Line Integral Examples
Line Integral Examples
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]:=
F@r@tDD Expand
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96 t - 12 t2 , 3 - 8 t=
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- 18 + 60 t - 24 t2
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2
I- 18 + 60 t - 24 t M t
0
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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
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for 0 t 2. We next define the vector field for Mathematica and then evaulate the vector field along the path:
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In[22]:=
F@@tDD
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The function we integrate is the vector function just above dotted with the derivative of :
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- 27 Sin@tD3
Line_Integral_Examples.nb
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3
- 27 Sin@tD t
0
Out[24]=
- 18
To get the value of the integral in the opposite direction, we "reverse" the parametrization:
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1 @t_D := :3 CosB
- tF, 3 SinB
- tF>
2
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27 Cos@tD3
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:
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In[32]:=
Out[32]=
In[33]:=
Out[33]=
- 192