Introduction Graph Vector Equations Operations Exercises

Vector-Valued Functions
Mathematics 54 - Elementary Analysis 2

Institute of Mathematics
University of the Philippines-Diliman

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 Introduction Graph Vector Equations Operations Exercises

Introduction to Vector-Valued Functions

Definition.
A vector-valued function ~
R, or simply a vector function, is a function
whose domain is a set of real numbers and whose range is a set of vectors.

Examples.

~
R (t) = t 2 ı̂ + (t + 1) ̂; ~S (t) = 〈cost, sint, t〉

Remarks.
1 A function f : R → R is called a real-valued function or a scalar
function.
Let ~
­ ®
2 R (t) = x (t) , y (t) , z (t) , where x, y and z are real-valued functions.
The domain of ~ R, denoted by dom~ R, is given by

dom~
R = dom x ∩ dom y ∩ dom z.

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 Introduction Graph Vector Equations Operations Exercises

Domain of Vector Functions

Example
Determine the domain of the following vector functions:
1
1 ~
R (t) = ln(t − 1)ı̂ + 2 ̂
t −t −6
1 p
¿ À
2 ~S (t) = , 4 − t, et
t +5
D p E
3 ~
A (t) = sin(t − 2), t 2 − t, log t

Solution.
1
dom~R = (1, +∞) ∩ R\{−2, 3}
= (1, 3) ∪ (3, +∞)

2
dom~S = R\{−5} ∩ (−∞, 4] ∩ R
= (−∞, −5) ∪ (−5, 4]

3
dom~
A = R ∩ ((−∞, 0] ∪ [1, +∞)) ∩ (0, +∞)
= [1, +∞)

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 Introduction Graph Vector Equations Operations Exercises

Graphing Vector Functions

Definition.
→
−
The graph of R (t) = 〈x(t), y(t), z(t)〉 is the curve in space traced by the
→
− →
−
endpoints of the vector R in its standard position, for all t ∈ dom R (t), in
the direction of the increasing parameter t.

Remark
→
−
For the vector-valued function R (t) = 〈x(t), y(t), z(t)〉, the equations
x = x(t), y = y(t), z = z(t) are the parametric equations of the curve.
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 Introduction Graph Vector Equations Operations Exercises

Graphing Vector Functions

Consider
→
−
R (t) = t 2 ı̂ + (t + 1) ̂.

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 Introduction Graph Vector Equations Operations Exercises

Graphing Vector Functions

Consider
~S (t) = 〈cost, sint, t〉 .(circularhelix)

Some points:

t = 0, π6 , π4 , π3 ;
t = π2 , 2π 3π 5π
3 , 4 , 6 ;

t = π, 7π 5π 4π
6 , 4 , 3 ;
3π 5π 11π
t = 2 , 3 , 6 , 2π.

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 Introduction Graph Vector Equations Operations Exercises

Remark
The graph of the vector function ~
R(t) = 〈f (t), g(t), h(t)〉 is identical to the
graph of the parametric curve

x = f (t) y = g(t) z = h(t)

Example
Sketch the graph of ~
R(t) = sin(t)ı̂ + sin3 (t) ̂.

Solution. Consider the parametric curve x = sin t, y = sin3 t

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 Introduction Graph Vector Equations Operations Exercises

Example
Sketch the graph of ~
R(t) = [(2 + 2 cos(t)) cos(t)]ı̂ + [(2 + 2 cos(t)) sin(t)] ̂ + t k̂.

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 Introduction Graph Vector Equations Operations Exercises

Vector Equations

Consider the line in space passing through P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) and parallel to a

vector~v = 〈a, b, c〉

Vector equation of the line is~r(t) = 〈x0 + at, y0 + bt, z0 + ct〉.

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 Introduction Graph Vector Equations Operations Exercises

Vector Equations
Find a vector equation of the line segment that joins the points P(1, −2, 3)
−→
and Q(4, 2, 2). Take~v = PQ = 〈3, 4, −1〉.

line:~r(t) = 〈1 + 3t, −2 + 4t, 3 − t〉

line segment: ~ R(t) = 〈1 + 3t, −2 + 4t, 3 − t〉, 0 ≤ t ≤ 1
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 Introduction Graph Vector Equations Operations Exercises

Vector Equations

Example
Find a vector equation for the curve of intersection of the cylinder
x2 y 2
+ = 1 and the plane y + z = 3.
9 4

Parametrization of the cylinder:

x = 3 cos t, and y = 2 sin t, since
x2 y 2
cos2 t + sin2 t = + = 1.
9 4
Thus, z = 3 − y = 3 − 2 sin t.
Hence, a vector equation for the
curve is
→
−
R (t) = 〈3 cos t, 2 sin t, 3 − 2 sin t〉.

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 Introduction Graph Vector Equations Operations Exercises

Operations on Vector Functions

F and ~
Let ~ G be vector functions and f be a real-valued function.
1 F +~
Addition: (~ F (t) + ~
G) (t) := ~ G (t)

2 F ·~
Dot Product: (~ F (t) · ~
G) (t) := ~ G (t)

3 F ×~
Cross Product: (~ F (t) × ~
G) (t) := ~ G (t)

4 Scalar Product: (f ~
F ) (t) := f (t)~
F (t)

5 Composition with real-valued function: (~

F ◦ f ) (t) := ~
F (f (t))

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 Introduction Graph Vector Equations Operations Exercises

Operations on Vector Functions

Example
→
− ® →−
Given F (t) = t + 1, t 2 − 1, t − 1 , G (t) = 〈t − 1, 1, t + 1〉, and f (t) = et − 1.
­

− →
→ −
( F − G ) (t) = t + 1, t 2 − 1, t − 1 − 〈t − 1, 1, t + 1〉
­ ®

= 2ı̂ + (t 2 − 2) ̂ − 2k̂
− →
→ −
( F × G ) (t) = 〈t + 1, t 2 − 1, t − 1〉 × 〈t − 1, 1, t + 1〉
= t 2 − 1 (t + 1) − (t − 1) ı̂ − (t + 1)2 − (t − 1)2 ̂
¡¡ ¢ ¢ ¡ ¢
¡ ¡ 2 ¢¢
+ (t + 1) − (t − 1) t − 1 k̂
= t 3 + t 2 − 2t ı̂ − (4t) ̂ + −t 3 + t 2 + 2t k̂
¡ ¢ ¡ ¢

→
− →
−¡ ¢ D¡ ¢2 E
( F ◦ f ) (t) = F et − 1 = et − 1 + 1, et − 1 − 1, et − 1 − 1
¢ ¡ ¡ ¢

= et , e2t − 2et , et − 2
­ ®

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 Introduction Graph Vector Equations Operations Exercises

Exercises

1−t
1 Find the domain of ~
R(t) = ı̂ − esin t ̂.
t2 − 4
3 p
¿ À
2 Find the domain of ~S(t) = ln(t + 2), , 9 − t 2 .
t
3 Sketch the graph of ~
R(t) = 〈4t 2 , 3, t〉.
4 Find the vector equation of the line segment passing through the
points (1, 3, −2) and (3, 2, 4).
5 Find the vector equation of the line of intersection of the planes
3x − y + z = 3 and 2x + 2y − z = 5.
6 Find the parametric equations of the curve of intersection of the
paraboloids z = x2 + y 2 and 4 = 3x2 + y 2 + z.
π
7 Let ~
F (t) = 〈sin 2t, cos 4t, t〉 and g(t) = t − . Find (~
F ◦ g)(π).
2

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