Vector Functions

Lesson 5

Objectives
At the end of the lesson you should be able to:
1. Define a vector function.
2. Find the limit of a vector function.
3. Differentiate a vector function.
4. Evaluate a given line integral.
 Vector Functions
Lesson 6

Objectives
At the end of the lesson you should be
able to:
1. Define a vector function.
2. Find the limit of a vector function.
3. Differentiate a vector function.
4. Evaluate a given integral.
 Vector Function

Definition :
A vector function is a function whose domain is a
set of real numbers and whose range is a set of vectors.
In notation,
r(t)  f(t) i  g(t)j  h(t) k,
r(t)  f(t), g(t), h(t)  ,

where f(t), g(t), and h(t) are the components of r(t) and t  R .

2 t
Examples : 1) r(t)   t , e , sint 
2) r(t)  (cos t ) i  ( sin t ) j  t k
 Limit

The limit of a vector function r(t) is defined

by taking limits of its component function,
That is ,
lim r(t)  lim f(t), lim g(t) , lim h(t) 
ta t a t a t a

provided the limits of of the component

functions exists.
 Limit
Conti…

To find the limit of the vector function,

1. Substitute t  a as t  a in the function.
2. Otherwise use L’ Hospital’ s Rule.

L’ Hospital’ s Rule :
f(x) f (x)
lim  lim ,
x a g(x) x a g (x)
f(x)
where g' (x)  0 and lim becomes
x a g(x)
 0
indeterminate form type like or .
 0
 Continuous Vector Function

Definition :
A vector function r (t) is said to be continuous at a
point a, if lim r(t)  r(a).
t a

Remark :
A vector function r(t)  f(t), g(t),h(t)  is continuous
if and only if each of f(t), g(t) and h(t) is continuous

Examples : r(t)  (cos t ) i  ( sin t ) j  t k

 Space Curve

Definition :
If f(t), g(t) and h(t) are continuous
z
real - valued function on an interval I.
Then the set C of all points (x, y, z) in space,
where x  f(t), y  g(t), z  h(t) and t varies
P( f (t ), g (t ), h(t ))
throughout the interval I, is called
Space curve . These equation are called
parametric equations of C and t is called a
parameter.
o

x r (t )  f (t ), g (t ), h(t ) 
y
Derivative of a Vector Function

The derivative r (t) of a vector function r(t) is

defined in the same way as for real valued
functions.
dr
 r (t)
dt
dr r(t  h)  r(t)
 lim
dt h0 h

Second derivative r    r (t) 

Third derivative r    r (t)  , etc,.
 Geometric Interpretation
of Derivative

Tangent line :
z
The tangent line to the curve C Tangent vector
r ' (t)
at the point P is defined by the C
line through the point P and parallel P Secant vector
r (t  h)  r (t)
to the tangent vector r ' (t).
r (t ) Q
Unit Tangent Vector :
0 r (t  h)

The unit tangent vector to the curve C x

at the point P is denoted by T(t) y
r ' (t)
and is given by T(t)  .
r ' (t)
 Theorem

Theorem :
If r (t)  f(t), g(t) , h(t)  where f, g and h are
differenti able functions, then r (t)  f (t), g (t), h (t)  .

Remark :
Rules for derivative s of vector functions are
similar to the rules of derivative s of real valued functions.
 Differentiation Rules

If u and v are differenti able vector functions,

c is a scalar, and f(t) is a scalar function
(real - valued function), then
d
1. [ u (t)  v(t)]  u  (t)  v (t)
dt
d d
2. [c u (t)]  c [ u (t)]  c u  (t)
dt dt
d
3. [f(t) u (t)]  f (t) u (t)  f(t) u  (t)
dt
 Differentiation Rules
Conti…

d
4. [ u (t)  v(t)]  u  (t)  v(t)  u (t)  v (t)
dt
d
5. [ u (t)  v(t)]  u  (t)  v(t)  u (t)  v (t)
dt
d
6. [ u (f(t))]  f (t) u  (f(t)) (Chain Rule).
dt
 Smooth Curves

Definition:
A curve given by a vector function r(t) on an interval I
is called smooth if r’(t) is continuous and r’(t) is not
equal to 0(except possibly at any endpoints of I).
 Integrals

The definite integral of a continuous vector r(t) can be

defined in the same way as for real valued functions
except that of the integral is a vector.
If r(t)  f(t) i  g(t)j  h(t)k, then
b b b b

 r(t) dt  ( f(t)dt)i  ( (g(t)dt)j  ( h(t)dt)k.

a a a a

The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus:

b
If R (t)  r(t), then  r(t)dt  {R(t)} ba  R(b)  R(a).
a
 Arc Length and Curvature
Lesson 7

At the end of the lesson you should be able to :

1. Define arc length.
2. Find arc length.
3. Reparametrize the curve with respect to arc length.
4. Define curvature.
5. Find curvature.
6. Define TNB
7. Find TNB
8. Define Normal plane and Osculating plane
9. Find the Normal plane and Osculating plane at point on a curve
UTP/JBJ 1
 Arc Length

Definition:
Suppose that the curve r (t )  f (t )i  g (t ) j  h(t ) k , a  t  b,
where f , g  and h are continuous. If the curve is traversed
exactly once from a to b, then its arc length is given by
b
z
L   [ f ' (t )]  [ g ' (t )]  [ h(t )] dt .
2 2 2

C
Since r ' (t )  f ' (t )i  g ' (t ) j  h' (t ) k , r (b )

r ' (t )  [ f ' (t )]  [ g ' (t )]  [ h' (t )] .

2 2 2
we have
r (a)

x
Thus, L
b
a r ' (t ) dt y
 Arc Length Function

r(t)
If a curve is reparametrized in terms of its arc length(s)
then it is convenient to understand the curve in terms of its
own arc length.
To obtain the parameter s (the arc length) we use the following
t
arc length function:
s  s(t )   r ' (u ) du
a

Differentiating both sides we get,

ds
 r (t )
dt
 Curvature

The curvature of a curve C (= r (t ) ) at any given point

is a measure of how quickly the curve changes its direction at that
point. More precisely, it is defined to be the magnitude of the rate of
change of the unit tangent vector T with respect to arc length, and it
is denoted by  . Thus,
dT T ' (t )
  
ds r '(t )
 Theorem

Theorem:

The curvature of the curve given by the

vector function r (t ) is
r (t )  r (t )
  3
r (t )
 Normal and Binormal Vectors

At a given point on a smooth space curve r(t),

the Principal Unit Normal vector N(t) (or simply called
unit normal vector) is defined as
T(t)
N(t)  ,
T(t)
where T (t) is a unit tangent vector.

The Binormal vector B (t) is defined as a vector

perpendicular to both T and N and also a unit vector.
Thus, B (t)  T (t)  N(t) .
 The T N B

T - the unit Tangent vector represents the

forward direction.
z
C
T N - the unit Normal vector represents the
N
y
B direction in which your turning(when
you travel along the curve)

x B - is the Binormal vector a tendency

of your motion to “twist”out of the plane
 Normal and Osculating planes

The plane determined by the vectors N and B at a point P

on C is called the normal plane.

Note: The tangent vector r (t ) becomes normal vector to the

normal plane.

The plane determined by the vectors T and N at a point P

on C is called the osculating plane

Note: The tangent vector B becomes normal vector to the

normal plane.
 Osculating circle
(or)
Circle of curvature

The circle that lies in the osculating plane of C at P

is called the osculating circle (or) the circle of curvature

The radius of the osculating circle at the point P is

denoted by ρ and it is defined as
1
ρ ,
κ
where  is the curvature of C at the point P.
 Torsion

The torsion measures the degree of twisting of a curve

at a point P. It is denoted by T and it is given by

(r   r )  r 
T  2
r   r 