Spring 2020 Math 155 Professor Shneerson

1 Arc Length (Section 7.4).

Basic de…nitions.
Arc: A part of the unbroken curved line.
Arc length: The distance along the curved line making up the curve.
If we laid a piece of string along a given arc and then measured it against a
ruler, this length would be the arc length.

The Arc Length Formula

Theorem 1. Let y = f (x) be a function whose derivative f 0 (x) is continu-

ous on some open interval containing the closed interval [a; b]. Let L be the
arc length of the portion of a graph of f between the points A (a; f (a)) and
B(b; f (b)). (See Fig.1-2 ). Then

Rb q
L= 1 + [f 0 (x)]2 dx. (1)
a

Proof. Let us divide the interval [a; b] into …nite number, say n of equal
parts. Since the length of this interval equals b a, then each of these parts is
a sub-interval of length
b a
x= : (2)
n
Let [xi 1 ; xi ] be the i-th subinterval for i = 1; 2; :::n where i0 = a and in = b
and
xi xi 1 = x (i = 1; 2; :::n). (3)
For simplicity, let us start from the case when n = 3.
Then we have the partition of the segment [a; b] into 3 equal parts formed
by the points

a = x0 ; x0 + x = x1 ; x1 + x = x2 ; x 2 + x = x3 = b. (4)

Let ` AB denote the arc associated with the portion of the curve y = f (x)
between the points A and B.
Let

P0 (x0 ; f (x0 ); P1 (x1 ; f (x1 ); P2 (x2 ; f (x2 )); P3 (x3 ; f (x3 )) (5)

be the points on the curve y = f (x) with respect to the division points of the
segment [a; b]. Thus P0 = A and P3 = B:
(See Fig.3 )

1
 Let
L1 : the length of the arc ` P0 P1 ; L2 :the length of the arc ` P1 P2 and L3 :
the length of the arc ` P2 P3 :
It is clear that
L1 + L2 + L3 = L: (6)
Consider the polygonal chain P0 P1 P2 and the following approximation for-
mulas L1 j P0 P1 j; L2 j P1 P2 j; L3 j P2 P3 j.
Then
L j P0 P1 j + j P1 P2 j + j P2 P 3 j : (7)
The formula (7) can be rewritten using the sigma notation as

P
3 P
3
Li j Pi 1 Pi j: (8)
i=1 i=1

More general, if the segment [a; b] is divided into n equal parts then using
the points

P0 (x0 ; f (x0 ); P1 (x1 ; f (x1 ); ; :::; Pn 1 (xn 1 ; f (xn 1 )); Pn (xn ; f (xn )) (9)

on our curve we may consider the polygonal chain of segments

P0 P1 ; P1 P2 ; :::; Pn 1 Pn (10)

joining successive points P0 and P1 ; P1 and P2 ; :::; Pn 1 and Pn :(Fig.4)

Also the length of j Pi 1 Pi j of the segment Pi 1 Pi joining the points Pi 1
and Pi for i = 1; 2; :::n can be made as close to the length Li of the arc ` Pi 1 Pi
of the curve between x i 1 and xi as we please by making a number n su¢ ciently
large. In other words,
Pn
Li = L; (11)
i=1

Li j Pi 1 Pi j (i = 1; 2; :::n) (12)
and (Fig.5)
P
n P
n
L= Li j Pi 1 Pi j: (13)
i=1 i=1

We can …nd the length j Pi 1 Pi

j using the distance formula, namely
s
p (yi yi 1 )2
j Pi 1 Pi j= (xi xi 1 )2 + (yi yi 1 )2 = (xi xi 1 )2 (1 + (14)
)=
(xi xi 1 )2
s
2
yi yi 1
(xi xi 1) 1 + : (15)
xi xi 1

It follows from the Mean Value Theorem (Textbook, Section 3.2, p.154) that
yi yi 1
= f 0 (ci ) (16)
xi xi 1

2
for some number ci with xi < ci < xi and therefore
1
s s
2 p
(yi yi 1 )2 yi yi 1
1+ 2
= 1 + = 1 + [f 0 (ci )]2 : (17)
(xi xi 1 ) xi xi 1

Then
q q q
j Pi 1 Pi j= (xi xi 1) 1 + [f 0 (ci )]2 = 1 + [f 0 (ci )]2 (xi xi 1) = 1 + [f 0 (ci )]2 x:
(18)
Hence,
P
n n q
P
j Pi 1 Pi j= 1 + [f 0 (ci )]2 x: (19)
i=1 i=1

Combining (19) and (13) we obtain

P
n n q
P
L j Pi 1 Pi j= 1 + [f 0 (ci )]2 x: (20)
i=1 i=1

At the same time, the right- hand side of (20) pis the n th Riemann Sum
(Textbook, Section 4.2, p. 211) of the function 1p+ [f 0 (x)]2 with the sample
points ci . Since f 0 (x) is continuous on [a; b], then 1 + [f 0 (x)]2 is such. This
implies that
n q
P Rb p
1 + [f 0 (ci )]2 x ! 1 + [f 0 (x)]2 (x)dx (as n ! 1) (21)
i=1 a

and produces the formula (1).

dy
Since f 0 (x) = dx is the ratio of di¤erentials dy and dx, then we can also
rewrite the formula (1) in the form
r
Rb dy
L= 1 + ( )2 dx: (22)
a dx
p
Example 1. Find the arc length of the curve y = 9 x2 from x = 0 to
x = 2:
Remark 1: This curve is a top half of a semicircle of radius 3 whose center
is at the origin
(See Fig. 6). p
Solution. We have that f (x) = 9 x2 ; a = 0; b = 23 :
p Let us …nd the derivative of f using the Chain Rule. It is clear that f (x) =
u, with u =p9 x2 . Hence
f 0 (x) = ( u)0 (9 x2 )0 = 2p1 u ( 2x) = ux = p9 xx2 .
+ q
2 2 2 p
[1 + [f (x)] = 1 + 9 x x2 = 9 9x x+x
0 2
2 = 9 9x2 ) 1 + [f 0 (x)]2 (x) = 9 9x2 =
p 3 :
9 x2

3
 Thus
3
R2 3
L= p dx: (23)
0 9 x2
Put x = 3t. Then dx = 3dt:
3
It is clear that x = 0 ) t = 0 and x = 2 ) t = 12 .
Therefore
3 1 1
R2 3 R2 3 R2 9
p dx = p (3dt) = p dt = (24)
0 9 x2 0 9 (3t)2 0 9 9t2
1 1 1
R2 9 R2 9 R2 1
p dt = p dt = 3 p dt = (25)
0 9(1 t2 ) 0 3( (1 t2 )) 0 1 t2
t= 1 1
3 arcsin(t) jt=02 = 3(arcsin( ) arcsin(0)) = 3 = : (26)
2 6 2
Answer : L = 2 :
Remark 2: We can evaluate the integral (23) using trigonometric
substitution.
Put x = 3 sin( ) (0 < =2): Then dx = 3 cos( )d : If x = 0, then
3 sin( ) = 0 and since lies in the …rst quadrant, = 0:
Similarly, if x = 32 , then sin( ) = 12 and so = 6 :
Thus
3
R2 3 R6 3 R6 3 3 cos( )
p dx = q (3 cos( )d = q d = (27)
0 9 x2 0 9 9 sin2 ( ) 0 9(1 sin2 ( ))

R6 3 3 cos( ) R6 3 3 cos( ) R6 =6
p d = d = 3d = 3 j =0 = : (28)
0 3 cos( ) 2
2
9(cos ( )
0 0
3
Example 2. Find the arc length of the curve y = x 2 from x = 0 to
x = 5 (Compare with the (Textbook, Section 7.4, Example 1 on page 394).
3 1 p 0
Solution: Now f (x) = (x 2 )0 = 23 x 2 = 32 x; [ f (x)]2 = 94 (x) and
r
R5 9
L= 1 + xdx; (29)
0 4
q q p
Since 1 + 49 x = 4+9x4 = 4+9x 2 ; then
r p
R5 9 R5 4 + 9x
1 + xdx = dx; (30)
0 4 0 2

Put v = 4 + 9x, then dv = 9dx and so dx = 19 du: Thus

p p
R 4 + 9x R v 1 1 Rp 1 2 3 1 p
dx = dv = vdv = (v 2 )+C = [ (4 + 9x)]3 +C:
2 2 9 18 18 3 27
(31)

4
 Then
p
R5 4 + 9x 1 p 1 p 3 p 73 23 335
dx = [ (4 + 9x)]3 jx=5
x=0 = (( 49) ( 4)3 = = .
0 2 27 27 27 27
(32)
Example 3 . Find the exact length of the curve

y = ln(cos(x)) (33)

from x = 0 to x = 3: (See Fig.5 )

Solution. Let
f (x) = ln(cos(x)); (34)
then
1 sin(x)
f 0 (x) = (cos(x))0 = = tan(x): (35)
cos(x) cos(x)
Hence

R3 q R3 p R3 x=
L= 1 + tan2 (x)dx = sec2 (x)dx = sec(x)dx = ln(tan(x)+sec(x)) jx=03
0 0 0
p (36)
1 1 1
Since tan( 3 ) = 3; sec( 3 ) = cos( 3 ) = 1=2 = 2 and sec(0) = cos(0) = 1;then

p p
= [ln(tan( )+sec( )] ln[(tan(0)+sec(0)] = ln( 3)+2) ln(0+1) = ln( 3+2)
3 3
(37)
2
Exercise 4. Find the exact length of the curve x = y 3 between the points
(1; 1) and (4; 8).
Solution. Here we are using y as the input and x as the output.
Let us …nd the derivative of x with respect to y:
dx d 2 2 2 1 2 1
= [y 3 ] = y 3 = y 3 (38)
dy dy 3 3
2=3 9y 2=3 +4
Then ( dx 2 4
dy ) = 9 (y) = 49 ( y2=3
1
) and (1 + ( dx 2 4
dy ) ) = 1 + 9 y 2=3 = 9y 2=3
.
This implies that
s s p p
dx 2 9y 2=3 + 4 9y 2=3 + 4 9y 2=3 + 4
1+( ) = = p = : (39)
dy 9y 2=3 9y 2=3 3y 1=3

Thus
s p
R8 dx R8 9y 2=3 + 4
L= 1 + ( )2 dy = dy: (40)
1 dy 1 3y 1=3

5
 Put
v = 9y 2=3 + 4: (41)
Then
2 2 1 1 6
dv = 9 y3 dy = 6y 3 dy = dy: (42)
3 y 1=3
This yields that
1 1=3
dy =
v dv: (43)
6
Also, if y = 1, then v = 13 and if y = 8, then v = 9 4 + 4 = 40:
p p
R8 9y 2=3 + 4 R40 v 1 1 1=3
1=3
dy == 1=3 6
v dv (44)
1 3y 13 1 3v
1 R8 p 1 2 3=2 v=40
vdv = ( v ) jv=13 (45)
18 1 18 3
1 3 3 1 p p 1 p p
(40 2 13 2 ) = (40 40 13 13) = (80 10 13 13): (46)
27 27 27
1
p p
Answer: L= 27 (80 10 13 13):
1
Remark 3 . Since the derivative dx 2
dy = 3 y
3 =
2
3 y 1=3
> 0 for 1 y 8;
the function x = y 2=3 is one- to-one on the interval [1; 8] and it has the inverse
y = x3=2 : Indeed, if x; y > 0; then
p 3
([x = y 2=3 ] ) [x3 = y 2 ] ) =) ([y = x3 = x 2 ]): (47)
3
Thus if x; y > 0, then [x = y 2=3 ] =) [y = x 2 ] (and vice versa!!).
This shows that the curve x = y2=3 coincides with the curve y = x3=2
in the Cartesian coordinate system. Since the points (1; 1), (4; 8) belong
to the both curves x = y 2=3 and y = x3=2 ; then the arc of the portion of the
curve x = y 2=3 from y = 1 to y = 8 coincides with the arc of the portion of the
curve y = x3=2 from x = 1 to x = 4.(Fig.8)
R4 p R4 q p p
Thus L= 1 + [(x3=2 )0 ]2 dx = 1 + 94 xdx = 27
1
(80 10 13 13).
1 1
(See in Textbook, Example 1, p.394 where the arc of the portion of the curve
3
y = x 2 between the same points (1; 1) and (4; 8) was found and the same answer
was obtained (!)).
Theorem 2. Let y = f (x) be a function which satis…es the condition of
Theorem 1 and assume that f is one- to one on the interval [a; b]. If we express
the equation y = f (x) in the form x = g(y) on [c; d] where g 0 is a continuous
function in the closed interval [c; d], then arc length of g between y = c and
y = d is s
Rdq 0
Rd dx
1 + [g (x)]2 dy = 1 + ( )2 dy. (48)
c c dy
Exercise 5. Use the arc length formula to …nd the length of the portion of
the line y = 3x from x = 0 to x = 2.

6
 Check your answer using the distance formula.
Solution:
dy dy
y = 3x; = 3; 1 + ( )2 = 1 + 9 = 10: (49)
dx dx
Thus
R2 p p p p p
L= 10dx = 10x jx=2
x=0 10 2 10 0 = 2 10: (50)
0

Checking: Since the curve y = 3x is the straightp line, then L = the distance
p
between
p the points (0; 0); (2; 6) which is equal to (2 0)2 + (6 0)2 = 40 =
2 10:
This simultaneously shows that the arc length formula is a gener-
alization of the distance formula (!).