Chapter 13: Vector Functions

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo

2018-II

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 1 / 21

1 13.1 Vector Functions and Space Curves

2 13.2 Derivatives and Integrals of Vector Functions

3 13.3 Arc Length and Curvature

4 13.4 Motion in Space: Velocity & Acceleration

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 2 / 21

 13.1 Vector Functions and Space Curves

13.1 Vector Functions and Space Curves I

A vector-valued function (or vector function) is simply a function

r:R → R3
t 7→ r(t) = hf (t), g (t), h(t)i
t 7→ r(t) = f (t)i + g (t)j + h(t)k.

Note that for every number t in the domain of r there is a unique vector denoted
by r(t). The functions f , g , and h are real-valued functions called the
component functions of r.

The limit of a vector function r is defined by taking the limits of its component
functions as follows.

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 3 / 21

 13.1 Vector Functions and Space Curves

13.1 Vector Functions and Space Curves II

A vector function r is continuous at continuous if

lim r(t) = r(a)

t→a

A space curve is a vector function r : I → R3 where I is an interval and each

component function is a continuous one in I .
The equations x = f (t), y = g (t) and z = h(t) are termed parametric
equations of C and t is called a parameter.

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 4 / 21

 13.1 Vector Functions and Space Curves

13.1 Vector Functions and Space Curves III

Figure: Space Curve.

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 5 / 21

 13.1 Vector Functions and Space Curves

13.1 Vector Functions and Space Curves IV

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 6 / 21

 13.2 Derivatives and Integrals of Vector Functions

Derivatives of Vector Functions I

The derivative r0 of a vector function r is defined in much the same way as for real
- valued functions:

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 7 / 21

 13.2 Derivatives and Integrals of Vector Functions

Derivatives of Vector Functions II

The vector r0 (t) is called the tangent vector to the curve defined by r at the
point P, provided that r0 (t) exists and r0 (t) 6= 0.
The tangent line to C at P is defined to be the line through P parallel to the
tangent vector r0 (t). We will also have occasion to consider the unit tangent
vector, which is
r0 (t)
T(t) = 0 .
|r (t)|
This vector indicates the direction of the curve.

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 8 / 21

 13.2 Derivatives and Integrals of Vector Functions

Derivatives of Vector Functions III

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 9 / 21

 13.2 Derivatives and Integrals of Vector Functions

Derivatives of Vector Functions IV

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 10 / 21

 13.2 Derivatives and Integrals of Vector Functions

Integrals of Vector Functions I

The definite integral of a continuous vector function r can be defined as:

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 11 / 21

 13.3 Arc Length and Curvature

Length of a Curve I

The length of a space curve C , which has the vector equation

r(t) = hf (t), g (t), h(t)i where a < t < b and f 0 , g 0 , and h0 are continuous, is
defined by

We define its arc length function s by

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 12 / 21

 13.3 Arc Length and Curvature

Length of a Curve II

By the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, we obtain

ds
= |r(t)|.
dt
It is often useful to parametrize a curve with respect to arc length because
arc length arises naturally from the shape of the curve and does not depend on a
particular coordinate system.

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 13 / 21

 13.3 Arc Length and Curvature

Length of a Curve III

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 14 / 21

 13.3 Arc Length and Curvature

Length of a Curve IV

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 15 / 21

 13.3 Arc Length and Curvature

Curvature I

A parametrization r(t) is called smooth on an interval I if r0 is continuous and

r(t) 6= 0 on I . A curve is called smooth if it has a smooth parametrization.

The curvature of C at a given point is a measure of how quickly the curve

changes direction at that point.

Specifically, we define it to be the magnitude of the rate of change of the unit

tangent vector with respect to arc length.

We use arc length so that the curvature will be independent of the

parametrization.

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 16 / 21

 13.3 Arc Length and Curvature

Curvature II

Example
1 Show that the curvature of a circle of radius a is 1a .
2 Find the curvature of the twisted cubic r(t) = ht, t 2 , t 3 i at a general point
and at (0, 0, 0).
3 For the special case of a plane curve with equation y = f (x),

|f 00 (x)|
κ(t) = 3/2
. (1)
(1 + [f 0 (x)]2 )

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 17 / 21

 13.3 Arc Length and Curvature

The Normal and Binormal Vectors I

At any point where κ 6= 0 we can define the principal unit normal vector N(t)
(or simply unit normal) as
T0 (t)
N(t) = 0 .
|T (t)|

The vector B(t) = T(t) × N(t) is called the binormal vector.

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 18 / 21

 13.3 Arc Length and Curvature

The Normal and Binormal Vectors II

The plane determined by the normal and binormal vectors N and B at a point P
on a curve C is called the normal plane of C at P and it consists of all lines that
are orthogonal to the tangent vector T.

The plane determined by the vectors T and N is called the osculating plane of C
at P.

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 19 / 21

 13.3 Arc Length and Curvature

The Normal and Binormal Vectors III

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 20 / 21

 13.3 Arc Length and Curvature

The Normal and Binormal Vectors IV

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 21 / 21

 13.4 Motion in Space: Velocity & Acceleration

13.4 Motion in Space: Velocity & Acceleration I

Jose Rubén Niño Quevedo Chapter 13: Vector Functions 2018-II 22 / 21