1.

DEFINITION
Let f(x) be a continuous non-negative function in the interval [a, b]. The area of the region bounded
by the graph of y = f(x), the x-axis and the lines x = a and x = b is given by
b

 f (x ) dx
a

2. FORMULAE FOR FINDING THE AREA UNDER BY CURVES

2.1 Area ABCDA bounded by the curve y = f(x), x-axis and two ordinates x = a and x = b is given by

b
b
  ydx, if y  0 for x  [a, b]

 | y | dx   ab
a 
  ydx, if y  0 for x [a, b]
 a

y = f(x) C
B A D
x’ x
x= a x= b

x= a y = f(x)
x= b
C
B
x’ A D x

If however y i.e., f(x) changes sign in interval [a, b], say y  0 in [a, c], y  0 in [c, d]and y  0
in [d, b], where a < c < d < b, then
area bounded by the curve y = f(x), x-axis and the lines x = a and x = b
b c d b
  | y |dx   ydx   ydx   ydx
a a c d

= A1 – A2 + A3 , where A1, A2 and A3 are algebraic areas.

y = f(x)

x= a A1 A3 x= b

a c x d b x
x’
A2
Illustration 1:
Find the area of smaller portion of the circle x2 + y2 = 4 cut off by the line x = 1.
Solution:
Equation of the circle is x2 + y2 = 4 and equation of the line is x = 1.
y
A
x2 + y2 = 4
O x
C
x=1 x=2
B
2
2 2  x 22  x2 22 
1 x
Required area = area ABCA  2 ydx  2 2
4  x dx  2   sin 
 2 2 2
1 1 1
4  3 3
= sq. units
3
2.2 Area ABCDA bounded by two curves y = f(x), y = g(x) and two ordinates x = a, x = b is given by

 b
  (f (x)  g(x) dx, if f (x)  g(x) for a  x  b
b  a

 | f (x)  g(x) | dx =  b
a  (f (x)  g(x)) dx, if f (x)  g(x) for a  x  b
 a
While using this formula f(x) is taken from the curve which lies above and g(x) is taken from the
curve which lies below.
If a < c < d < b and y = g(x) x= b
f (x)  g(x) for a  x  c
f (x)  g(x) for c  x  d x
y = f(x)
f (x)  g(x) for d  x  b x= a

c d b

then shaded area =  (f (x)  g(x)) dx   (g(x)  f (x) dx   (f (x)  g(x))dx

a c d
c d b
  (f (x)  g(x) dx   (f (x)  g(x) dx   (f (x)  g(x) dx
a c d

y = f(x) y = g(x) y = f(x)

x= a y = g(x) y = f(x) y = g(x)

a c d b x
Illustration 2:
Find the area included between the line y = x and the parabola x2 = 4y. y
Solution: 2
x = 4y
Equation of parabola is x2 = 4y and equation of line is y = x y=x
Solving we get x2 = 4x B
A
or, x(x – 4) = 0
C
 x = 0, 4
O x
 line y = x cuts parabola at two points O and B, x co-ordinate of O is 0 and x coordinate of
B is 4 4 4
x2 
Required area = area OCBAO =  1 2 (y  y ) dx  
  4  dx
 x
0 0 
4
 x 2 x 3  16 64  8
         sq. units .
 2 12  0  2 12  3

2.3 Area ABCDA enclosed by the curve x = f(y), y-axis and two abscissae y = c and y = d is given
by

d
d   xdy,if x  0 for c  y  d

 | x | dy =  cd
c 
  xdy, if x  0 for c  y  d
 c
y
y

B y=d y=d
C
x = f(y)
d
A y=c D
O
c
O x
y=c
Illustration 3:
Find the area bounded by the curve x = 2 – y – y2 and y–axis.
y

Solution: 1
y=1

The required area =  xdy x

2
1 y = –2
=  (2  y  y 2 ) dy
2
 1
 y 2 y3  9
= 2y     sq. units
 2 3  2
2
2.4 Area bounded by the two curves x = f(y), x = g(y) and two abscissae y = c and y = a is given by
d

area ABCDA =  | x1  x 2 | dy
c
y
d
  (x1  x 2 ) dy, if x1  x 2 for c  y  d y=d
c B C
 x = g(y) x = f(y)
d

  (x1  x 2 ) dy, if x1  x 2 for c  y  d A y=c D
 c
O x

Illustration 4:
Determine the area enclosed by the two curves given by y2 = x + 1 and y2 = –x + 1.
Solution:
Given curves are
y2 = x + 1 ... (1) and y2 = – x + 1 ... (2)
curve (1) is the parabola having axis y = 0 and vertex (–1, 0).
curve (2) is the parabola having axis y = 0 and vertex (1, 0)
(1) – (2)  2x = 0  x = 0
From (1), x = 0  y =  1 y
C(0, 1)
Required area y=1
1
 x
 (x1  x 2 ) dy A (-1, 0) O B (-1, 0)
1

1 1
y = –1
2
D(0, 1)
  [(1  y )  (y 2  1)]dy  2  (1  y 2 ) dy
1 1

1
 y3   1   1  8
 2 y    2 1  3    1  3    3 sq. units
 3     
1
 DRILL EXERCISE - 1

1. Find the area of the region bounded by y2 = 9x, x = 2, x = 4 and the x-axis in the first quadrant.

2. Find the area of the region bounded by x2 = y – 3, y = 4, y = 6 and the y-axis in the first
quadrant.

x 2 y2
3. Find the area of the region bounded by the ellipse   1.
16 9

4. Using integration find the area of the triangle ABC, coordinates of whose vertices are A(2, 0),
B(4, 5) and C(6, 3).

5. Find the area bounded by y = x3 – 4x and x-axis.

3. CURVE SKETCHING
For the evaluation of area of bounded regions it is very essential to know the rough sketch of the
curves. The following points are very useful to draw a rough sketch of a curve.
While constructing the graph of f(x, y) = 0, it is expedient to follow the procedure given below:
(i) Find the set of permissible values of x (Domain).
(ii) Check if the curve is symmetrical about x–axis, y–axis, origin.
The symmetry of the curve is judged as follows :
(a) If all the powers of y in the equation are even then the curve is symmetrical about
the axis of x.
(b) If all the powers of x are even, the curve is symmetrical about the axis of y.
(c) If powers of x and y both are even, the curve is symmetrical about the axis of x as
well as y.
(d) If the equation of the curve remains unchanged on interchanging x and y, then the
curve is symmetrical about y = x.
(e) If on interchanging the signs of x and y both the equation of the curve is unaltered
then there is symmetry in opposite quadrants.
(iii) Find dy/dx and equate it to zero to find the points on the curve where you have horizontal
tangents.
(iv) Find the points where the curve crosses the x-axis and also the y-axis.
(v) Find the period of the curve if it is periodic
(vi) Find the asymptote(s) of the curve, if any
(vii) Examine if possible the intervals when f(x) is increasing or decreasing. Examine what happens
to ‘y’ when x   or   .
Illustration 5:
x2 1
Construct the graph of f (x)  and find the area bounded by y = f(x) and x-axis.
x2 1
Solution:
x2 1 2
Here, f (x)   1 2
x2 1 x 1

(i) The function f(x) is well defined for all real x.

 Domain of f(x) is R.
(ii) f (–x) = f(x), so it is an even function and hence graph is symmetrical about y-axis.
(iii) Obviously function is non-periodic.
(iv) f (x) 1 for x 
(we are considering x > 0 o.nly as curve is symmetrical about y-axis).
Hence y = 1 is an asymptote of the curves. It may be observed that f(x) < 1 for any
x  R and consequently its graph lies below the line y = 1 which is the asymptote to the
graph of the given function.
2
(v) Again decreases for (0, ) , thus f(x) increases for (0,  ).
x2 1
(vii) The greatest value  1 for x    and the least value is –1 for x = 0. Thus its graph
is as shown in figure.

y
y = 1 (asymptote)

x2 - 1
y=
x2 +1
x
(–1, 0) (1, 0)

(0, –1)

21
Required area =  x  1 dx   [x]11  2[tan 1 x]11  (  2) sq. units.
 2
1 x  1
Illustration 6:
Construct the graph of f(x) = xex. Find the area bounded by y = f(x) and its asymptote.
Solution:
(i) The function is well defined for all real x  domain of f(x) is R.
(ii) There is no symmetry in the graph.
(iii) Obviously function is non-periodic.
(iv) f(x)  0– as x  –  . Hence y = 0 is an asymptote of the curve.
 (v) f (x) = (x + 1) ex  f(x) increases for x   1 and decreases for x   1 . Hence
1
x = –1 is the point of absolute minima. Minimum value = f(–1) =  .
e
(vi) f (x)  (x  2) e x  f (x) is concave up for x > –2 and concave down for x < –2 and
hence x = –2 is a point of inflexion.

–2 –1
x

0 0
x
The required area   xe dx  [xex ]0  x
 e dx = 0  [e
x 0
]  1 sq. unit.
 

DRILL EXERCISE - 2

1. Draw the graphs of the following functions :

2x  1
(i) y= (ii) y = log | x | – log x2
x 1
1  1  x 2 , if x  1
(iii) y = log2(4x – x2) (iv) y= 
1  log1/ 2 x , if x  1
(v) y = {(x, y) | | x + y | + | y – x |  4 }
2. Make a sketch of the region given below and find its area using integration,
{(x, y) : y2 4x, 4x2 + 4y2 9}.
3. Make a sketch of the region given below and find its area using integration
{(x, y) : 0 y x2 + 3 ; 0 y 2x + 3 ; 0 x 3}
4. Make a sketch of the curves given below and find the area between them.

{ x  y  1 ; x + y = 1}
5. The area cut off a parabola by any double ordinate is k times the corresponding rectangle contained
by the double ordinate and its distance from the vertex, then find the value of k.
 ANSWER KEY
DRILL EXERCISE - 1

2(3 3  1)
1. 16 – 4 2 2. 3. 12 4. 7 5. 8
3

DRILL EXERCISE - 2

2x  1
1. (i) y = (ii)
x 1

(iii) (iv)

(v)

2 9 9 1  1 
2.   sin  
6 8 4 3
 50
3.
3

1 2
4. 5.
3 3