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Line Integral Examples

The document provides three examples of calculating line integrals of vector fields along parameterized curves in R^2 and R^3. The first example calculates the line integral of a vector field F along a line segment between two points. The second calculates the line integral of F along an upper semicircle, and also evaluates the integral along the same curve in the opposite direction. The third calculates the line integral of F along a helix for t in [0,4π].

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Jusa Sanchez
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106 views2 pages

Line Integral Examples

The document provides three examples of calculating line integrals of vector fields along parameterized curves in R^2 and R^3. The first example calculates the line integral of a vector field F along a line segment between two points. The second calculates the line integral of F along an upper semicircle, and also evaluates the integral along the same curve in the opposite direction. The third calculates the line integral of F along a helix for t in [0,4π].

Uploaded by

Jusa Sanchez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Line Integral Examples

1. Let FHx, yL = Xx y, -x + y\ and let the curve in the plane be the directed line segment from (0, 3) to (2, -3). Integrate F along
this segment.
Solution: In order to evaluate the integral, we have to find a parametrization for the line segment. We know from chapter 11 that
a parametrization of the segment from P to Q is rHtL = H1 - tL P + t Q. Here we have
In[14]:=

r@t_D := H1 - tL 80, 3< + t 82, - 3<

Of course, for this parametrization we have 0 t 1.


The next thing to do is evaluate the vector field along the path; i.e. we evaluate FHrHtLL. We'll define the vector field for Mathematica first:
In[10]:=

F@8x_, y_<D := 8x y, - x + y<

Now we evaluate the field along the path:


In[15]:=

F@r@tDD Expand

Out[15]=

96 t - 12 t2 , 3 - 8 t=

With this done, we calculate FHrHtLL r HtL:


In[16]:=

F@[email protected] '@tD Expand

Out[16]=

- 18 + 60 t - 24 t2

This is the function we integrate:


1

In[17]:=

2
I- 18 + 60 t - 24 t M t
0

Out[17]=

2. Let FHx, yL = Yx2 + y2 , x y]. Integrate F along the upper semicircle of radius 3 from the point (3, 0) to the point (0, 3). Next,
evaluate the integral of the vector field along the same curve, but in the opposite direction.
Solution: As before, we need a parametrization of the path. Since we are moving CCW along a circle of radius 3, our
parametrization is
In[18]:=

@t_D := 83 Cos@tD, 3 Sin@tD<

for 0 t 2. We next define the vector field for Mathematica and then evaulate the vector field along the path:
In[21]:=

F@8x_, y_<D := 9x2 + y2 , x y=

In[22]:=

F@@tDD

Out[22]=

99 Cos@tD2 + 9 Sin@tD2 , 9 Cos@tD Sin@tD=

The function we integrate is the vector function just above dotted with the derivative of :
In[23]:=

F@@tDD. '@tD Simplify

Out[23]=

- 27 Sin@tD3

The line integral is therefore

Line_Integral_Examples.nb

The line integral is therefore

In[24]:=

3
- 27 Sin@tD t
0

Out[24]=

- 18

To get the value of the integral in the opposite direction, we "reverse" the parametrization:

In[25]:=

1 @t_D := :3 CosB

- tF, 3 SinB

- tF>
2

We then have, for the function that we integrate,


In[26]:=

F@1 @tDD.1 '@tD Simplify

Out[26]=

27 Cos@tD3

Therefore the line integral is


2

In[27]:=

27 Cos@tD3 t

Out[27]=

18

NOTE: When we traverse the path in the opposite direction, the line integral changes sign. This will always be the case. (This is
a theorem!)
3. Integrate the vector field FHx, y, zL = Xx, x y, y z\ along the helix rHtL = X2 cosHtL, 3 sinHtL, 4 t\ for t @0, 4 D.
Solution: The procedure is the same as before. We evaluate the vector field along the curve, calculate the dot product of the
result with the tangent vector to the curve and integrate. First we define the vector field and path for the computer:
In[31]:=

F@8x_, y_, z_<D := 8x, x y, y z<

In[29]:=

r@t_D := 82 Cos@tD, 3 Sin@tD, 4 t<

In[32]:=

F@[email protected] '@tD Simplify

Out[32]=

H9 + 48 t - 4 Cos@tD + 9 Cos@2 tDL Sin@tD

All we need to do now is integrate:


4

In[33]:=

H9 + 48 t - 4 Cos@tD + 9 Cos@2 tDL Sin@tD t

Out[33]=

- 192

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