Section 5.

4 - Changing the Order of Integration

Problem 1. Evaluate the integral by first reversing the order of integration,
Zx=3 Zy=9
3
x3 ey dy dx.
x=0 y=x2

Solution. Even if we tried to integrate with respect to y first, we cannot do it. We can’t just
switch either. In order to integrate with respect to x , we can’t have x’s in the limits. So,
to reverse the order, it is best to first sketch the region. Notice first that our region has two
properties:
0≤x≤3 x2 ≤ y ≤ 9.
We then can draw the region:

Since we want to integrate with respect to x first, we will need limits for x as functions of y
and we need constant bounds for y. Looking at the picture, we get
√
0≤y≤9 0 ≤ x ≤ y.
With this information, we can now set up our new integral and hopefully be able to solve it!
√
Zx=3 Zy=9 Zy=9 x=
Z y
3 3
x3 ey dy dx = x3 ey dx dy
x=0 y=x2 y=0 x=0

Zy=9  x=√y
1 4 y3 
= xe dy
4 
x=0
y=0
Zy=9
1 2 y3
= y e dy
4
y=0
y=9
1 y3 
= e 
12 y=0
1 729

= e −1 .
12

1
Problem 2. Evaluate the integral by first reversing the order of integration,
Zy=5 Zx=2 √
x4 + 1 dx dy.
√
y=0 x= 3 y

Solution. The region is described by the following two inequalities:

√
0≤y≤8 3
y ≤ x ≤ 2.

We sketch the region and get the picture

Now we can find our new inequalities and we get that

0≤x≤2 0 ≤ y ≤ x3 .

With this information, we can now set up our new integral and evaluate:

Zy=5 Zx=2 √ Z 3
Zx=2 y=x
1
x4 + 1 dx dy = (x4 + 1) 2 dy dx
√
y=0 x= 3 y x=0 y=0

Zx=2 y=x3
4

= y(x + 1) dx
y=0
x=0
Zx=2
1
= x3 (x4 + 1) 2 dx
x=0
1 3 
= 17 2 − 1 .
6

2
Note: These notes and problems are meant to follow along with Vector Calculus by Jerrold
Marsden and Anthony Tromba, Sixth Edition. The pictures were generated using Wolfram
Alpha.