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Mike Johnson
Mike Johnson
May 8, 2026

I asked ChatGPT to solve this integral and it gave a wrong answer. Can you check it?

I asked ChatGPT to integrate:

∫sin⁡3xcos⁡2x dx\int \frac{\sin^3 x}{\cos^2 x} \, dx∫cos2xsin3x​dx

And it gave me:

∫sin⁡3xcos⁡2x dx=ln⁡∣sec⁡x+tan⁡x∣−sin⁡x+C\int \frac{\sin^3 x}{\cos^2 x} \, dx = \ln|\sec x + \tan x| - \sin x + C∫cos2xsin3x​dx=ln∣secx+tanx∣−sinx+C

But when I differentiate this, I dont get the original integrand! I think the AI messed up.

Can a human solve this step by step so I can see the correct approach?

I tried rewriting sin⁡3x=sin⁡x(1−cos⁡2x)\sin^3 x = \sin x (1 - \cos^2 x)sin3x=sinx(1−cos2x) so:

∫sin⁡x(1−cos⁡2x)cos⁡2x dx=∫sin⁡xcos⁡2x dx−∫sin⁡x dx\int \frac{\sin x (1 - \cos^2 x)}{\cos^2 x} \, dx = \int \frac{\sin x}{\cos^2 x} \, dx - \int \sin x \, dx∫cos2xsinx(1−cos2x)​dx=∫cos2xsinx​dx−∫sinxdx

Then u=cos⁡xu = \cos xu=cosx, du=−sin⁡x dxdu = -\sin x \, dxdu=−sinxdx:

−∫duu2+cos⁡x=1u+cos⁡x+C=sec⁡x+cos⁡x+C-\int \frac{du}{u^2} + \cos x = \frac{1}{u} + \cos x + C = \sec x + \cos x + C−∫u2du​+cosx=u1​+cosx+C=secx+cosx+C

But this doesnt match the AIs answer either. Which one is correct?

2 answers1.1k views

2 Answers

6
Chen Wei
Chen Wei
May 8, 2026
Accepted
Theres a fundamental difference between these two integrals. For $\int \frac{\sin^3 x}{\cos^2 x} dx$, your approach is almost correct. Let me complete it: Rewrite $\sin^3 x = \sin x (1 - \cos^2 x)$: $$\int \frac{\sin x (1 - \cos^2 x)}{\cos^2 x} dx = \int \frac{\sin x}{\cos^2 x} dx - \int \sin x dx$$ Let $u = \cos x$, $du = -\sin x\,dx$: $$-\int \frac{du}{u^2} + \cos x = \frac{1}{u} + \cos x + C = \sec x + \cos x + C$$ Lets verify by differentiating: $$\frac{d}{dx}(\sec x + \cos x) = \sec x \tan x - \sin x$$ $$= \frac{\sin x}{\cos^2 x} - \sin x = \frac{\sin x - \sin x \cos^2 x}{\cos^2 x} = \frac{\sin x(1 - \cos^2 x)}{\cos^2 x} = \frac{\sin^3 x}{\cos^2 x}$$ So YOUR answer $\sec x + \cos x + C$ is correct. The AI was wrong. Trust your math, not the chatbot.
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Chen Wei
Chen Wei
May 8, 2026
The quickest way to audit any proposed antiderivative is to differentiate it. If someone claims $$F(x)$$ is an antiderivative of $f(x)$, then we must have $$F'(x)=f(x).$$ That check catches a lot of AI mistakes because the generated solution may look locally plausible while losing a sign, a constant factor, or a substitution term. When I review an integral, I usually do this: 1. identify the substitution or integration-by-parts structure, 2. carry the differential carefully, 3. simplify only after the main step is correct, 4. differentiate the final answer. If the derivative does not return the original integrand, the solution is wrong even if the explanation sounds confident.
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