# Math Help - Integration

1. ## Integration

I am having trouble with the following question:

Complete the square in the quadratic expression q which is given by

q=16x^2+32x+17

and use this to evaluate the following integral

int(1/sqrt(16x^2+32x+17)dx)

(the integral of one over the square root of (16x^2+32x+17))

This is just way over my head...

I tried to solve 16x^2+32x+17=0, and I got
x1= -1 + 0.25*i
x2= -1 - 0.25*i

q can also be rewritten as (x + 1)(x + 1) + 0.0625, but again, I don't know where to go from here...

And help would be greatly appreciated

2. Originally Posted by aspotonthewall
I am having trouble with the following question:

Complete the square in the quadratic expression q which is given by

q=16x^2+32x+17

and use this to evaluate the following integral

int(1/sqrt(16x^2+32x+17)dx)

(the integral of one over the square root of (16x^2+32x+17))

This is just way over my head...

I tried to solve 16x^2+32x+17=0, and I got
x1= -1 + 0.25*i
x2= -1 - 0.25*i
split up $q = 16x^2+32x+17$ into $q = (16x^2+32x +16) + 1$ which is equal to $(4x+4)^{2} + (1)^{2}$ The trick is to half the coefficient of x when you want to complete the square.