Triple Integration Handouts

Satyabrat Sahu
February 2024

Prerequisite of triple integration

Before delving into triple integration, it’s essential to have a solid un-
derstanding of single and double integration. Here’s a brief overview:

Single Integration: This involves finding the antiderivative of

a single-variable functionR over a specified interval. It’s represented
by the integral symbol ( ) and is typically taught early in calculus
courses.

Double Integration: Double integration extends the concept

of single integration to functions of two variables. It involves inte-
grating a function over a region in the xy-plane. Understanding how
to set up double integrals, choose appropriate limits of integration,
and interpret results is crucial.

With these prerequisites in place, you can then move on to triple

integration:

Triple Integration: Triple integration extends the concept further

to functions of three variables. It involves integrating a function over
a region in 3D space. Just as with double integration, knowing how
to set up triple integrals, choose limits of integration, and interpret
results are important skills.
Understanding concepts such as limits, continuity, partial deriva-
tives, and the geometry of regions in 2D and 3D space will greatly
aid in comprehending and applying triple integration. Additionally,
familiarity with coordinate systems such as Cartesian, cylindrical,

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and spherical coordinates is beneficial for handling different types
of problems.

How Triple integration looks like

Let’s Understand Triple Integration in brief !

First look at the diagram given below :-

∗
For each i,j and k, consider a sample point as (x∗123 , y123 ∗
, z123 ) and
∆V = ∆x∆y∆z

l X
X m X
n
f (x∗123 , y123
∗ ∗
, z123 ) ∆x∆y∆z.
i=1 j=1 k=1

Now let’s define Triple integration

The triple integral of a function f (x, y, z) over a rectangular box
B is defined as

l X
X m X
n ZZZ
lim f (x∗123 , y123
∗ ∗
, z123 ) ∆x∆y∆z = f (x, y, z)dV
l,m,n→∞ B
i=1 j=1 k=1

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How to solve triple Integration
So, here is the basic trick to solve Triple Integration

Let’s start simple by integrating over the box,

B = [a, b] × [c, d] × [r, s]

Note that when using this notation we list the x ’s first, the y ’s
second and the z ’s third.
The triple integral in this case is,

ZZZ Z sZ d Z b
f (x, y, z)dV = f (x, y, z)dxdydz
B r c a

Note that we integrated with respect to x first, then y , and

finally z here, but in fact there is no reason to the integrals in this
order.

This means that their is no perfect order of solving this integrals,

we can solve in many ways like :-
Z f Z d Z b Z f Z   d Z b
f (x, y, z)dxdydz = f (x, y, z)dx dy dz
e c a e c a
Z d Z f Z b  
= f (x, y, z)dx dz dy
c e a
Z b Z f Z d  
= f (x, y, z)dy dz dx
a e c
Z f Z b Z d  
= f (x, y, z)dy dx dz
e a c
Z d Z b Z d  
= f (x, y, z)dz dx dy
c a c
Z b Z d Z f  
= f (x, y, z)dz dy dx
a c e

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 Example 1. Evaluate the following integral.
ZZZ
8xyzdV B = [2, 3] × [1, 2] × [0, 1]
B

Solution As you have see above that we can integrate it in many

ways,

Z ZLet’s
Z integrateZthis,
2Z 3Z 1
8xyzdV = 8xyzdzdxdy
B 1 2 0
Z 2 Z 3 1
2
= 4xyz dxdy....(1)
1 2 0
Z 2 Z 3
= 4xydxdy....(2)
1 2
Z 2 3
2
= 2x y dy...(3)
1 2
Z 2
= 10ydy = 15
1

Let’s Understand how to solve this integration,

as above you can see that there is no perfect order for doing Triple
Integration,
so on (1), you can see that we integrate Z first, then we put limits
and solve that part
at (3) step we integrate X (acc. to 2nd last rule of solving integrals)
and then at final we integrate Y and solve that integrals

Example 2. Evaluate the triple integral

Z z=1 Z y=4 Z x=5
x + yz 2 dxdydz.


z=0 y=2 x=−1

Solution We will integrate it as from first x then y and then z

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 Z z=1 Z y=4 Z x=5
x + yz 2 dxdydz


z=0 y=2 x=−1
Z z=1 Z y=4  2 
x 2 x=5
= + xyz x=−1 dydz...(1)
z=0 y=2 2
Z z=1 Z y=4
12 + 6yz 2 dydz
 
=
z=0 y=2
Z z=1 " 2 y=4
#
y
= 12y + 6 z 2 ...(2)dz
z=0 2 y=2
Z z=1
24 + 36z 2 dz
 
=
z=0
z=1
z3

= 24z + 36 ....(3)
3 z=0
= 36.

see here (1) represent Integrate with respect to x.

(2) represent Integrate with respect to y.
(3) represent Integrate with respect to y.

Next we go to another section

Triple Integration Over General Bounded Region

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 The general bounded regions we will consider are of three types.
First, let D be the bounded region that is a projection of E onto
the xy-plane. Suppose the region E in R3 has the form
E = {(x, y, z) | (x, y) ∈ D, u1 (x, y) ≤ z ≤ u2 (x, y)} .

For two functions z = u1 (x, y) and u2 (x, y), such that u1 (x, y) ≤
u2 (x, y) for all (x, y) in D as shown above.

The triple integral of a continuous function f (x, y, z) over a

general three-dimensional region
E = {(x, y, z) | (x, y) ∈ D, u1 (x, y) ≤ z ≤ u2 (x, y)}
in R3 , where D is the projection of E onto the xy-plane, is
ZZZ Z Z "Z u2 (x,y)
#
f (x, y, z)dV = f (x, y, z)dz dA
E D u1 (x,y)

If D is in xy plane then (Case - 1)

y = u1 (x, z) and y = u2 (x, z) such that u1 (x, z) ≤ u2 (x, z) for all
(x, z) in D. Then we can describe the solid region E in R3 as
E = {(x, y, z) | (x, z) ∈ D, u1 (x, z) ≤ z ≤ u2 (x, z)}

where D is the projection of E onto the xy-plane and the triple

integral is
ZZZ Z Z "Z u2 (x,z) #
f (x, y, z)dV = f (x, y, z)dy dA.
E D u1 (x,z)

if D (Case - 2) is a general bounded region in the xy-plane and

we have two functions x = u1 (y, z) and x = u2 (y, z) such that
u1 (y, z) ≤ u2 (y, z) for all (y, z) in D, then the solid region E in R3
can be described as

E = {(x, y, z) | (y, z) ∈ D, u1 (y, z) ≤ z ≤ u2 (y, z)}

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where D is the projection of E onto the xy-plane and the triple
integral is
ZZZ Z Z "Z u2 (y,z) #
f (x, y, z)dV = f (x, y, z)dx dA.
E D u1 (y,z)

If D is in Xy plane, Then
E = {(x, y, z) | a ≤ x ≤ b, g1 (x) ≤ y ≤ g2 (x), u1 (x, y) ≤ z ≤ u2 (x, y)}

Then the triple integral becomes

ZZZ Z b Z g2 (x) Z u2 (x,y)
f (x, y, z)dV = f (x, y, z)dzdydx
E a g1 (x) u1 (x,y)

If D in the xy-plane is of Case - 2, then

E = {(x, y, z) | c ≤ x ≤ d, h1 (x) ≤ y ≤ h2 (x), u1 (x, y) ≤ z ≤ u2 (x, y)}

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Then the triple integral becomes
ZZZ Z y=d Z x=h2 (y) Z z=u2 (x,y)
f (x, y, z)dV = f (x, y, z)dzdxdy
E y=c x=h1 (y) z=u1 (x,y)

Let’s understand with Some Examples

Example 3. Evaluate the triple integral of the function

f (x, y, z) = 5x − 3y over the solid tetrahedron bounded by
the planes x = 0, y = 0, z = 0, and x + y + z = 1.