Lecture 12

Line Integrals
1.Line integrals with respect to arc length(Line
integrals of the first type).

Suppose the function f x, y is defined and continuous at

the points of the arc AB of the smooth curve K, specified
by the equation y  x  a  x b .
Let us partition arbitrarily the arc AB into n elementary
arcs by the points A  A0 , A1 , A2 ,..., An  B ; assume that s k
is the length of the arc Ak  1 Ak .We choose an arbitrary
point M k  k , k  on each elementary arc and multiply the
value of the function f  k , k  at that point by the length
s k of the corresponding arc.
 The integral sum for the function f x, y  over the length
n

of the arc AB is a sum of the form  f  k , k sk .

k 1

The line integral with respect to the length of the arc AB

of the function f x, y (or a line integral of the first type) is
the limit of the integral sum, under the condition that max
s k  0 :
n

f x, y ds 
AB
lim
max s k  0
 f 
k 1
k , k s k

( ds is the differential of the arc).

A line integral of the first type can be calculated by the
formula
b

f x, y ds f x, x  1   x  dx

2

AB a

If the curve K is specified by the parametric equations

x  xt , y  y t , t1 t t 2 , then
t2

f x , y ds  f  x t , y t   x t  2
  y t  2
dt
K t1

If f x, y   0 , then the line integral of the first type

f x, y ds is the mass of the curve K with varying linear
K

density   f x, y 
Main properties of a line integral of the first type
 A line integral of the first type is independent of the
direction of integration:
f x, y ds  f x, y ds
AB BA

  f x, y  f x, y ds  f x, y ds f x, y ds

K
1 2
K
1
K
2

 Cf x, y ds C f x, y ds ,where C is constant.

K K

 If the contour of integration K is divided into two

parts K and K , then
1 2

 f x, y ds  f x, y ds  f x, y ds

K K1 K2
 2.Line integrals with respect to coordinates(Line
integrals of the second type).
Assume the functions Px, y  and Qx, y  to be continuous
at the points of the arc AB of the smooth curve K specified
by the equation y  x  a  x b .
The integral sum for the functions Px, y  and Qx, y  with
respect to coordinates is a sum of the form
n

 P
k 1
k , k x k  Q k , k y k 

Where x k and y k arenthe projections of elementary arc

on the Ox and Oy axes.
 The line integrals with respect to coordinates (line
integrals of the second type) of the expression
Px, y dx  Qx, y dy over the directed arc AB is the limit
of the integral sum under the condition that max xk 0
and max y k  0
n

Px, y dx  Qx, y dy  lim

max xk  0  P
k 1
k , k x k  Q k , k y k 
AB
max y k  0

A line integrals of the second type is the work performed

by the variable force F  Px, y i  Qx, y  j over the
path AB
 Main properties of a line integral of the second type
 A line integrals of the second type changes sign to
the opposite upon a change of direction of
integration:

Px, y dx  Qx, y dy  Px, y dx  Qx, y dy

BA AB

 Px, y dx  Qx, y dy  Px, y dx  Qx, y dy

AB AB AB

The other properties are analogous to those of an

integral of the first type.
A line integrals of the second type can be calculated by
the formula
b

Px, y dx  Qx, y dy Px, x    xQx, x dx

K a

If the curve K is specified by the parametric equations

x  xt , y  y t , t1 t t 2 , then
t2

Px, y dx  Qx, y dy Pxt , yt xt  Qxt , yt y t dt
K t1
Example 1. Compute x  y ds where K is a line segment
K

between A0,0 and B4,3.

Solution. The equation of the straight line AB has the
3 3
form y  x .We find y   and, consequently, using the
4 4
b

f x, y ds f x, x  1   x  dx

2
formula
AB a

4 4
 3  9 5 5 2 5
 x  y ds  x  x  1  dx  xdx  x 4
0

K 0
4  16 16 0 32 2
  yds
2
Example 2.Evaluate the line integral x along the
K

segment of the line y  x from the origin up to the point

2,2

Solution.
2 2 4
x 2
  
2 2 2 3
x yds  x x 1  1 dx  2 x dx  2 0
4 2
K 0 0
4
 ds
Example 3. .Evaluate the line integral y  x where C is a
C

line segment between A0, 2  and B 4,0 .

x 0 y2
Solution. Find equation of the line AB:  
4 0 02
y2 x x
 y  2
2 4 or 2
b

f x, y ds f x,  x  1   x  dx

2

By the formula AB a

We find the integral

4 2 4
ds 1 1 1 5
 y  x
  x
1  
2
 
 dx   x 4
dx 
C 0  2 x 0  2
2 2
4
5 2dx
 4
 5 ln 8  ln 4   5 ln 2
2 
   5 ln x  4
0
x  4 0
Example 4.


2 2
x ydy  y xdx
Compute
K

 
if x  cos t , y  sin t ,  0 t  
 2 

sin t cos t
Solution. We find dx  2 cos t dt , dy  dt . Then we
2 sin t
have

 2
cos t sin t  
 
2 2
x ydy  y xdx  
 cos t sin t   sin t cos t  dt 
K 0 2 sin t 2 cos t  4
Example 5. Evaluate the line integral xdy  ydx along the
C
3
curve C defined by the equation y  x from the origin up
to the point 2,8
Solution. To find the given integral, we use the formula
b

Px, y dx  Qx, y dy Px, x    x Qx, x dx

K a

3
Substituting y  x 2
and dy 3x dx in the integrand, we
2 2 4
x 2
  
2 3 3
obtain xdy  ydx  x 3 x dx  x dx  2 x dx  8
C 0 0
2 0
 Independence of Line Integral of the Second Type on
the Integration Contour. Finding the Function from its
Total Differential

Assume the functions Px, y  and Qx, y  to be

continuous together with their partial derivatives of the
first order in the simply connected domain D, and the
contour K to lie entirely in that domain.
Then, the necessary and sufficient condition for
independence of the line integral

Px, y dx  Qx, y dy

K
of the integration contour is the
P Q
satisfaction, in the domain D, of the identity y  x .
If the indicated conditions are complied with, the line
integral around any closed contour C contained in the
domain D is equal to zero: Px, y dx  Qx. y dy 0
C

x1 , y1 

To evaluate the integral P x, y dx  Qx, y dy

x 0 , y 0

independent of the integration contour (i.e. the condition

P Q

y x is satisfied), the polygonal line connecting the

point x 0 , y 0  and x1 , y1 , whose segments are parallel

to the Ox and Oy axes, should be chosen as the most
advantageous path of integration.
Under the indicated conditions , the element of integration
Px, y dx  Qx, y dy is the total differential of a certain
single- valued function U U x, y i.e.

dU x, y   Px, y dx  Qx, y dy

The function U x, y  (antiderivative) can be found by
taking the corresponding line integral along the polygon
A0 A1 B , where A0 x0 , y 0 is an arbitrary fixed point,
B x, y  is a variable point, and the point A1 has the
coordinates x and y0 .
Then we have y  y 0 and dy 0 along A0 A1 ,
x const , dx 0 along A1 B
x y

U x, y   Px, y 0 dx  Qx, y dy  C

x0 y0

Similarly, integrating along the polygon A0 A2 B , where

A2 x0 , y we obtain
y x
U x, y   Qx0 , y dy  Px, y dx  C
y0 x0
 2,3 

Example 6.Compute x  3 y dx  y  3x dy

1,1

Solution. The given integral is independent of the contour

of integration, because
Q 
, x  x y  3x  3
P 
 x  3 y  3
y y

P Q
i.e.  ( on the entire xOy plane)
y x
As the path of integration we choose the polygonal line
whose segments are parallel to the coordinate axes. On
the first segment we have y 1 , dy 0 ,
1 x 2 ,on the second x 2 , dx 0 , 1  y 3
.Consequently,
2 ,3  2 3 2 3
 x2   y2 
  x  3 y 
dx  y  3 x dy   x  3dx   y  6 
dy    3 x     6 y  
1,1 1 1  2 1  2 1
1 9 1 1
2  6   3   18   6 20
2 2 2 2
Example 7. Find the antiderivative U, if


dU x, y   y  ln x  1dx  x  1  e dy y

Solution. We have Px, y   y  ln x  1,
Qx, y   x  1  e y

P Q
 1
y x
Assume that x0 0 , y 0 0 and the contour K is the
polygonal line OMN
Then
x y

 
U x, y  ln x  1dx  x  1  e y dy 
0 0

x ln x  1 x  ln x  10x  xy  y  e y 0y 

x  1ln x  1 x  xy  y  e y  1  c

Y
N

X
O M
 Green`s Formula
If C is the boundary of the domain D and the functions
Px, y  and Qx, y  are continuous together with their
P
Q
partial derivatives x and y in the closed domain D(the
boundary C inclusive), then the following Green`s
formula holds true :
 Q P 
 Px, y dx  Qx. y dy    dxdy
C D 
x y 
In this case the direction in which the contour C is
traversed is chosen so that the domain D remains on the
left.
If Q  x , P  y Green`s Formula yields:

1
S  dxdy  xdy  ydx
D
2C

where S is the area of the region D bounded by the

contour C.
Example 1.Using Green`s formula, calculate the line
integral  dx  x  y  dy
2 2
y
C
where the contour C is triangle

ABD with vertices Aa,0, B a, a , D0, a 

Solution. In the given line integral, P  y , Q x  y  so
2 2

that
P Q
2 y 2x  y 
y , x

Then by Green`s formula,

y 2
2x  y  2 y dxdy 2
 dx  x  y  dy 
2
xdxdy
C R R

It is easy to see that the equation of the side AD is

y  x  a . Hence the latter double integral becomes
a a a
2 
xdxdy 2 xdx
R 0
dy 2xa  
 x a 0
x  a dx 

a
x3 a 2a 3
2 x dx 2
2
0

0
3 3