<s>[INST] Integrate $x^3\sqrt{x^2-9}\,dx$ with trig substitution $\newcommand{\arcsec}{\operatorname{arcsec}}$This expression can be integrated without trig substitution, but I wanted to try using it anyways and got a different answer.
Starting with finding the indefinite integral $$\int x^3\sqrt{x^2-9} \, dx$$
I then substituted $x = 3\sec\theta$, $\theta = \arcsec(\frac{x}{3})$, and $d\theta = \frac{3}{\sqrt{x^2-9} |x|} \, dx$.
Plugging these values into the original integral,
$$\int 27\sec^3\theta\sqrt{9\sec^2\theta - 9}\frac{3}{\sqrt{9\sec^2\theta-9} |3\sec\theta|} \, d\theta$$
$$\int \frac{81\sec^3\theta3\tan\theta}{3\tan\theta |3\sec\theta|} \, d\theta$$
$$\int \frac{81\sec^3\theta}{|3\sec\theta|} \, d\theta$$
$$\int 27\sec^2\theta \, d\theta$$
$$27\tan\theta + C$$
Now substituting $x$ back in and simplifying:
$$27\tan(\arcsec(\frac{x}{3})) + C$$
$$9\operatorname{sgn}(x)\sqrt{x^2-9} + C$$
This does not seem close at all to the solution I found by $u$-substitution,
$$\frac{(x^2-9)^\frac{3}{2}(x^2+6)}{5} + C$$
I am relatively new to integration so I think I made a mistake. What did I do wrong? Any help appreciated.
 [/INST] Wouldn't be integration by parts much easier?  Start with
$$\frac12\int x^2\cdot2x\sqrt{x^2-9}\,dx.$$
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