The Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals

and Greens Theorem

Lucky Galvez
Institute of Mathematics
University of the Philippines
Diliman
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
Recall: FTOC
Recall from Math 53:
Theorem
Let f(x) be a function that is continuous on [a, b]. Then
_
b
a
f(x) dx = F(b) F(a)
where F

(x) = f(x).
Question: Is there an analog of this theorem for line integrals?
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
An analog of FTOC for Line Integrals
Theorem
Let C be a smooth curve given by a vector function

R(t),
a t b and f be a dierentiable function whose gradient
vector f is continuous on C. Then
_
C
f d

R = f(

R(b)) f(

R(a))
Proof. By the denition of line integrals,
_
C
f d

R =
_
b
a
f(

R(t))

R

(t) dt
=
_
b
a
_
f
x
dx
dt
+
f
y
dy
dt
+
f
z
dz
dt
_
dt
=
_
b
a
d
dt
f(

R(t)) dt (by the Chain Rule)

= f(

R(b)) f(

R(a)) (by FTOC)

Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
Notation
If f is a function of two variables and C is a plane curve with
initial point A(x
1
, y
1
) and terminal point B(x
2
, y
2
), then
_
C
f d

R = f(x
2
, y
2
) f(x
1
, y
1
).
If f is a function of three variables and C is a plane curve with
initial point A(x
1
, y
1
, z
1
) and terminal point B(x
2
, y
2
, z
2
), then
_
C
f d

R = f(x
2
, y
2
, z
2
) f(x
1
, y
1
, z
1
).
In other words, we evaluate f at the endpoints.
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
Independence of Path
Suppose C
1
and C
2
are two curves (paths) having the same
initial and terminal points. We know in general that
_
C
1

F d

R =
_
C
1

F d

R
If the equality holds for any two paths C
1
and C
2
having the
same initial and terminal points, then we say that
_
C

F d

R is
independent of path.
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
Independence of Path
Theorem
Let

F be a continuous vector eld with domain D. The line
integral
_
C

F d

R is independent of path in D if and only if

_
C

F d

R = 0 for every closed path C in D.

Proof. Let
_
C

F d

R be independent of path and consider a

closed path C in D. We can regard C = C
1
C
2
. Note that C
1
and C
2
have the same initial and terminal points. Hence,
_
C

F d

R =
_
C
1

F d

R +
_
C
2

F d

R
=
_
C
1

F d

R
_
C
2

F d

R
= 0
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals
We have seen that
_
C
f d

R is independent of path.
If we let

F = f, i.e.,

F is a conservative vector eld with
potential function f, then we have the following theorem:
Theorem (FTLI)
The line integral of a conservative vector eld

F is independent
of path. That is, if C is a smooth curve given by

R(t), a t b
with initial point A(x
1
, y
1
, z
1
) and terminal point B(x
2
, y
2
, z
2
)
and

F is a conservative vector eld which is continuous on C,
then
_
C

F d

R = f(x
2
, y
2
, z
2
) f(x
1
, y
1
, z
1
)
where f is a potential function for

F.
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals
The following follows immediately from the previous theorem.
Corollary
Let

F be a conservative vector eld with domain D. Then
_
C

F d

R = 0
for any closed curve C in D.
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals
Example
Show that the vector eld

F(x, y) =

y
2
, 2xy
_
is conservative
and evaluate
_
C

F d

R where C is the unit circle.

Solution. Recall that

F = P, Q is conservative i P
y
= Q
x
.
Since

y
y
2
= 2y =

x
2xy,
F(x, y) =

y
2
, 2xy
_
is conservative.
Now, C is a closed curve so by the previous corollary,
_
C

F d

R = 0.
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals
Example
Evaluate
_
C

F d

R where

F(x, y) =

4x
3
y
4
+ 2x, 4x
4
y
3
+ 2y
_
and C is given by

R(t) =

cos t 1, sin
_
t
2
__
, 0 t .
Solution. We can use the denition of line integrals but that
would give a nasty solution.
Instead, we can show that

F is conservative with potential
function
f(x, y) = x
4
y
4
+ x
2
+ y
2
+ c.
To use FTLI, we nd the endpoints of C. Note that

R(0) = 1, 0 and

R() = 2, 1 .
Hence,
_
C

F d

R = f(2, 1) f(1, 0) = 21 1 = 20.

Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
Exercises
1
Given

F(x, y) =
_
y
2
1 + x
2
, 2y tan
1
x
_
,
a. Show that

F is conservative and nd a potential function.
b. Evaluate
_
C

F d

R for any path C from (0, 0) to (1, 2).

2
Evaluate
_
C
sin y dx + xcos y dy, where C is the ellipse
x
2
+ xy + y
2
= 1.
3
Find the work done by the force eld

F(x, y) = e
y
, xe
y
in moving an object from the point
A(0, 1) to the point B(2, 0).
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
Orientation of a Curve
Let C be a simple closed curve. The positive orientation of
C refers to the single counterclockwise traversal of C.
Figure: positive orienation
Figure: negative orienation
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
Greens Theorem
Theorem
Let C be a positively oriented, piecewise-smooth, simple closed
curve in the plane and let D be the region bounded by C. If P
and Q have continuous partial derivatives on an open region
that contains D, then
_
C
P dx + Qdy =
__
D
_
Q
x

P
y
_
dA
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
Remarks and Notation
1
The Greens Theorem relates a line integral along a curve
C and the double integral over the plane region D bounded
by C.
2
The notation
_
C
P dx + Qdy is sometimes used to indicate
that the line integral is calculated using the positive
orientation of C.
3
Other texts denote the positively oriented boundary curve
of D as D and hence
__
D
_
Q
x

P
y
_
dA =
_
D
P dx + Qdy
4
The Greens Theorem can be regarded, in some sense, as
the analog of FTOC for double integrals.
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
Greens Theorem
Greens Theorem will also hold if the region D is not simply
connected, i.e, the boundary of D is C = C
1
C
2
(assume they
are positively oriented).
__
D
_
Q
x

P
y
_
dA =
__
D

_
Q
x

P
y
_
dA +
__
D

_
Q
x

P
y
_
dA
=
_
D

P dx + Qdy +
_
D

P dx + Qdy
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
Greens Theorem
Greens Theorem will also hold if the region D is not simply
connected, i.e, the boundary of D is C = C
1
C
2
(assume they
are positively oriented).
The line integrals along each of the common boundary points
are on opposite directions, hence they cancel and we get
__
D
_
Q
x

P
y
_
dA =
_
C
1
P dx + Qdy +
_
C
2
P dx + Qdy
=
_
C
P dx + Qdy
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
Greens Theorem
Example
Evaluate
_
C
x
2
y dx + xy
2
dy where C is the boundary of the
region D between the circles x
2
+ y
2
= 4 and x
2
+ y
2
= 1.
Solution. Note that the region D can be expressed
conveniently in polar coordinates, i.e.,
D = {(r, ) : 1 r 2, 0 2} .
Hence, by Greens Theorem,
_
C
x
2
y dx + xy
2
dy =
__
D
_
(xy
2
)
x

(x
2
y)
y
_
dA
=
__
D
y
2
x
2
dA
=
_
2
0
_
2
1
r
3
(sin
2
cos
2
) dr d = 0
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
Exercises
1
Evaluate
_
C
cos y dx + x
2
sin y dy where C is the rectangle
from (0, 0) to (0, ) to (2, ) to (2, 0) to (0, 0).
2
Evaluate
_
C
x
2
y dx + xy
2
dy where C is the positively
oriented triangle with vertices at (0, 0), (1, 0) and (0, 1).
3
Evaluate
_
C
(y + e

x
) dx + (2x + cos y
2
) dy, where C is the
positively oriented boundary of the region enclosed by the
parabolas y = x
2
and x = y
2
.
4
Use Greens Theorem to evaluate
_
C

F d

R where

F(x, y) =

x + y
3
, x
2
+

y
_
and C consists of the curve
y = sin x from (0, 0) to (, 0) and the line segment from
(, 0) to (0, 0).
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem
References
1
Stewart, J., Calculus, Early Transcendentals, 6 ed., Thomson
Brooks/Cole, 2008
2
Dawkins, P., Calculus 3, online notes available at
http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/
Math 55 FTLI and Greens Theorem