Concept:
• Use the definite integral property \( \int_0^a f(x) \, dx = \int_0^a f(a - x) \, dx \).
• Use the property \( \int_0^{2a} f(x) \, dx = 2\int_0^a f(x) \, dx \) if \( f(2a - x) = f(x) \).
• Note that \(\sin(\pi - x) = \sin x\) and \(\cos(\pi - x) = -\cos x\).
Step 1: Test the symmetry of the integrand
Let \(f(x) = \frac{\sin^{2026} x}{\sin^{2026} x + \cos^{2026} x}\).
\[ f(\pi - x) = \frac{\sin^{2026} (\pi - x)}{\sin^{2026} (\pi - x) + \cos^{2026} (\pi - x)} \]
\[ f(\pi - x) = \frac{(\sin x)^{2026}}{(\sin x)^{2026} + (-\cos x)^{2026}} = \frac{\sin^{2026} x}{\sin^{2026} x + \cos^{2026} x} = f(x) \]
Because \(f(\pi - x) = f(x)\), we can use the property:
\[ I = 2 \int_{0}^{\pi/2} \frac{\sin^{2026} x}{\sin^{2026} x + \cos^{2026} x} \, dx \quad \dots(1) \]
Step 2: Apply the complementary angle property on the new interval
Let \(I' = \int_{0}^{\pi/2} \frac{\sin^{2026} x}{\sin^{2026} x + \cos^{2026} x} \, dx\).
Using \( \int_0^a f(x) \, dx = \int_0^a f(a - x) \, dx \):
\[ I' = \int_{0}^{\pi/2} \frac{\sin^{2026} (\pi/2 - x)}{\sin^{2026} (\pi/2 - x) + \cos^{2026} (\pi/2 - x)} \, dx \]
Since \(\sin(\pi/2 - x) = \cos x\) and \(\cos(\pi/2 - x) = \sin x\):
\[ I' = \int_{0}^{\pi/2} \frac{\cos^{2026} x}{\cos^{2026} x + \sin^{2026} x} \, dx \quad \dots(2) \]
Step 3: Sum the two forms of the integral
Adding \(I'\) from Step 2 and its original definition:
\[ 2I' = \int_{0}^{\pi/2} \frac{\sin^{2026} x + \cos^{2026} x}{\sin^{2026} x + \cos^{2026} x} \, dx \]
\[ 2I' = \int_{0}^{\pi/2} 1 \, dx = [x]_0^{\pi/2} = \pi/2 \]
\[ I' = \pi/4 \]
Step 4: Calculate final answer \(I\)
From Step 1, \(I = 2I'\):
\[ I = 2 \times \frac{\pi}{4} = \frac{\pi}{2} \]