Analyzing the Setup
The integral provided is:
I=∫0π/4(cos3x+sin3x)2cos2xsin2xdx
At first glance, it looks like a tangled mess of powers and trigonometric functions. It is natural to feel intimidated, but in the world of JEE Advanced, intimidation is just a sign that you are about to learn something profound.
The Power of Observation
The first step in any complex problem is to analyze the structure. Look at the denominator: (cos3x+sin3x)2. The power inside is 3, and the whole expression is squared, giving us an effective degree of 6.
This is our golden clue. In trigonometry, when you see high powers of sine and cosine, your best friend is the tanx and secx relationship. To get there, we need to divide the numerator and the denominator by cos6x.
The Algebraic Alchemy
Let us perform the division. For the numerator, we have:
cos6xcos2xsin2x=cos4xsin2x=tan2xsec2x
Now, look at the denominator:
cos6x(cos3x+sin3x)2=(cos3xcos3x+sin3x)2=(1+tan3x)2
Our integral has now transformed into:
I=∫0π/4(1+tan3x)2tan2xsec2xdx
The Magic of Substitution
Now, the path forward is clear. We have a function of tanx and its derivative, sec2x, sitting right there in the numerator.
Let us set t=1+tan3x. Differentiating both sides with respect to x, we get dt=3tan2xsec2xdx, which means:
We must also update our limits. When x=0, t=1+tan3(0)=1. When x=π/4, t=1+tan3(π/4)=1+13=2.
Our integral becomes:
Final Calculation
We are left with a simple power rule integration. The integral of t−2 is −t−1.
Evaluating this, we get:
I=31(−21−(−1))=31(1−21)=31⋅21=61
There it is! The complexity has vanished, leaving behind a clean, elegant result of 1/6. Remember, no matter how terrifying an integral looks, there is always a path to simplicity if you look for the underlying symmetry.