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Gilles Cazelais
b
x
a
It is easy to derive that the area of the ellipse is given by A = ab. Unfortunately there is no simple
formula for the perimeter of an ellipse. We will show that it can be evaluated using an infinite series.
To find the perimeter of the ellipse, it is sufficient to find the perimeter in the first quadrant and
multiply it by four. The perimeter of the ellipse is then given by
s
Z /2 2 2
dx dy
p=4 + d
0 d d
Z /2 p
=4 a2 sin2 + b2 cos2 d
0
Z /2 p
=4 a2 (1 cos2 ) + b2 cos2 d
0
Z /2 p
=4 a2 (a2 b2 ) cos2 d
0
Z /2 p
= 4a 1 2 cos2 d.
0
p
Where = 1 b2 /a2 is the eccentricity of the ellipse. This integral is called an elliptic integral
and it cant be evaluated using elementary functions.
1
By setting x = 2 cos2 , we deduce that
p 2 cos2 X 1 3 5 (2n 3)2n cos2n
1 2 cos2 = 1 .
2 n=2
2n n!
Note that this series converges for all since 0 2 cos2 < 1. By integrating termwise this series,
we can find the perimeter of the ellipse.
Z /2 !
2 cos2 X 1 3 5 (2n 3)2n cos2n
p = 4a 1 d
0 2 n=2
2n n!
Z /2 " #!
2 /2 1 3 5 (2n 3)2n /2
Z X Z
2 2n
= 4a d cos d cos d .
0 2 0 n=2
2n n! 0
???
For example, lets use five terms in the above series to approximate the perimeter of the ellipse
x2 y2
+ = 1.
25 16
p
For this ellipse we have a = 5, b = 4, and = 1 b2 /a2 = 3/5. We then have
2 2 4 2 6 2 8 !
1 2 13 135 1357
p 2a 1
2 24 3 246 5 2468 7
2 2 !
2 2
(3/5)4 (3/5)6 (3/5)8
1 2 13 135 1357
2(5) 1 (3/5)
2 24 3 246 5 2468 7
28.36.