JEEOlympiad

Evaluate I = \int_0^{\pi/2} \ln^2(\sin x)\,dx and give its value…

Question

Evaluate I = \int_0^{\pi/2} \ln^2(\sin x)\,dx and give its value rounded to 4 decimal places.

✓ Verified answer: 2.0466checked by our engine — not a guess

Step-by-step solution

Use the Fourier/Beta-function approach.

Consider J(s)=\int_0^{\pi/2}\sin^s x\,dx = \frac{\sqrt\pi}{2}\frac{\Gamma((s+1)/2)}{\Gamma((s+2)/2)}.

Then I = \frac{d^2}{ds^2}J(s)\big|_{s=0}, since differentiating \sin^s x twice in s brings down \ln^2(\sin x).

Differentiating the Gamma expression and evaluating at s=0 (using \psi(1/2)=-\gamma-2\ln2, \psi(1)=-\gamma and the trigamma values \psi'(1/2)=\pi^2/2, \psi'(1)=\pi^2/6) yields the classical closed form I = \frac{\pi}{2}\Big(\ln^2 2 + \frac{\pi^2}{12}\Big).

Numerically \ln^2 2 = 0.480453, \pi^2/12 = 0.822467, sum 1.302920, times \pi/2 = 2.04662.

Final answer2.0466

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