Integral of $$$- b^{- x} + a^{- x}$$$ with respect to $$$x$$$

Find $$$\int \left(- b^{- x} + a^{- x}\right)\, dx$$$.

Integrate term by term:

$${\color{red}{\int{\left(- b^{- x} + a^{- x}\right)d x}}} = {\color{red}{\left(\int{a^{- x} d x} - \int{b^{- x} d x}\right)}}$$

Let $$$u=- x$$$.

Then $$$du=\left(- x\right)^{\prime }dx = - dx$$$ (steps can be seen »), and we have that $$$dx = - du$$$.

So,

$$- \int{b^{- x} d x} + {\color{red}{\int{a^{- x} d x}}} = - \int{b^{- x} d x} + {\color{red}{\int{\left(- a^{u}\right)d u}}}$$

Apply the constant multiple rule $$$\int c f{\left(u \right)}\, du = c \int f{\left(u \right)}\, du$$$ with $$$c=-1$$$ and $$$f{\left(u \right)} = a^{u}$$$:

$$- \int{b^{- x} d x} + {\color{red}{\int{\left(- a^{u}\right)d u}}} = - \int{b^{- x} d x} + {\color{red}{\left(- \int{a^{u} d u}\right)}}$$

Apply the exponential rule $$$\int{a^{u} d u} = \frac{a^{u}}{\ln{\left(a \right)}}$$$ with $$$a=a$$$:

$$- \int{b^{- x} d x} - {\color{red}{\int{a^{u} d u}}} = - \int{b^{- x} d x} - {\color{red}{\frac{a^{u}}{\ln{\left(a \right)}}}}$$

Recall that $$$u=- x$$$:

$$- \int{b^{- x} d x} - \frac{a^{{\color{red}{u}}}}{\ln{\left(a \right)}} = - \int{b^{- x} d x} - \frac{a^{{\color{red}{\left(- x\right)}}}}{\ln{\left(a \right)}}$$

Let $$$u=- x$$$.

Then $$$du=\left(- x\right)^{\prime }dx = - dx$$$ (steps can be seen »), and we have that $$$dx = - du$$$.

Thus,

$$- {\color{red}{\int{b^{- x} d x}}} - \frac{a^{- x}}{\ln{\left(a \right)}} = - {\color{red}{\int{\left(- b^{u}\right)d u}}} - \frac{a^{- x}}{\ln{\left(a \right)}}$$

Apply the constant multiple rule $$$\int c f{\left(u \right)}\, du = c \int f{\left(u \right)}\, du$$$ with $$$c=-1$$$ and $$$f{\left(u \right)} = b^{u}$$$:

$$- {\color{red}{\int{\left(- b^{u}\right)d u}}} - \frac{a^{- x}}{\ln{\left(a \right)}} = - {\color{red}{\left(- \int{b^{u} d u}\right)}} - \frac{a^{- x}}{\ln{\left(a \right)}}$$

Apply the exponential rule $$$\int{a^{u} d u} = \frac{a^{u}}{\ln{\left(a \right)}}$$$ with $$$a=b$$$:

$${\color{red}{\int{b^{u} d u}}} - \frac{a^{- x}}{\ln{\left(a \right)}} = {\color{red}{\frac{b^{u}}{\ln{\left(b \right)}}}} - \frac{a^{- x}}{\ln{\left(a \right)}}$$

Recall that $$$u=- x$$$:

$$\frac{b^{{\color{red}{u}}}}{\ln{\left(b \right)}} - \frac{a^{- x}}{\ln{\left(a \right)}} = \frac{b^{{\color{red}{\left(- x\right)}}}}{\ln{\left(b \right)}} - \frac{a^{- x}}{\ln{\left(a \right)}}$$

Therefore,

$$\int{\left(- b^{- x} + a^{- x}\right)d x} = \frac{b^{- x}}{\ln{\left(b \right)}} - \frac{a^{- x}}{\ln{\left(a \right)}}$$

Add the constant of integration:

$$\int{\left(- b^{- x} + a^{- x}\right)d x} = \frac{b^{- x}}{\ln{\left(b \right)}} - \frac{a^{- x}}{\ln{\left(a \right)}}+C$$

$$$\int \left(- b^{- x} + a^{- x}\right)\, dx = \left(\frac{b^{- x}}{\ln\left(b\right)} - \frac{a^{- x}}{\ln\left(a\right)}\right) + C$$$A