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NCERT Exemplar · Q54

Q.∫dxsin⁡(x−a)sin⁡(x−b)\int \dfrac{dx}{\sin(x-a)\sin(x-b)} is equal to
(A) sin⁡(b−a) log⁡∣sin⁡(x−b)sin⁡(x−a)∣+C\sin(b-a)\,\log\left|\dfrac{\sin(x-b)}{\sin(x-a)}\right| + C
(B) cosec⁡(b−a) log⁡∣sin⁡(x−a)sin⁡(x−b)∣+C\operatorname{cosec}(b-a)\,\log\left|\dfrac{\sin(x-a)}{\sin(x-b)}\right| + C
(C) cosec⁡(b−a) log⁡∣sin⁡(x−b)sin⁡(x−a)∣+C\operatorname{cosec}(b-a)\,\log\left|\dfrac{\sin(x-b)}{\sin(x-a)}\right| + C
(D) sin⁡(b−a) log⁡∣sin⁡(x−a)sin⁡(x−b)∣+C\sin(b-a)\,\log\left|\dfrac{\sin(x-a)}{\sin(x-b)}\right| + C

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Appeared in past exams:MHT-CET 2023· Set pcm-2023-05-14-E· 2mexact
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The key idea is to rewrite the integrand using the identity sin⁡(b−a)=sin⁡[(x−a)−(x−b)]\sin(b-a) = \sin[(x-a)-(x-b)], then split the fraction into a sum of two simpler cotangent terms. The integral evaluates to cosec⁡(b−a) log⁡∣sin⁡(x−b)sin⁡(x−a)∣+C\operatorname{cosec}(b-a)\,\log\left|\dfrac{\sin(x-b)}{\sin(x-a)}\right| + C, which matches option (C).

We want to integrate ∫dxsin⁡(x−a)sin⁡(x−b)\int \frac{dx}{\sin(x-a)\sin(x-b)}. The denominator is a product of two sine functions with different phase shifts. There’s no obvious direct substitution, but we can use a clever trick: introduce a constant difference in the numerator using the sine of the difference of the two angles.

Notice that (x−a)−(x−b)=b−a(x-a) - (x-b) = b-a, a constant. So sin⁡(b−a)=sin⁡[(x−a)−(x−b)]\sin(b-a) = \sin[(x-a)-(x-b)]. Expanding this using the sine subtraction formula:

sin⁡(b−a)=sin⁡(x−a)cos⁡(x−b)−cos⁡(x−a)sin⁡(x−b).\sin(b-a) = \sin(x-a)\cos(x-b) - \cos(x-a)\sin(x-b).

This expression has exactly the same denominator terms sin⁡(x−a)\sin(x-a) and sin⁡(x−b)\sin(x-b) in the product. If we divide both sides by sin⁡(x−a)sin⁡(x−b)\sin(x-a)\sin(x-b), we get:

sin⁡(b−a)sin⁡(x−a)sin⁡(x−b)=sin⁡(x−a)cos⁡(x−b)sin⁡(x−a)sin⁡(x−b)−cos⁡(x−a)sin⁡(x−b)sin⁡(x−a)sin⁡(x−b)=cot⁡(x−b)−cot⁡(x−a).\frac{\sin(b-a)}{\sin(x-a)\sin(x-b)} = \frac{\sin(x-a)\cos(x-b)}{\sin(x-a)\sin(x-b)} - \frac{\cos(x-a)\sin(x-b)}{\sin(x-a)\sin(x-b)} = \cot(x-b) - \cot(x-a).

That’s the central insight: the constant sin⁡(b−a)\sin(b-a) lets us rewrite the reciprocal product as a difference of cotangents.

Now the integral becomes:

∫dxsin⁡(x−a)sin⁡(x−b)=1sin⁡(b−a)∫[cot⁡(x−b)−cot⁡(x−a)]dx.\int \frac{dx}{\sin(x-a)\sin(x-b)} = \frac{1}{\sin(b-a)} \int \left[ \cot(x-b) - \cot(x-a) \right] dx.

We integrate each cotangent. Recall that ∫cot⁡u du=log⁡∣sin⁡u∣+C\int \cot u \, du = \log|\sin u| + C. So:

∫cot⁡(x−b) dx=log⁡∣sin⁡(x−b)∣+C1,∫cot⁡(x−a) dx=log⁡∣sin⁡(x−a)∣+C2.\int \cot(x-b)\, dx = \log|\sin(x-b)| + C_1, \quad \int \cot(x-a)\, dx = \log|\sin(x-a)| + C_2.

Thus:

∫dxsin⁡(x−a)sin⁡(x−b)=1sin⁡(b−a)[log⁡∣sin⁡(x−b)∣−log⁡∣sin⁡(x−a)∣]+C.\int \frac{dx}{\sin(x-a)\sin(x-b)} = \frac{1}{\sin(b-a)} \left[ \log|\sin(x-b)| - \log|\sin(x-a)| \right] + C.

Combine the logs:

=1sin⁡(b−a)log⁡∣sin⁡(x−b)sin⁡(x−a)∣+C.= \frac{1}{\sin(b-a)} \log\left| \frac{\sin(x-b)}{\sin(x-a)} \right| + C.

Since 1sin⁡(b−a)=cosec⁡(b−a)\frac{1}{\sin(b-a)} = \operatorname{cosec}(b-a), the final result is: …

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