14.

2 Line Integrals

In this section, 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, although
“curve integrals” would be better terminology.

Line integrals in plane

We start with a plane curve C given by the parametric equations

(1) x  x(t ) y  y(t ) at b

or, equivalently, by the vector equation r (t )  x(t )i  y(t ) j, a  t  b.

A partition of the parameter interval [a, b] by points ti with a  t0  t1   tn  b

determines a partition P of the curve by points Pi ( xi , yi ) ,

where xi  x(ti ) , and yi  y(ti ) . These points Pi divide C
into n subarcs with lengths s1 , s2 , , sn . The norm || P || of
the partition is the longest of these lengths. We choose any point
Pi* ( xi* , yi* ) in the ith subarc. (This corresponds to a point ti* in
[ti 1 , ti ] .) Now if f is any function of two variables whose
domain includes the curve C , we evaluate f at ( xi* , yi* ) ,
multiply by the length si of the subarc, and form the sum

 f ( x , y )s
i 1
*
i
*
i i

which is similar to a Riemann sum. Then we take the limit of these sums and make the following
definition by analogy with a single integral.

If f is defined on a curve C given by (1), then the line integral of f along C is

n

 C
f ( x, y )ds  lim
|| P||0
 f ( x , y )s
i 1
*
i
*
i i

if the limit exists.

Similarly, we can define line integrals of f with respect to x and y :

n

C
f ( x, y )dx  lim
|| P||0
 f ( x , y )x
i 1
*
i
*
i i

C
f ( x, y )dy  lim
|| P|| 0
 f ( x , y )y
i 1
*
i
*
i i
We have the following formulas: Given C : x  x(t ), y  y(t ), a  t  b .

2 2
b  dx   dy 
C
f ( x, y )ds  
a
f ( x(t ), y (t ))      dt
 dt   dt 
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

Remark 1:  1ds 
C
length of curve C

Remark 2: It frequently happens that line integrals with respect to x and y occur together. When this
happens, it is customary to abbreviate by writing

C
P( x, y)dx   Q( x, y)dy   P( x, y)dx  Q( x, y)dy
C C

Example 1: Evaluate C
(2  x 2 y )ds , where C is the upper half of the unit circle x 2  y 2  1 .

Solution: The upper half unit circle can be parametrized by

means of the equation: x  cos t, y  sin t, 0  t   .

2 2
  dx   dy 
C (2  x y )ds  0 (2  cos t sin t )  dt    dt  dt
2 2


=  (2  cos 2 t sin t ) sin 2 t  cos 2 tdt
0


  1 
= (2  cos t sin t )dt  2t  cos 3 t 
2
0
 3 0

2
 2 
3
Suppose now that C is a piecewise-smooth curve: that is, C is a union of a finite number of smooth
curves C1 , C2 , , Cn , where as illustrated in the following Figure. Then we define the integral of f

along C as the sum of the integrals of f along each of the smooth

pieces of C :

 C
f ( x, y )ds   f ( x, y )ds
C1

  f ( x, y) ds    f ( x, y) ds
C2 Cn
Example 2: Evaluate 
C
2 xds , where C consists of the arc C1 of the parabola y  x 2 from (0, 0) to
(1,1) followed by the vertical line segment C2 from (1,1) to (1, 2) .

Solution: The parametric equation for C1 is x  x, y  x 2 , 0  x  1 .

2 2
1  dx   dy 
C1 2 xds  0 2 x  dx    dx  dx
1
=  2 x 1  4 x 2 dx
0
1
2
 5 5 1
  1  4 x 2  3  
1 2
4 3 0 6

On C2 , we can choose y as the parameter, the parametric equation is x  1, y  y, 1  y  2 .

2 2
2  dx   dy  2
C2
2 xds  
1
2(1)      dy =  2dy  2
 dy   dy  1

5 5 1
Thus, C
2 xds   2 xds   2 xds 
C1 C2 6
2

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. It is useful to remember that a
parametric representation of a line segment in plane starting at ( x0 , y0 ) and ending at ( x1 , y1 ) is

x  (1  t ) x0  tx1 , y  (1  t ) y0  ty1 , 0  t  1

[a line segment in space starting at ( x0 , y0 , z0 ) and ending at ( x1 , y1 , z1 ) is

x  (1  t ) x0  tx1 , y  (1  t ) y0  ty1 , z  (1  t ) z0  tz1,0  t  1

Example 3: Evaluate 
C
y 2 dx  xdy, where (a) C  C1 is the line segment from (-5,-3) to (0,2) , and (b)
C  C2 is the arc of the parabola x  4  y 2 from (-5,-3) to (0,2).

(a) A parametric representation for the line segment is

x  (1  t )(5)  t (0)  5t  5, y  (1  t )(3)  t (2)  5t  3, 0  t  1

1
C1
y 2 dx  xdy   (5t  3) 2 (5dt )  (5t  5)(5dt )
0

1 5
=5  (25t 2  25t  4) dt  
0 6
 (b) Since the parabola is given as a function of y , let’s take y as the parameter and write C2 as

x  4  y 2 , y  y, - 3  y  2
2
C2
y 2 dx  xdy   y 2 (2 y )dy  (4  y 2 )dy
3

1 5
=  ( 2 y 3  y 2  4) dt   40
0 6
Line Integrals in Space

We have the following formulas: Given C : x  x(t ), y  y(t ), z  z (t ), a  t  b .

2 2 2
b  dx   dy   dz 
C
f ( x, y, z )ds  
a
f ( x (t ), y (t ), z (t ))         dt
 dt   dt   dt 
b
C
f ( x, y, z )dx   f ( x(t ), y (t ), z (t )) x '(t )dt
a
b
C
f ( x, y, z )dy   f ( x (t ), y (t ), z (t )) y '(t )dt
a
b
C
f ( x, y, z )dz   f ( x (t ), y (t ), z (t )) z '(t )dt
a

Example 4: Evaluate  C
ydx  zdy  xdz, where C consists of the line segment C1 from (2,0,0) to
(3,4,5) followed by the vertical line segment C2 from (3,4,5) to (3,4,0).

Solution: The parametric equation for C1 is

x  (1  t )(2)  t (3)  t  2, y  (1  t )(0)  t (4)  4t, z  (1  t )(0)  5(t )  5t, 0  t  1

1 1
C1
ydx  zdy  xdz   (4t )dt  (5t )4dt  (2  t )5dt  (10  29t )dt  24.5
0 0

The parametric equation for C2 is

x  (1  t )(3)  t (3)  3, y  (1  t )(4)  t (4)  4, z  (1  t )(5)  0(t )  5  5t, 0  t  1

Then dx  dy  0 since x  3, y  4
1
C2
ydx  zdy  xdz  3(5)dt  15
0

C
ydx  zdy  xdz  ydx  zdy  xdz   ydx  zdy  xdz  24.5  15  9.5
C1 C2
Line Integrals of Vector Fields

Definition: Let F be a continuous vector field defined on a smooth curve C given by a vector function
r (t ), a  t  b . Then the line integral of F along curve C is
b
 C
F  dr   F (r (t ))  r '(t )dt
a

Remark: The work done by the force field F in moving a particle along the curve C : r (t ), a  t  b is

Work = 
C
F  dr

Example 5: Find the work done by the force field F ( x, y)  x 2i  xyj in moving a particle along the

curve C : r (t )  cos t i  sin t j, 0  t  .
2

Solution: Since C : r (t )  cos t i  sin t j, 0  t  , x  cos t , y  sin t , thus
2

F (r (t ))  cot 2 t i  cos t sin t j

r '(t )   sin t i  cos t j

Therefore, the work done is



b cos t  2
3
2
C
F  dr   F (r (t ))  r '(t )dt   2 (2cos 2 t sin t )dt  2
a 0 3 0 
3

Remark: If F  Pi  Qj  Rk  P, Q, R  , then we have

C
F  dr   Pdx  Qdy  Rdz
C