Line Integrals

Lect 5
 Line Integral
In this lecture, we define an integral that
is similar to a single integral except that, instead
of integrating over an interval [a, b], we
integrate over a curve C.
– Such integrals are called line integrals.
 Line Integral
• In mathematics, a line integral (sometimes
called a path integral, contour integral, or
curve integral) is an integral where the
function to be integrated is evaluated along a
curve.
• The function to be integrated may be a scalar
field or a vector field.
 Line Integrals (Contd.)
Consider the following problem:
• A piece of string, corresponding to a curve C, lies in
the xy-plane. The mass per unit length of the string is
f(x,y). What is the total mass of the string?
• The formula for the mass is:
Mass   f ( x, y)ds
C

• The integral above is called a line integral of f(x,y)

along C.
 Line Integrals with Respect to Arc Length

• We use a ds here to acknowledge the fact that

we are moving along the curve, C, instead of
the x-axis (denoted by dx) or the y-axis
(denoted by dy).

• Because of the ds this is sometimes called the

line integral of f with respect to arc length.
 Line Integrals with Respect to Arc Length
• Question: how do we actually evaluate the
above integral?
• The strategy is:

(1) parameterize the curve C,

(2) cut up the curve C into infinitesimal pieces i.e.

small pieces,

(3) determine the mass of each infinitesimal piece,

(4) integrate to determine the total mass.
 Arc Length
• We’ve seen the notation ds before. If you recall from
Calculus I course, when we looked at the arc length of
a curve given by parametric equations we found it to
be,

• It is no coincidence that we use ds for both of these

problems. The ds is the same for both the arc length
integral and the notation for the line integral.
 Computing Line Integral
• So, to compute a line integral we will convert
everything over to the parametric equations.
The line integral is then,

• Don’t forget to plug the parametric equations

into the function as well.
 Computing Line Integral
• If we use the vector form of the
parameterization we can simplify the notation
up by noticing that,

• Using this notation the line integral becomes,

 Special Case
• In the special case where C is the line
segment that joins (a, 0) to (b, 0), using x as
the parameter, we can write the parametric
equations of C as:
• x=x
• y=0

• a≤x≤b
 Special Case
• Line Integral formula then becomes
b
C
f  x, y  ds   f  x, 0  dx
a

– So, the line integral reduces to an ordinary

single integral in this case.
 Line Integrals

• Just as for an ordinary single integral, we can

interpret the line integral of a positive

function as an area.
 Line Integrals
• In fact, if f(x, y) ≥ 0, C f  x, y represents
ds
the area of one side of the “fence” or “curtain”
shown here,
whose:

– Base is C.

– Height above the point

(x, y) is f(x, y).
Example: 1
 Example: 1 (contd.)

du
 sin
4
Note that t cos dt Let u  sint   cos t
dt
5
u 1 5

4
 u du   sin t
5 5
 Exercise: 1
• Evaluate
  2  x y  ds
2
C
where C is the upper half of the unit circle
x2 + y2 = 1

– To use Line Integral Formula, we first need parametric

equations to represent C.
– Recall that the unit circle can be parametrized by means
of the equations

x = cos t y = sin t
 Exercise: 1 (contd.)
• Also, the upper half of the circle is described
by the parameter interval 0 ≤ t ≤ π
 Exercise: 1 (contd.)
• So, using Line integral Formula gives:
2 2
  dx    dy  dt
  2  x y  ds    2  cos t sin t 
2 2
   
C 0  dt   dt 

   2  cos 2 t sin t  sin 2 t  cos 2 t dt
0

   2  cos t sin t  dt
2
0
3 
 cos t 
  2t    2  2
3
 3 0
 Exercise: 2
• Evaluate

2
xy ds
C
Where, C is the upper right quarter of a circle
x2 + y2 = 16, rotated in counterclockwise
direction.

Answer:
256/3
Piecewise smooth Curves
 Piecewise smooth Curves
• Evaluation of line integrals over piecewise
smooth curves is a relatively simple thing to do.
All we do:
• is evaluate the line integral over each of the pieces
and then add them up.
• The line integral for some function over the above
piecewise curve would be,
Example: 2
 Example: 2 (contd.)
• At first we need to parameterize each of the
curves, i.e.
Example: 2 (contd.)
 Example: 2 (contd.)

 Notice that we put direction arrows on the

curve in this example.

 The direction of motion along a curve may

change the value of the line integral as we will see
in the next example.
 Example: 2 (contd.)
• Also note that the curve in this example can be
thought of a curve that takes us from the point (-
2,-1) to the point (1, 2) .

• Let’s first see what happens to the line integral if

we change the path between these two points.
 Example: 3

vector form of the equation of a line

  
r  ro  tv  ( xo , yo )  t (a, b)

here; ro   2,1 & direction vector will be
a, b  (1,2) - (-2,-1)  3,3
we know that the line segment start at (-2,-1) and ending at (1, 2) is
given by,
Example: 3 (contd.)
 Summary: Example: 2 & 3

• So, the previous two examples seem to suggest

that if we change the path between two points
then the value of the line integral (with respect to
arc length) will change.
• While this will happen fairly regularly we can’t
assume that it will always happen. In a later
section we will investigate this idea in more detail
• Next, let’s see what happens if we change the
direction of a path.
Example: 4
 Example: 4 (contd.)

• So, it looks like when we switch the direction of

the curve the line integral (with respect to arc
length) will not change.
• This will always be true for these kinds of line
integrals.
• However, there are other kinds of line integrals
(discussed in Exercise: 2 later on) in which this
won’t be the case.
 Example: 4 (contd.)
• We will see more examples of this in next
sections so don’t get it into your head that
changing the direction will never change the
value of the line integral.
 Fact: Curve Orientation
• Let’s suppose that the curve C has the parameterization
x = h(t ) , y = g (t )
• Let’s also suppose that the initial point on the curve is A
and the final point on the curve is B.
• The parameterization
x = h(t ) , y = g (t )
will then determine an orientation for the curve where
the positive direction is the direction that is traced (i.e.
drawn) out as t increases.
 Fact (Contd.)

• Finally, let -C be the curve with the same

points as C, however in this case the curve has
B as the initial point and A as the final point.
• Again t is increasing as we traverse this curve.
In other words, given a curve C, the curve -C is
the same curve as C except the direction has
been reversed.
 Fact (Contd.)

• For instance, here

– The initial point A
corresponds to
the parameter value.
– The terminal point B
corresponds to t = b.

– We then have the following fact about line integrals with

respect to arc length.
 Exercise: 1

• Evaluate

 C
2 x ds
• where C consists of the arc C1 of the parabola
y = x2 from (0, 0) to (1, 1) followed by the
vertical line segment C2 from (1, 1) to (1, 2).
 Exercise: 1 (Contd.)

• The curve is shown here.

• C1 is the graph of
a function of x, as y = x2

– So, we can choose t

as the parameter.
– Then, the equations for C1
become:
x = t y = t2 0 ≤ t ≤ 1
 Exercise: 1 (Contd.)

• Therefore, 1 2 2
 dx   dy 

C1

2 xds  2t      dt
0  dt   dt 
1


 2t 1  4t 2 dt
0

Now let u  1  4t 2  du  8tdt

 2tdt  1 / 4du
1
1 1/ 2

40 
u du

 
1
1 2 3/ 2
  5 5  1  1.7
 1  4t 2
4 3   0 6
 Exercise: 1 (Contd.)

• On C2, we choose y
as the parameter.
– So, the equations of C2
are:
x=1 y=t 1≤t≤2
and
1 2 2
 dx   dy 

C2

2 xds  2  1      dt
0  dt   dt 
1


 2t 0  1dt  2
0
 Exercise: 1 (Contd.)

• Thus,

 C
2 x ds   2 x ds   2 x ds
C1 C2

5 5 1
 2
6
 Line Integrals w.r.t. x & y
• The following formulas say that line integrals
with respect to x and y can also be evaluated
by expressing everything in terms of t:
x = x(t)
y = y(t)
dx = x’(t) dt
dy = y’(t) dt
 Line Integrals w.r.t. x & y (contd.)
b

C
f  x, y  dx   f  x t  , y t  x ' t  dt
a

b

C
f  x, y  dy   f  x t  , y t  y ' t  dt
a
 Exercise: 2
• Evaluate

2
xy dx
C
Where, C is the upper right quarter of a circle
x2 + y2 = 16, rotated in counterclockwise
direction.
We have
b

 f ( x, y )dx   f x(t ), y (t ) x' (t )dt

C a
 Exercise: 2 (contd.)
b

 f ( x, y )dx   f x(t ), y (t ) x' (t )dt

C a

2


C
xy 2 dx  
0
( 4 cos t )(16 sin 2 t )( 4 sin t dt )


2


C
xy 2 dx  
0
( 4 cos t )(16 sin 2 t )( 4 sin t dt )


2


C

xy 2 dx  256 sin 3 t cos t dt
0

1 4 
2
 -256 sin t   64
4 0
 ABBREVIATING
• It frequently happens that line integrals
with respect to x and y occur together.

– When this happens, it’s customary to

abbreviate by writing

C
P  x, y  dx   Q  x, y  dy
C

  P  x, y  dx  Q  x, y  dy
C
 Line Integrals
• When we are setting up a line integral,
sometimes, the most difficult thing is to think
of a parametric representation for a curve
whose geometric description is given.
– In particular, we often need to parametrize
a line segment.
 VECTOR REPRESENTATION
• So, it’s useful to remember that a vector
representation of the line segment that
starts at r0 and ends at r1 is given by:

r(t) = (1 – t)r0 + t r1 0 ≤ t ≤ 1

• It is simplification of vector equation of line

    
r  ro  tv  ( xo , yo )  t (a, b); Example; ro   2,1 & r1  1,2
& direction vector will be a, b  (1,2) - (-2,-1)  3,3
  
r  ro  tv  (2,1)  t (3,3)   2  3t ,1  3t
 Exercise: 3

• Evaluate

2
y dx  x dy
C
• where
a. C = C1 is the line segment from (–5, 3) to (0, 2)
b. C = C2 is the arc
of the parabola
x = 4 – y2 from
(–5, 3) to (0, 2).
In effect,
C2 = - C1
 Exercise: 3(a)

• A parametric representation for the line

segment is:

x = 5t – 5 y = 5t – 3 0≤t≤1

– Use Vector Equation of line with r0 = <–5, 3> and

r1 = <0, 2>.
 Exercise: 3(a) contd.

• Then, dx = 5 dt, dy = 5 dt,

and Formulas give:

1 2
 y dx  x dy   5t  3 5 dt   5t  5 5 dt 
2
C1 0
1
 5  25t  25t  4  dt
2
0
3 2 1
 25t 25t  5
 5   4t   
 3 2 0 6
 Exercise: 3(b)

• The parabola is given as a function of y.

• So, let’s take y as the parameter and

write C2 as:

x = 4 – y2 y=y –3 ≤ y ≤ 2
 Exercise: 3(b) contd.

• Then, dx = –2y dy
and, by employing Formulas, we have:

2
 y dx  x dy   y  2 y  dy   4  y  dy
2 2 2
C2 3
2

3
 2 y 3
 y  4  dy
2

4 3 2
 y y 
     4 y   40 56
 2 3  3
 Exercise: 3 (Summary)

• Notice that we got different answers in parts

a and b of Exercise 3 although the two curves
had the same endpoints.

– Thus, in general, as discussed earlier, the value of a

line integral depends not just on the endpoints of
the curve but also on the path.
 Exercise: 3 (Summary)

• Notice also that the answers in Exercise 3

depend on the direction, or orientation, of
the curve.

– If –C1 denotes the line segment from (0, 2) to

(–5, –3), you can verify, using the parametrization

x = –5t y = 2 – 5t 0≤t≤1

that gives

2
y dx  x dy  5
6
 C1
 Arc length w.r.t. x & y
• If –C denotes the curve consisting of
the same points as C but with the opposite
orientation (from initial point B to terminal
point A in the previous figure), we have:

C
f  x, y  dx    f  x, y  dx
C

C
f  x, y  dy    f  x, y  dy
C
Example: 5
Example: 5 (contd.)
Example: 5a (contd.)
Example: 5b (contd.)
 Example: 5b (contd.)
• Note that this time, unlike the line integral we worked with in
Examples 2, 3, and 4 we got the same value for the integral despite
the fact that the path is different.
• As mentioned earlier this will happen on occasion.
• We should also not expect this integral to be the same for all paths
between these two points.
• At this point all we know is that for these two paths the line
integral will have the same value.
• It is completely possible that there is another path between these
two points that will give a different value for the line integral.
Example: 5c (contd.)
Line Integrals in 3D
 Example: 6

Here is a sketch of the helix.

Example: 6 (contd.)
 Exercise: 1
• Evaluate

 C
y sin z ds
• where C is the circular helix
given by the equations
x = cos t
y = sin t
z=t
0 ≤ t ≤ 2π
 Exercise: 1 (contd.)


C
y sin z ds
2 2 2
2  dx   dy   dz 
 sin t  sin t         dt
0  dt   dt   dt 
2
  sin t sin t  cos t  1 dt
2 2 2
0
2
 2 1
2 1  cos 2t  dt
0

2 2
 t  2 sin 2t 0  2
1
2