32

Section 13.4 The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus

Question 1 – How do you calculate the total change of a quantity exactly?
Question 2 – What is the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus?

Question 1 – How do you calculate the total change of a quantity exactly?

Key Terms
Total Change
Summary
When we are given the rate of change of a function, we can compute the total change in that
function by computing the antiderivative of the rate. For example, the antiderivative of the
marginal revenue function (the rate of change of revenue) is the revenue function. Similarly, the
antiderivative of the marginal profit function is the profit function.
Once we have computed the quantity from its rate of change, we can use it to compute the total
change between two different levels by subtracting the quantity at those levels.
Notes
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Guided Example Practice

Assume the annual rate of change of debt for a 1. Assume the annual rate of change of debt for
country (in billions of dollars per year can be a country (in billions of dollars per year can
modeled by the function be modeled by the function

D  t   100  64t  2.1t 2 D  t   225  4.5t  0.6t 2

where t is the number of years after 2000. How where t is the number of years after 2000.
much did the debt change between 2004 and How much did the debt change between 2001
2006? and 2005?

Solution The function given is the rate of change

of debt, D(t ) . We can compute the debt D(t) by
taking the antiderivative of this rate,

D(t )   D(t ) dt

  100  64t  2.1t 2  dt

 100t  32t 2  0.7t 3  C

We would normally try to find the value of C.

However, when computing a change in the debt,
the value of the constant is irrelevant. We want
the debt between 2004 (at t = 4) and 2006 (at t =
6). Compute the debt at each of these levels,

D(4)  100(4)  32  4   0.7  4   C

2 3

 956.8  C

D(6)  100(6)  32  6   0.7  6   C

2 3

 1903.2  C

The total change is

D(6)  D(4)  1903.2  C    956.8  C 

 946.4

Or 946.2 billion dollars. Notice that the C drops

out meaning it does not need to be found to get
the total change in debt.
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Question 2 – What is the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus?

Key Terms
Fundamental Theorem of Calculus
Summary
The previous question suggests that we can compute the value of a definite integral by using the
antiderivative. The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus is motivated by this idea.
Fundamental Theorem of Calculus
Suppose f is a continuous function on the interval [a, b]. If F is an antiderivative of f, then
b

 f ( x) dx  F (b)  F (a )
a

The means that the value of a definite integral may be computed by substituting the limits into
the antiderivative and subtracting.
Let’s look at an example. In a previous section, we computed found the value of a definite
integral using geometry.
This area to the left corresponds to the definite integral
2

  x  1 dx . The sum of the area of the triangle below the x axis

1

(equal to -2) and the area above the x axis (equal to ½). The sum
of the shaded areas is -2 + ½ or -1 ½ .
Using the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, we can compute
the area using the antiderivative of f ( x)  x  1 . The
antiderivative is F ( x)  12 x 2  x  C so the definite integral is
2 The numbers on the right bracket indicate that
  x  1 dx   12 x  x  C 
2 2
they must be substituted into the antiderivative
1
1 and the results subtracted

  1
2  2
2
 
2C  1
2  1   1  C 
2

 C   32  C 

 1.5
The solution with the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus gives the same value as the geometry
solution. The advantage of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus is that it can be applied even
when the definite integral cannot be evaluated using geometry.
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Notes

Guided Example
4

x  x  5  dx
3
Evaluate
0

Solution The antiderivative of the integrand is F ( x)  14 x 4  12 x 2  5 x  C . Applying the Fundamental

Theorem of Calculus, we get
4

x  x  5  dx   14 x 4  12 x 2  5 x  C 
3 4

0
0

  1
4  4
4 2
 
 12  4   5  4   C  1
4 0
4
 12  0   5  0   C
2

  92  C   C

 92

Practice
2

 2x  5 x  1 dx
2
1. Evaluate
1
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Guided Example
3
 x2  x  1 
Evaluate    dx
1
x 

Solution To find the antiderivative of the integrand, divide the denominator into each term in the
numerator:
3
 x2  x  1  3
 x2 x 1 
1  x  dx  1  x  x  x  dx
3
 1
   x  1   dx
1
x
3
  12 x 2  x  ln( x) 
1

  1
2  3
2
 
 3  ln(3)  1
2 1
2
 1  ln(1) 
 6  ln(3)

Practice
4
 x2
2. Evaluate    dx
1 x 
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Guided Example
Find the total area of the shaded region (assume all areas are positive).

y  4  x2

Solution To make sure the area below the x axis is positive, we calculate the area below the x axis
separately:

  4  x  dx  4 x 
3
2 1
3 x 3  C 
2
2

  
 4  3  13  3  C  4  2   13  2   C
3 3

  73
The area above the x axis is

  4  x  dx  4 x 
2
2 1
3 x3  C 
0
0

  
 4  2   13  2   C  4  0   13  0   C
3 3

 163

The total area is the sum of these individual areas, but with the opposite of the negative area,
3  3  3 .
7 16 23
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Practice
3. Find the total area of the shaded region (assume all areas are positive).

y  x2  1