We want to find ∫ f(x) dx; Jonny_W found, with some manipulation, a function g(x) such that:
dg/dx = kf(x), where k is some constant.
So, loosely:
f(x) = (1/k) dg/dx
∫ f(x) dx = (1/k) g(x) + C
Jonny's steps were:
Find two functions to differentiate, and use the fact that (cosx)'=-sinx so that adding their derivatives together would cancel some terms out:
e^(3x) sin(4x) & e^(3x) cos(4x)
Differentiate those functions:
(d/dx) e^(3x) sin(4x)
= e^(3x)(3sin(4x) + 4cos(4x))
(d/dx) e^(3x) cos(4x)
= e^(3x)(-4sin(4x) + 3cos(4x))
We want to lose the sin(4x) term. So multiply the first one by 4 and the second one by 3, and then add the functions together:
e^(3x) (4sin(4x) + 3cos(4x))
And add up the derivatives:
25 e^(3x) cos(4x)
So:
(d/dx) e^(3x) (4sin(4x) + 3cos(4x))
= 25 e^(3x) cos(4x)
In the original question, we wanted to find:
I = ∫ e^(3x) cos(4x) dx
Which equals:
I = (1/25) ∫ e^(3x) 25cos(4x) dx
We already know what function to differentiate to get e^(3x) 25cos(4x). So:
I = (1/25) . [e^(3x) (4sin(4x) + 3cos(4x))] + C