Thursday, November 10 ∗∗ Green’s Theorem

Green’s Theorem is a 2-dimensional version of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus: it relates the
(integral of) a vector field F on the boundary of a region D to the integral of a suitable derivative of F
over the whole of D.

1. Let D be the unit square with vertices (0, 0), (1, 0), (0, 1), and (1, 1) and consider the vector field
­ ® ­ ®
F(x, y) = P (x, y), Q(x, y) = x y, x + y . See below right for a plot.
(a) For the curve C = ∂D oriented
Z counter-
F
clockwise, directly evaluate F · d r. Hint: to
C
speed things up, have each group member fo-
cus on one side of C .
D
∂Q ∂P
Ï
(b) Now compute − dA.
D ∂x ∂y
(c) Check that Green’s Theorem works in this ex-
ample.
SOLUTION:

(a) We split the square up into four pieces, parametrizing and integrating one a time.
Right side: C 1 is parametrized by r1 (t ) = (1, t ), 0 ≤ t ≤ 1.

1 1 · ¸1
1 3
Z Z Z
F · dr = (t , 1 + t ) · (0, 1)d t = 1+ tdt = t + t2 =
C1 0 0 2 0 2

Top side: C 2 is parametrized by r2 (t ) = (1 − t , 1), 0 ≤ t ≤ 1.

1 1 · ¸1
1 1
Z Z Z
F · dr = (1 − t , −t ) · (−1, 0)d t = t − 1d t = t 2 − t =−
C2 0 0 2 0 2

Left side: C 3 is parametrized by r3 (t ) = (0, 1 − t ), 0 ≤ t ≤ 1.

1 1 · ¸1
1 1
Z Z Z
F · dr = (0, 1 − t ) · (0, −1)d t = t − 1d t = t 2 − t =−
C3 0 0 2 0 2

Bottom side: C 4 is parametrized by r4 (t ) = (t , 0), 0 ≤ t ≤ 1.

Z Z 1 Z 1
F · dr = (0, t ) · (1, 0)d t = 0d t = 0
C4 0 0

So, the line integral around the entire boundary C going counterclockwise is

3 1 1 1
Z
F · dr = − − + 0 =
C =∂D 2 2 2 2

(b) ¸x=1
∂Q ∂P
Z 1Z 1 Z 1· 1
1 1 1
Ï Z
− dA = 1 − x dx dy = x − x2 dy = dy =
D ∂x ∂y 0 0 0 2 x=0 0 2 2
 (c) The result for either computation was 12 , demonstrating Green’s theorem for this example.

y
2. Compute the line integral of
F(x, y) = x 3 , 4x along the path
­ ®

C shown at right against a grid of

unit-sized squares. To save work,
use Green’s Theorem to relate this C
A
to a line integral over the vertical x
path joining B to A. Hint: Look
at the region D bounded by these
two paths. Check your answer B
with the instructor.

SOLUTION:
Let L be the line segment going from B to A. Then, we can now apply Green’s theorem to com-
bination of C and L. Let D be the region bounded by these two paths. Then, by Green’s theorem,
since we are oriented correctly,

∂Q ∂P ∂ ∂ 3
Z Ï Ï Ï
F · dr = − dA = (4x) − (x ) dA = 4 dA = 4 · Area(A) = 16
∂D D ∂x ∂y D ∂x ∂y D

because the area of the region is made of exactly 4 unit squares. The boundary of D is C and L:
Z Z Z
F · d r = F · d r + F · d r = 16
∂D C L

The line integral along L is easier: parametrizing L by r(t ) = (−1, t ) for −1 ≤ t ≤ 0, we get
Z Z 0 Z 0
F · dr = (−1, −4) · (0, 1)d t = −4d t = −4
∂L −1 −1

Putting it together, Z Z
F · d r = 16 − F · d r = 16 − (−4) = 20
C L
3. Consider the quarter circle C shown below
y
and the vector field F(x, y) = 2xe y , x + x 2 e y .
­ ®

The goal of this

Z problem is to compute the line B = (0, 4)
integral I 0 = F · d r.
C C

x
A = (4, 0)

(a) Parameterize C and start directly expanding out I 0 into an ordinary integral in t until you
are convinced that finding I 0 this way will be a highly unpleasant experience.
(b) Check that F is not conservative, so we can’t use that trick directly to compute I 0 .
(c) Find a function f (x, y) such that F = G + ∇ f , where G is the vector field 〈0, x〉.
(d) Argue geometrically that G integrates to 0 along any line segment contained in either the
x-axis or the y-axis.
Z
(e) Use part (d) with Green’s Theorem to show that G · d r = 4π.
C
(f) Combine parts (c–e) with the Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals to evaluate I 0 . Check
your answer with the instructor.

SOLUTION:

(a)
∂P ∂Q
(b) Look at the partials: = 2xe y 6= 1 + 2xe y = . For conservative vector fields, these two
∂y ∂x
partials have to be the same (since mixed partial commute).
(c) F − G = 〈2xe y , x 2 e y 〉, which now is conservative, with potential function f (x, y) = x 2 e y
(d) Along the y-axis, x = 0, so G = 〈0, 0〉. Along the x-axis, G = 〈0, x〉, is always exactly vertical,
hence perpendicular to any portion of the x-axis. So, the line integral will be 0.
(e) Take D to be region bounded by the arc C and the two axes. By part (d),
Z Z
G · dr = G · dr
∂D C

Now, Green’s Theorem tells us that

1
Z Ï
G · dr = 1 dA = (π · 42 ) = 4π
∂D D 4

Combining these tells us that Z

G · d r = 4π
C
 (f) F = G + ∇ f , so taking the line integrals,
Z Z Z
F · dr = G · dr + ∇f · dr
C C C

In (e), we computed the first integral, and we can immediately evaluate the other using
the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus for Line Integrals:
Z
F · d r = 4π + ( f (0, 4) − f (4, 0)) = 4π − 16
C

4. Consider the shaded region V shown, bounded by a circle C 1

C1
of radius 5 and two smaller circles C 2 and C 3 of radius 1. Sup-
­ ® ∂Q ∂P
pose F(x, y) = P, Q is a vector field where − = 2 on
∂x Z ∂y
C2 C3
Z
V . Assuming in addition that F·d r = 3π and F·d r = 4π,
C2 C3
Z V
compute F · d r. Check your answer with the instructor.
C1

SOLUTION:
Note that the outer curve C 1 is oriented as we would want it to be to use for Green’s theorem,
but the other two are oriented backwards (walking along C 2 or C 3 , our left arm points outside
V ). So, ∂V = C 1 −C 2 −C 3 , and Green’s theorem gives
∂Q ∂P
Z Z Z Ï
F · dr = F · dr + F · dr + − dA = 3π + 4π + 2 · Area(V )
C1 C2 C3 V ∂x ∂y
The area is just that of the larger disk minus the other two:

Area(V ) = π · 52 − π − π = 23π

and so Z
F · d r = 53π
C1

5. Suppose DZ is a region inZthe plane bounded by a closed curve C . Use Green’s Theorem to show
that both x dy and − y dx are equal to Area(D).
C C
SOLUTION:
Using the alternate notation for line integrals, Green’s theorem says
∂Q ∂P
Z Ï
P dx +Q dy = − dA
∂D D ∂x ∂y
So, applying this two the given vector fields:
∂
Z Ï Ï
x dy = x dA = 1 dA = Area(D)
∂D D ∂x D

∂
Z Ï Ï
− y dx = − − y dA = 1 dA = Area(D)
∂D D ∂y D
6. The curve satisfying x 3 + y 3 = 3x y is called the y
Folium of Descartes and is shown at right.

(a) Let C be the “bulb” part of this folium,

more precisely, the part in the positive
quadrant. Show that any line y = t x for
t > 0 meets C in exactly two points, one
x
of which is the origin. Use this fact to
parameterize C by taking the slope t as
the parameter.

(b) Use part (a) and Problem 5 to compute

the area bounded by C . Check your an-
swer with the instructor.
SOLUTION:

(a) Our curve is defined by x 3 + y 3 − 3x y = 0. If we consider a line of slope t > 0 through the
origin, it meets C in one other point. Let y = t x; then,

x 3 + t 3 x 3 − 3t x 2 = 0

x 2 (x + t 3 x − 3t ) = 0

We can divide by x as we are looking for the solution with x > 0:

3t 3t 2
x= =⇒ y =
1+ t3 1+ t3
This gives a parametrization for 0 ≤ t < ∞.
(b) We use the first integral in the previous problem to compute the area:

6t (1 + t 3 ) − 3t 2 (3t 2 )
¶ Z ∞ 2
∞ 3t (6 − 3t 3 )
µ
3t
Z Z
Area(D) = x dy = d t = dt
C 0 1+ t3 (1 + t 3 )2 0 (1 + t 3 )3

We can compute this integral with a u-substitution, with u = 1 + t 3 , d u = 3t 2 :

∞ ∞ · ¸u=∞
9 − 3u 9 −2 9 3
Z Z
−3 −2 −1
du = 9u − 3u d u = − u + 3u = 0 − (− + 3) =
1 u3 1 2 u=1 2 2