# How to typeset this integral?

I want to typeset the integral

$$\int{\dfrac{1}{\cos^2\left(5 - \dfrac{3x}{4}\right)}}\,\mathrm{d}x$$


I tried

\documentclass[12pt,a4paper]{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\usepackage{amsfonts}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\begin{document}
$$\int{\dfrac{1}{\cos^2\left(5 - \dfrac{3x}{4}\right)}}\,\mathrm{d}x$$
\end{document}


and I get

The integration symbol not high enough. How to typeset this integral?

• The \int glyph is not scalable. And it shouldn’t be scaled really. But for what it’s worth: making a big summation sign – Qrrbrbirlbel Nov 24 '13 at 13:08
• Never use  in LaTeX. – egreg Nov 24 '13 at 13:24
• For more on creating large integral symbols, see Big integral sign. However, in the present context I would definitely not advocate inserting a large integral symbol -- it's much better here to use \frac (twice) instead of \dfrac. – Mico Nov 24 '13 at 13:38

## Option 1

\documentclass[preview,border=12pt,varwidth]{standalone}% change it back to your own document class
\usepackage{amsmath}

\begin{document}
\abovedisplayskip=0pt\relax% remove this line in  your production
$\int \frac{1}{\cos^2\left(5 - \frac{3x}{4}\right)}\,\mathrm{d}x$
\end{document}


## Option 2

\documentclass[preview,border=12pt,varwidth]{standalone}% change it back to your own document class
\usepackage{amsmath}

\begin{document}
\abovedisplayskip=0pt\relax% remove this line in  your production
$\int \frac{1}{\cos^2\left(5 - \frac{3}{4}x\right)}\,\mathrm{d}x$
\end{document}


## Option 3

Prof. Enrico likes this style I think.

\documentclass[preview,border=12pt,varwidth]{standalone}% change it back to your own document class
\usepackage{amsmath}

\begin{document}
\abovedisplayskip=0pt\relax% remove this line in  your production
$\int \frac{1}{\cos^2(5 - 3x/4)}\,\mathrm{d}x$
\end{document}


## Option 4

By Thorsten Donig's comment below.

\documentclass[preview,border=12pt,varwidth]{standalone}% change it back to your own document class
\usepackage{amsmath,xfrac}

\begin{document}
\abovedisplayskip=0pt\relax% remove this line in  your production
$\int \frac{1}{\cos^2 (5 - \sfrac{3x}{4})}\,\mathrm{d}x$
\end{document}


## Option ∞

Based on Qrrbrbirlbel's and Egreg's comments below.

\documentclass[preview,border=12pt]{standalone}% change it back to your own document class
\usepackage{amsmath,xfrac}

\begin{document}
\abovedisplayskip=0pt\relax% remove this line in  your production
\begin{gather*}
\int \sec^2\left(5 - \tfrac{3x}{4}\right)\,\mathrm{d}x \\
\int \sec^2\left(5 - \tfrac 3 4 x\right)\,\mathrm{d}x \\
\int \sec^2(5 - 3x/4)\,\mathrm{d}x \\
\int \sec^2\left(5 - \sfrac{3x}{4}\right)\,\mathrm{d}x
\end{gather*}
\end{document}


• Personally, I prefer the 2nd option. By the way, is \left/\right really needed here? – Manuel Nov 24 '13 at 13:03
• The space between cos and opening parenthesis looks too big in versions 1 and 2 (due to the use of \left and \right I think)... – cgnieder Nov 24 '13 at 13:03
• Mathematically, \cos^{-2} is also possible, avoiding the fraction altogether. – Qrrbrbirlbel Nov 24 '13 at 13:06
• A fourth option would be to typeset the fraction by \sfrac from »xfrac«. – Thorsten Donig Nov 24 '13 at 13:12
• @Qrrbrbirlbel Unfortunately there's somebody who writes \cos^{-1} to mean the arccosine, so \cos^{-2} would be difficult to interpret. – egreg Nov 24 '13 at 13:23