Exercise 21
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NCERT’s answer
\(\displaystyle \frac{\pi x}{2}-\frac{x^{2}}{2}+\mathrm{C}\)
First simplify \(\displaystyle \sin^{-1}(\cos x)\); this is where the domain matters. Write \(\displaystyle \cos x=\sin\left(\dfrac{\pi}{2}-x\right)\). The identity \(\displaystyle \sin^{-1}(\sin\theta)=\theta\) is valid only when \(\displaystyle \theta\) lies in the principal range \(\displaystyle \left[-\dfrac{\pi}{2},\dfrac{\pi}{2}\right]\), and \(\displaystyle \dfrac{\pi}{2}-x\) lies there exactly when \(\displaystyle 0\le x\le\pi\). So, for \(\displaystyle x\in[0,\pi]\),
\[\sin^{-1}(\cos x)=\sin^{-1}\!\left(\sin\left(\frac{\pi}{2}-x\right)\right)=\frac{\pi}{2}-x.\]
Integrating this linear function,
\[\int\sin^{-1}(\cos x)\,dx=\int\left(\frac{\pi}{2}-x\right)dx=\frac{\pi x}{2}-\frac{x^{2}}{2}+\mathrm{C}.\]
Final answer: \(\displaystyle \dfrac{\pi x}{2}-\dfrac{x^{2}}{2}+\mathrm{C}\), on \(\displaystyle 0\le x\le\pi\) (outside that interval the simplification, and hence the formula, changes).