Line Integrals of Scalar Fields

Math 55 - Elementary Analysis III

Institute of Mathematics
University of the Philippines
Diliman

Math 55

Line Integrals

1/ 16

Curtain Area Problem

Problem
Let C be a smooth curve defined by a vector function
~
R(t)
= x(t) + y(t)
, with t [a, b] and suppose f (x, y) is
continuous on C. Find the area of the curtain whose base is a
portion of C and whose height at a point (x, y) on C is f (x, y).

Math 55

Line Integrals

2/ 16

Solving the Curtain Area Problem

1

Partition [a, b] into n sub-intervals

[ti1 , ti ] such that the corresponding
arcs in C has equal lengths s.
Choose ti [ti1 , ti ]. This corresponds
to a point Pi (xi , yi ) in each subarc.
Construct cylinders with each subarc as base and
height f (xi , yi ).
Each cylinder will have area A = f (xi , yi )s and the
area of the curtain is approximately
A

n
X

A =

i=1
5

n
X

f (xi , yi )s.

i=1

As n , the error vanishes and the area A of the curtain is

A = lim

Math 55

n
X

f (xi , yi )s.

i=1
Line Integrals

3/ 16

Line Integrals with respect to Arclength

Definition
Let f (x, y) be continuous on a smooth plane curve C defined by
~
a vector function R(t)
= hx(t), y(t)i, t [a, b]. The line
integral of f along C (with respect to the arclength
parameter) is
n
X

Z
f (x, y) ds = lim

f (xi , yi )s

i=1

provided this limit exists.

Math 55

Line Integrals

4/ 16

Line Integrals with respect to Arclength

Remarks.
1

The line integral is independent of the parametrization of

C.
If C denotes the curve C traced in the opposite direction,
then
Z
Z
f (x, y) ds =
C

f (x, y) ds
C

If C is piecewise smooth, i.e, C is the union of finite number of

smooth curves C1 , C2 , . . . , Cn , then
Z
Z
Z
Z
f (x, y) ds =
f (x, y) ds +
f (x, y) ds + . . . +
f (x, y) ds
C

C1

C2

Math 55

Line Integrals

Cn

5/ 16

Evaluating Line Integrals

Recall that

ds
~ 0 (t)k. Hence,
= kR
dt

Definition
Z

f (x, y) ds =
C

~ 0 (t)k dt
f (x(t), y(t)) kR

~
~ 0 (t)k =
If R(t)
= hx(t), y(t)i, then kR
therefore,

q
[x0 (t)]2 + [y 0 (t)]2 and

Definition
Z
Z b
q
f (x, y) ds =
f (x(t), y(t)) [x0 (t)]2 + [y 0 (t)]2 dt
C

Math 55

Line Integrals

6/ 16

Some Examples
Example
Z
Evaluate
quadrant.

2xy ds where C is the part unit circle in the first

C

~
Solution. C can be parametrized by R(t)
= hcos t, sin ti,

0 t 2 . Therefore,
Z
Z
p
2
2xy ds =
2 cos t sin t ( sin t)2 + (cos t)2 dt
C

Z
=

2 cos t sin t dt


2
= sin t
2

= 1
Math 55

Line Integrals

7/ 16

Some Examples
Example
Z
Evaluate

x ds where C is the part of the parabola y = x2

from (0, 0) to (1, 1), followed by the line segments from (1, 1) to
(0, 2) and from (0, 2) to (0, 0).
Solution. C is a piecewise smooth curve which can be witten
as the union of the curves C1 , C2 and C3 . Therefore,
Z

Z
x ds =

Math 55

Z
x ds +

C1

Line Integrals

Z
x ds +

C2

x ds
C3

8/ 16

Some Examples
Solution(contd).
C1 is the part of the parabola y
= x2from (0, 0) to (1, 1).
~ 1 (t) = t, t2 , 0 t 1. Hence,
The parametrization is R
Z

x ds =
C1

p
5 51
2
t 1 + 4t dt =
12

C2 is the line segment from (1, 1) to (0, 2). A

parametrization will be
~ 2 (t) = (1 t) h1, 1i + t h0, 2i = h1 t, 1 + ti, 0 t 1.
R
Hence,

Z
Z
1

x ds =
C2

(1 t) 1 + 1 dt =

2
2

C3 is the line segment from (0, 2) to (0, 0). Using the

~ 3 (t) = h0, ti where 0 t 2, we have
parametrization R
Z

Z
x ds =

C3

0 0 + 1 dt = 0

0
Math 55

Line Integrals

9/ 16

Some Examples

Solution(contd). Finally, we have

Z
Z
Z
Z
x ds =
x ds +
x ds +
x ds
C
C1
C2
C3

5 51
2
=
+
+0
12 2
5 5+6 21
=
12

Math 55

Line Integrals

10/ 16

Line Integrals with respect to x and y

Definition
Let f (x, y) be continuous on a smooth curve C given by
~
R(t)
= hx(t), y(t)i, a t b.
Z
n
X
1
f (x, y) dx = lim
f (xi , yi )x
C

f (x, y) dy = lim

i=1
n
X

Z
n

f (xi , yi )y

i=1

provided these limits exist.

Math 55

Line Integrals

11/ 16

Evaluating Line Integrals

Equivalently, we have the following definition
Definition
Z
Z b
1
f (x, y) dx =
f (x(t), y(t)) x0 (t) dt
C
a
Z
Z b
2
f (x, y) dy =
f (x(t), y(t)) y 0 (t) dt
C

Oftentimes, the line integrals with respect to x and y occur

together. In this case, we have the following
Definition
Z
Z
Z
P (x, y) dx +
Q(x, y) dy =
P (x, y) dx + Q(x, y) dy
C

Math 55

Line Integrals

12/ 16

Evaluating Line Integrals

Remarks.
1 If C denotes the curve C traced in the opposite direction,
then
Z

Z
f (x, y) dx

ZC
f (x, y) dy

f (x, y) dx
ZC
f (x, y) dy
C

If C is piecewise smooth such that C = C1 C2 . . . Cn

where each Ci is smooth for i = 1, 2, . . . , n, then
Z

Z
f (x, y) dx

Z
f (x, y) dx +

C1

Z
C

f (x, y) dx

C2

Z
f (x, y) dy

Z
f (x, y) dx + . . . +
Cn

f (x, y) dy +
C1

f (x, y) dy + . . . +
C2

Math 55

Line Integrals

f (x, y) dy
Cn

13/ 16

Line Integrals with respect to x and y

Example


~
Let C be Zthe curve given by R(t)
= t2 , 2 t , t [0, 1].
xy dx + (2x y) dy
Evaluate
C

Solution.
Z

Z
xy dx + (2x y) dy

t2 (2 t)(2t) dt + [2t2 (2 t)](1) dt

Z
=

2t4 + 4t3 2t2 t + 2 dt

=
=
=

1

2 3 1 2
2 5
4
t + t t t + 2t
5
3
2
0
2
2 1
+1 +2
5
3 2
43
30
Math 55

Line Integrals

14/ 16

Exercises
Evaluate the following line integrals over the given curves C.
Z


~
1
y 3 ds, C is given by R(t)
= t3 , t , t [0, 2].
ZC
2
xy 4 ds, C is the right half of the circle x2 + y 2 = 16.
C
Z
3
xey dx, C is the arc of the curve x = ey from (1, 0) to
C

(e, 1).
Z
sin x dx + cos y dy, where C is the top half of the circle

x2 + y 2 = 1 from (1, 0) to (1, 0) and the line segment from

(1, 0) to (1, 0).
Z
xyz 2 ds, C is the line segment from (1, 5, 0) to (1, 6, 4).

Math 55

Line Integrals

15/ 16

References

Stewart, J., Calculus, Early Transcendentals, 6 ed., Thomson

Brooks/Cole, 2008

Dawkins, P., Calculus 3, online notes available at

http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/

Math 55

Line Integrals

16/ 16