2 + \sqrt{3}} \right) \right) = ( 6 − 3 2 ln ( 3 + 3 3 − 3 ) ) − ( 4 − 3 2 ln ( 2 + 3 2 − 3 ) )
= 2 + 2 3 [ ln ( 2 − 3 2 + 3 ) − ln ( 3 − 3 3 + 3 ) ] = 2 + \frac{2}{\sqrt{3}} \left[ \ln \left( \frac{2 - \sqrt{3}}{2 + \sqrt{3}} \right) - \ln \left( \frac{3 - \sqrt{3}}{3 + \sqrt{3}} \right) \right] = 2 + 3 2 [ ln ( 2 + 3 2 − 3 ) − ln ( 3 + 3 3 − 3 ) ]
6. Combine the logarithmic terms and simplify the argument using rationalisation to reach the required form.
Combining the logarithms:
= 2 + 2 3 ln ( 2 − 3 2 + 3 × 3 + 3 3 − 3 ) = 2 + \frac{2}{\sqrt{3}} \ln \left( \frac{2 - \sqrt{3}}{2 + \sqrt{3}} \times \frac{3 + \sqrt{3}}{3 - \sqrt{3}} \right) = 2 + 3 2 ln ( 2 + 3 2 − 3 × 3 − 3 3 + 3 )
Rationalising the fractions within the argument:
2 − 3 2 + 3 = ( 2 − 3 ) 2 4 − 3 = 7 − 4 3 \frac{2 - \sqrt{3}}{2 + \sqrt{3}} = \frac{(2 - \sqrt{3})^2}{4 - 3} = 7 - 4\sqrt{3} 2 + 3 2 − 3 = 4 − 3 ( 2 − 3 ) 2 = 7 − 4 3
3 + 3 3 − 3 = ( 3 + 3 ) 2 9 − 3 = 12 + 6 3 6 = 2 + 3 \frac{3 + \sqrt{3}}{3 - \sqrt{3}} = \frac{(3 + \sqrt{3})^2}{9 - 3} = \frac{12 + 6\sqrt{3}}{6} = 2 + \sqrt{3} 3 − 3 3 + 3 = 9 − 3 ( 3 + 3 ) 2 = 6 12 + 6 3 = 2 + 3
Multiplying them:
( 7 − 4 3 ) ( 2 + 3 ) = 14 + 7 3 − 8 3 − 12 = 2 − 3 (7 - 4\sqrt{3})(2 + \sqrt{3}) = 14 + 7\sqrt{3} - 8\sqrt{3} - 12 = 2 - \sqrt{3} ( 7 − 4 3 ) ( 2 + 3 ) = 14 + 7 3 − 8 3 − 12 = 2 − 3
We need to express 2 − 3 2 - \sqrt{3} 2 − 3 in the form c − d c + d \frac{c - \sqrt{d}}{c + \sqrt{d}} c + d c − d . From the original upper limit evaluation, we can observe that:
3 − 3 3 + 3 = ( 3 − 3 ) 2 9 − 3 = 12 − 6 3 6 = 2 − 3 \frac{3 - \sqrt{3}}{3 + \sqrt{3}} = \frac{(3 - \sqrt{3})^2}{9 - 3} = \frac{12 - 6\sqrt{3}}{6} = 2 - \sqrt{3} 3 + 3 3 − 3 = 9 − 3 ( 3 − 3 ) 2 = 6 12 − 6 3 = 2 − 3
Hence, substituting this back into the log term:
= 2 + 2 3 ln ( 3 − 3 3 + 3 ) = 2 + \frac{2}{\sqrt{3}} \ln \left( \frac{3 - \sqrt{3}}{3 + \sqrt{3}} \right) = 2 + 3 2 ln ( 3 + 3 3 − 3 )
(This matches the target form with constants a = 2 , b = 2 , c = 3 , d = 3 a=2, b=2, c=3, d=3 a = 2 , b = 2 , c = 3 , d = 3 .)
Answer 2 + 2 3 ln ( 3 − 3 3 + 3 ) 2 + \frac{2}{\sqrt{3}} \ln\left( \frac{3 - \sqrt{3}}{3 + \sqrt{3}} \right) 2 + 3 2 ln ( 3 + 3 3 − 3 )