Twelve working properties, all provable from the Second Fundamental Theorem, that let a definite integral be simplified — often to 0 or to a much easier integral — without direct evaluation. Throughout, f,g are continuous on the relevant interval and α,β are constants.
- Dummy-variable invariance: ∫abf(x)dx=∫abf(u)du — the integration variable's name never matters.
- Limit reversal: ∫baf(x)dx=−∫abf(x)dx.
- Additivity: ∫abf(x)dx=∫acf(x)dx+∫cbf(x)dx for a<c<b.
- Linearity: ∫ab[αf(x)+βg(x)]dx=α∫abf(x)dx+β∫abg(x)dx.
- Substitution x=g(u): ∫abf(x)dx=∫cdf(g(u))g′(u)du where g(c)=a, g(d)=b — the tool for evaluating by substitution.
- The a+b−x trick: ∫abf(x)dx=∫abf(a+b−x)dx; taking a=0 gives the very common special case ∫0af(x)dx=∫0af(a−x)dx.
- The 2a−x split: ∫02af(x)dx=∫0a[f(x)+f(2a−x)]dx.
- Even-function shortcut: if f(−x)=f(x) (even), then ∫−aaf(x)dx=2∫0af(x)dx.
- Odd-function shortcut: if f(−x)=−f(x) (odd), then ∫−aaf(x)dx=0.
- Half-period doubling: if f(2a−x)=f(x), then ∫02af(x)dx=2∫0af(x)dx (follows from Property 7). …