Robert Koerner

May 26th 2015

Line Integrals
Line Integral: An integral used to find the area under a curve in more than 2
dimensions
The line integral is a calculus tool used to solve for the area underneath a curve in
three dimensions of functions with 2 or 3 variables. This function is often defined as
f(x,y) with the points (x,y) which lie upon the curve C. The line integral on the
function f(x,y) along the curve C has the notation of

f (x , y )
C

The definition of the line integral is:

f ( x , y ) ds= lim f ( x i , y i ) s i
n i=1

To convert the line integral into a normal 2-Dimensional integral the function will
include both the function, with parameterized variable functions and the arc length
for the 3rd Dimension. Parameterization: The process of changing a single function
into its parametric parts
f(x, y, z) x=
y=
z=
Basic Parameterizations
Parametric X
Curve
Function

x2 y2
+ =1
a2 b2

Parametric Y
function

Bound

0 t 2

x=acos ( t )

x=bsin ( t )

x=rcos(t )

y=rsin ( t)

0 t 2

f ( x )=

X =t

F(x) =

N/A

( x 0 , y 0 ) ( x 1 , y1 )

x=( 1t ) x 0 +t x 1

y=( 1t ) y 0 +t y 1

0 t 1

x + y =r

The normal integral will look like this:

f ( x , y ) ds= f ( x ( t ) , y ( t ))
C

dy 2 dy
+
dt
dt

) ( )

The function must be parameterized into a function x(t) and a function y(t). In the
arc length portion of the equation the x(t) and y(t) are to be differentiated then

when solving for the 2-Dimensional Integral the x(t) and y(t) are inputted for x and y
in the function of f(x, y).
The line integral of piecewise curves can be found through the summation of each
part of the curve.

f ( x , y ) ds= f ( x , y ) ds+ f ( x , y ) ds+ f ( x , y ) ds + f ( x , y ) ds

C1

C2

C3

C4

Applications:
Calculate work done by force on an object

W = Fdr
C

Calculations of Flux

F n^ ds
C

Calculations of Circulation

=
F T^ ds
C

Operations of Line integrals:

f ( x , y)= f (x , y)
C

fdx+ gdy+ hdz= f ( x , y , z ) dx + g( x , y , z )dy + h ( x , y , z ) dz

Fields
Scalar Fields
Scalar Field: A function of space which shows an extra dimension through many
different mediums.
The extra dimension can be shown through a variation in color in different parts of
the coordinate plane or by the use of lines to show how close the next level of the
extra dimension is.
Examples:

Topographical Maps
Temperature Maps

A line integral over a scalar field is of the same function defined earlier:
b

f ( x , y , z ) ds= f ( x ( t ) , y (t ) , z (t ))
C

dx 2 dy 2 dz
+
+
dt
dt
dt

)( ) ( )

And can be visualized like this:

Vector Fields
Background
Vectors are defined by the function:

c i +k j
When there are c and k

values to be inputted to the vector they represent the x

and y portions of the vector. In other words, the coefficient of

is the x direction

is the y direction magnitude of the vector.

k
c
Vector Field: A function whose solutions indicate a vector at any given point.
Vector fields are similar to slope fields, however at each point, the vector includes a
magnitude as well as x and y components. They are most often used to show

velocity and differ from the derivative graph of a function because of the directional
component. The vector field which would represent the velocity of a function f(x)
would be a 1 dimensional representation of the vectors with only magnitude
because it would not show the directions. Vector fields come in any range of
dimensions from one dimension to four including time.
Vector Fields are defined as:

F ( x , y , x)

The 3-Dimensional curves are defined as:

r (t)=x ( t ) i + y ( t ) j+ z (t) k

This curve is considered smooth if this equality is true

Air Movement
Fluid Movement
Magnetic fields
2D Vector

To integrate over vector fields, the vector field is defined as the following:

F ( x , y , z ) =( P ( x , y , z ) , Q ( x , y , z ) , R ( x , y , z ))
And the curve that is being integrated along is defined as the following:

r =( x , y , z )
Solving line integrals over the vector fields is most commonly done with the
following formula:

F d r = Pdx+Qdy+ Rdz
C

This can be used to find such things as the effect of air resistance upon an object in
flight or the work done upon an object in water with certain circulation patterns as
would be defined by the Vector field.

The Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals

f x ( x , y )

y
x

The gradient of any vector is quite simply the partial derivative of each component
of the vector function.
Gradient Vector Field: A variation to a vector field where the function is partially
differentiated in terms of each variable.

f = f x , f y , f z
Or in standard form:

f =f x i +f y j +f z k
A gradient vector field will have each of its vectors exactly perpendicular to the
contours of that particular vector field.
Directional Derivative: The rate of change of a function in any direction defined by
the variable u.

D u f = f u=

f
f
f
u+ u+
u
x 1 x 2 x 3

Contour: The lines created at equal intervals for a vector function that outline what
the function looks like.
Contours are defined by the following equation:

f ( x , y ) =k
The Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals proof:
b

r ( t ) ] dt
f d r = [ f ( r ( t ) )
C

f dx f dy f dz
+
+
dt
x dt y dt z dt

where

C is the smooth curve r (t)

d f f f
+
+
dt
dt x y z

Fundamental
Theorem of
Calculus

r (t)
f ()dt
d

dt
b

r ( b )f ( r ( a ) )
f d r =f
C

Works Cited
Dawkins, Paul. "Directional Derivatives." Paul's Online Notes. Lamar University, 2003. Web. 8 May
2015.
Dawkins, Paul. "Fundamental Theorem for Line Integrals." Paul's Online Notes. Lamar University,
2003. Web. 8 May 2015.
Dawkins, Paul. "Vector Fields." Paul's Online Notes. Lamar University, 2003. Web. 8 May 2015.
"Finding the Vector Equation of a Line." Finding the Vector Equation of a Line. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May
2015. <http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~jenolive/vect3.html>.
"The Gradient and Directional Derivative." The Gradient and Directional Derivative. Oregon State
University, 1996. Web. 10 May 2015.
"The Gradient and Directional Derivative." The Gradient and Directional Derivative. Oregon State
University, 1996. Web. 10 May 2015.
Mehall, Kevin. "Vector Fields." Vector Field Online Graphing. N.p., 2010. Web. 18 May 2015.
<http://kevinmehall.net/p/equationexplorer/vectorfield.html>.