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Chapter 11 Brief Notes (Updated On 18 Jan 2020)

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9 views8 pages

Chapter 11 Brief Notes (Updated On 18 Jan 2020)

Uploaded by

Sanjana Mahmood
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chapter 11 : Vector-valued functions of 1-variable (Space Curve) - Brief Notes

Credits: Some figures in this handout are due to J.C.H. FUNG, and are edited by H.W.L.MAK.
Contents are arranged in the order appeared in Robert A. Adams and Christopher Essex,
Calculus – A Complete Course, 9th Edition, Pearson, 2018.

1. Given two surfaces 𝑧 = 𝑓 (𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑎 − 𝑥 2 and 𝑧 = 𝑔(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑎 − 𝑦 2 . Find the parametric


equations of the curve of intersection of these two surfaces. Describe briefly.

1
𝑥 (𝑡) = cos 𝑡 sin 𝑡
2. Given that { 𝑦(𝑡) = sin2 𝑡 , with 𝑡 ∈ [0,2𝜋]. Describe the curve.
𝑧(𝑡) = cos 𝑡

2
This 3D curve can be viewed as the curve of intersection of the sphere and cylinder, parabola and
cylinder, or sphere and parabola, shown as follows.

3
Geometric Interpretation of Derivatives
What are the vector representations of position, velocity and acceleration respectively?

Example
Find the velocity, speed and acceleration of the particle whose position at time t is given by the
following vector-valued functions.
𝐫(𝑡) = 〈cos 𝑡 sin 𝑡, sin2 𝑡, cos 𝑡〉

Also, describe the path of such particle.

4
Arc Length and Parametrization

Rectification by subdividing the arc

supremum over all subdivisions


(least upper bound – Mathematical Analysis course)
Given a parametric curve r (t).

The arc length of the curve from the point at 𝑡 = 𝑎 to the point at 𝑡 = 𝑏 is given by

Now, if we plot the two curves as follows, we will find out that these two curves are the same,
though with different speeds. The curve 𝐫2 (𝑡) is obtained by replacing every t in 𝐫1 (𝑡) by 3𝑡. The
initial and final times are adjusted such that the end points of both graphs will remain the same.
With that, we say 𝐫𝟐 is a reparametrization of 𝐫𝟏 . Note that the range of t of the two curves
(actually the same curve) are different.

𝐫1 (𝑡) =< cos 𝑡, sin 𝑡, 𝑡 > , 𝑡 ∈ [0,2𝜋]


2𝜋
𝐫2 (𝑡) =< cos 3𝑡, sin 3𝑡, 3𝑡 > , 𝑡 ∈ [0, ]
3

5
Definition:
If r(s) is a parametric curve such that ‖𝐫′(𝑠)‖ = 1 for any s, we say the curve is parametrized
by arc-length.
Goal:
Given a parametric curve r(t), we want to reparametrize the curve by arc-length, such that with
the new parameter s, r(s) travels at unit speed.
Process and Steps of Re-parametrization:
𝑡
1. Given a curve r(𝑡): [𝑎, 𝑏] → 𝐑3 , we compute 𝑠 = ∫𝑎 ‖𝐫′(𝜏)‖𝑑𝜏 .

2. Since the upper limit of the above integral is t , the function s is a function of t.
3. Express t as t = t(s).
4. Replace all t by this function of s in the curve r(𝑡).

The new parametrization r(s) will be arc-length parametrized.

Why it works?
Goal: We need to show ‖𝐫′(𝑠)‖ = 1.
𝑑𝐫 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
Consider ‖𝐫′(𝑠)‖ = ‖𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑠 ‖ = ‖𝐫′(𝑡)‖ ‖𝑑𝑠 ‖
𝑡 𝑑𝑠
Recall that 𝑠 = ∫𝑎 ‖𝐫′(𝜏)‖𝑑𝜏 , hence 𝑑𝑡 = ‖𝐫′(𝑡)‖ (Why? By what theorem?)
𝑑𝑡 1 1
Therefore, 𝑑𝑠 = 𝑑𝑠 = ‖𝐫′ (𝑡)‖ , and it follows that ‖𝐫′(𝑠)‖ = 1.
𝑑𝑡

Conclusion: The parametrization r(s) will be arc-length parametrized, and has unit speed.

6
Example:

(a) For 𝐫(𝑡) = 𝑒 𝑡 𝐢 + √2𝑡𝐣 − 𝑒 −𝑡 𝐤, find the velocity vector, acceleration vector, speed and
acceleration.
(b) Reparametrize the given curve in the same orientation in terms of arc length measured from
the point where 𝑡 = 0.

Solution:
(a) Left as exercises.
(b) The arc length from the point where 𝑡 = 0 to the point corresponding to
𝑡
arbitrary 𝑡 is 𝑠 = ∫0 (𝑒 𝑡 + 𝑒 −𝑡 )𝑑𝑡 = 2 sinh 𝑡.

𝑠 𝑠+√𝑠 2+4 𝑠+√𝑠 2+4


This gives 𝑡 = sinh−1 (2) = ln ( ) and 𝑒 𝑡 = .
2 2

𝑠+√𝑠 2 +4 𝑠+√𝑠 2+4 −2


Therefore, 𝐫(𝑠) = 〈 , √2 ln ( ), 〉, 𝑠 > 0.
2 2 𝑠+√𝑠 2+4

7
Supplementary Material on Limits (Term 1 materials)
lim 𝑓(𝑥) and lim+ 𝑓(𝑥) are the one-sided limits of 𝑓(𝑥) at the point a.
𝑥→𝑎 − 𝑥→𝑎

lim 𝑓(𝑥) is the two-sided limit of 𝑓(𝑥) at the point a.


𝑥→𝑎

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