Show that if $c_n = \int_{-1}^1 (1-t^2)^\frac{n-1}{2}dt$ then $c_n = \frac{n-1}{n}c_{n-2}$ Question: Show that if $c_n = \int_{-1}^1 (1-t^2)^\frac{n-1}{2}dt$ then $c_n = \frac{n-1}{n}c_{n-2}$. I have tried two things both of which I didn't get super far with. First, I tried dividing n into two cases odd and even and applying the binomial theorem and second I tried integration by parts with $u = (1-t^2)^\frac{n-1}{2}$ and $dv = dt$. Maybe one of these approaches are right and I just screwed up somewhere but some help would be appreciated.

Observe that
$$
c_n = \int_{-1}^{0}(1-t^2)^{\frac{n-1}{2}}dt + \int_{0}^{1}(1-t^2)^{\frac{n-1}{2}}dt = \\
=2\int_{0}^{1}(1-t^2)^{\frac{n-1}{2}}dt,
$$
where you make the substitution $t\mapsto -t$ in the first integral (or just observe that the function being integrated is even). Then, we do partial integration:
$$
\int_{0}^{1}(1-t^2)^{\frac{n-1}{2}}dt = t(1-t^2)^{\frac{n-1}{2}}\big|_{0}^{1} + (n-1)\int_{0}^{1}t^2(1-t^2)^{\frac{n-3}{2}}dt = \\
=(n-1) \int_{0}^{1}t^2(1-t^2)^{\frac{n-3}{2}}dt.
$$
Then, we conclude that
$$
(n-1)\int_{0}^{1}(1-t^2)^{\frac{n-3}{2}}dt - \int_{0}^{1}(1-t^2)^{\frac{n-1}{2}}dt = (n-1)\int_{0}^{1}(1-t^{2})^{\frac{n-1}{2}}dt,
$$
which means
$$
\int_{0}^{1}(1-t^2)^{\frac{n-1}{2}}dt = \frac{n-1}{n}\int_{0}^{1}(1-t^2)^{\frac{n-3}{2}}dt.
$$
Then, it follows that
$$
\frac{c_n}{2}=\frac{n-1}{n}\frac{c_{n-2}}{2} \implies c_n = \frac{n-1}{n}c_{n-2}.
$$
