Integration is the reverse (inverse) operation of differentiation. A function F(x) is called an antiderivative (also primitive or Newton-Leibnitz integral) of a function f(x) on an interval I if F′(x)=f(x) for every x in I.
Antiderivatives are not unique: if F(x) is one antiderivative of f(x), then so is F(x)+c for any constant c, because dxd(F(x)+c)=F′(x)=f(x). In fact every antiderivative of f on I has this form, so we write
∫f(x)dx=F(x)+c,
where c is the arbitrary constant of integration, f(x) is the integrand, and x (in dx) is the variable of integration. The family F(x)+c represents infinitely many parallel curves.
The elongated-S sign ∫ stands for sum. Given an extra initial (boundary) condition — a value of y at a specific x — the arbitrary constant c is pinned down to a single number, singling out one particular antiderivative.
Always append +c to an indefinite integral. To find a particular antiderivative, first integrate to get F(x)+c, then substitute the given initial condition and solve for c.