17.

4 Greens Theorem
I
Notation The integral notation
is used when one wants to emphasize the curve C is closed. When the notation
C
I
is used, it is also assumed without saying that the curve C is counterclockwise oriented.
C

Theorem (Greens Theorem)

Let C be a positively oriented(counterclockwise), piecewisesmooth, simple closed curve in the plane and let D be the region
bounded by C. If P and Q have continuous partial derivatives
on open region that contains D, then
Z Z 

I
P dx + Qdy =
C

Q P

x
y


dA

(Remark 1) The Greens Theorem applies to a region D with a hole(or holes) in it as well.

Suppose the region D is bounded by two circles C1 and C2 as in the left figure. Be aware that the inner
circle C2 is clockwise, not counterclockwise. By dividing the region D into D1 and D2 as in the right
figure, we can apply the Greens Theorem on each D1 and D2 separately. In the following computation,
D1 and D2 are boundaries of D1 and D2 with counterclockwise orientation. Then
Z Z

Z Z

Z Z
Qx Py dA +

Qx Py dA =
D

Qx Py dA
D2

D1

I
=

I
P dx + Qdy +

D1

P dx + Qdy
D2

I
=

P dx + Qdy
C1 +C2

because along the shared boundaries between D1 and D2 , the two line integrals are opposite directions
and cancel each other.
(Remark 2) When F =< P (x, y), Q(x, y) >, in the next section we define the curl of F by

i
curlF = F := det x
P

j
y
Q

k
z = (x Q y P )k
0

Hence Greens Theorem can be re-stated as

Z

Z Z
F dr =

curlF kdA

TheZGreens
Theorem implies that the total rotations in the region
Z
D(
curlF kdA) is the same as sum of F along the closed

Inside D, each side shared by two adjacent

blocks has two opposite signed arrows canceling each other.

curve C that defines the boundary of D.

Example Evaluate the line integral using Greens Theorem :

I

xydx + x2 dy, where C is the rectangle with vertices (0, 0), (3, 0), (3, 1), and (0, 1).

(a)
C

I
ydx xdy, where C consists of the line segments from (0, 1) to (0, 0) and from (0, 0) to (1, 0) and

(b)
C

the parabola y = 1 x2 from (1, 0) to (0, 1).

I
(Answer)

Z Z

(a)

2dydx =

x=0

xdydx =
x=0

1x2

2dA =

xdA =
D

Z Z
ydx xdy =

(b)

(x )x (xy)y dA =

xydx + x dy =

y=0

y=0

9
2

4
3

F dr where F =< y 2 cos x, x2 + 2y sin x > and C is the triangle from

Example Use Greens Theorem to evaluate

C

(0, 0) to (2, 6) to (2, 0) to (0, 0).

(Answer) Notice that the orientation of the path is clockwise (not counterclockwise). The answer is
Z

Z Z

I
C

3x

Qx Py dA =

P dx + Qdy =

(2x + 2y cos x) (2y cos x)dydx = 16

x=0

yi + xj
, show that
x2 + y 2
encloses the origin.

y=0

Z
F dr = 2 for every positively oriented simple closed path that

Example If F(x, y) =

x2 + y 2
= Qx , we cannot apply the Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals here.
(x2 + y 2 )2
Be reminded that the FTofLI applies only when F is a continuous vector field on a
open simply connected region that contains C. Any open simply connected region
that contains a curve enclosing the origin contains the origin. At origin, F is not
continuous.

(Answer) Notice that though Py =

The difficulty of the problem is in that the path is arbitrary containing the origin. To
solve this difficulty, we first show the claim :
Claim If Co is a counterclockwise oriented unit circle, then for any closed curve that encloses the origin,
I

I
F dr =

F dr

Co

(Proof of the claim) Let D be the region bounded by Co and C. The region D does not contain the origin and hence P and Q in F have continuous partial
derivatives in D.
By the Greens Theorem,
I
F dr

Z Z
Qx Py dA

CCo

Z Z
=

0dA = 0
D

I
F dr +
C

F dr

F dr

Co

I
C

I
F dr

F dr

Co

Co

The proof of the claim is done.

Therefore, for any positively oriented simple closed path C, we have
I
I
F dr =
F dr,
Co : r(t) =< cos t, sin t >, 0 t 2
C

Co

< sin t, cos t > < sin t, cos t > dt

=
t=0

1dt = 2
t=0