AMATH 231

ASSIGNMENT # 2 Solutions: Curves and Paths

Fall 2014

Due Monday, September 22, 2014 at 2pm in box 7, slot 11 (A-M) and 12 (N-Z), located
across from MC4066. Late assignments or assignments submitted to the incorrect dropbox
will receive a grade of zero. Write your solutions clearly and concisely. Marks will be
deducted for poor presentation and incorrect notation.
1. Consider a moving particle with position ~g (t) =

2
2t
, 1t
1+t2 1+t2

for time t [10, 10].

a) Show that the path of the particle lies on a circle. [2 marks]

b) Find the velocity and speed of the particle. [4 marks]
Solution:
a) Since we know the x(t) and y(t) co-ordinates we can square them an obtain that
it is a constant, therefore the equation of a circle,
4t2
1 2t2 + t4
(1 + t2 )2
+
=
= 1.
(1 + t2 )2
(1 + t2 )2
(1 + t2 )2
b) The velocity is obtained by computing the derivative,


2
4t2
2t
(1 t2 )
0
~g (t) =

,
2t
1 + t2 (1 + t2 )2 1 + t2
(1 + t2 )2


2(1 + t2 ) 4t2 2t(1 + t2 + 1 t2 )
=
,
(1 + t2 )2
(1 + t2 )2


4t
2(1 t2 )
,
=
.
2
2
(1 + t ) (1 + t2 )2
The speed is the magnitude of this,
p
(1 t2 )2 + 4t2
2
k~g 0 (t)k = 2
=
2
2
(1 + t )
1 + t2

2. Let f~(t) and ~g (t) be differentiable vector-value functions of one variable and let h be
a differentiable scalar-value function. Then prove the following identities:
a)

d
(hf~)
dt

= h0 f~ + hf~0 [2 marks]

b)

d ~
(f ~g )
dt

c)

d ~
(f ~g )
dt

d)

d ~
(f (h(t)))
dt

= f~0 ~g + f~ ~g 00
= f~0 ~g + f~ ~g 00 [2 marks]
= h0 (t)f~0 (h(t)) [2 marks]

Note that for a), b) and d) you can use tensor notation to make things shorter.
Solution:
a)
d
d ~
(hf ) = (hf~i ) = h0 fi + hfi0 = h0 f~ + hf~0
dt
dt
b)
d ~
d
(f ~g ) = (fi gi ) = fi0 gi + fI gi0 = f~0 ~g + f~ ~g 0
dt
dt
c)
d
d ~
(f ~g ) =
(f2 g3 f3 g2 , f3 g1 f1 g3 , f1 g2 f2 g1 ) ,
dt
dt
= (f20 g3 f30 g2 , f30 g1 f10 g3 , f10 g2 f20 g1 ) ,
+ (f2 g30 f3 g20 , f3 g10 f1 g30 , f1 g20 f2 g10 ) ,
= f~0 ~g + f~ ~g 0
d)
d
d ~
(f (h(t))) = (fi (h(t))) = h0 (t)fi0 (h(t)) = h0 (t)f~0 (h(t)).
dt
dt

3. Given that the Euclidean norm is defined as kxk2 = ~x ~x and that ~x(t) is a C 1 function
prove that
(k~x(t)k1 ) = ~x(t) ~x0 (t)/k~xk3 [2 marks]


0
~
x(t)
x(t)~
x(t))~
x0 (t)
d
[2 marks]
b) dt k~x(t)k = (~x(t)~x (t))~x(t)+(~
k~
xk3
a)

d
dt

Solution:
a)


1
d
d
k~x(t)k1 =
k~x(t)k ,
2
dt
k~x(t)k dt
1 ~x(t) ~x0 (t)
=
,
k~x(t)k2 k~xk2
~x(t) ~x0 (t)
=
k~xk3
b)
d
dt

~x(t)
k~x(t)k

~x0 (t)
~x(t) ~x0 (t)
+
= ~x(t)
k~x(t)k
k~xk3
0
(~x(t) ~x (t))~x(t) + (~x(t) ~x(t))~x0 (t)
=
k~xk3

4. The motion of a particle is described by the curve

~g (t) = (sin t t cos t, cos t + t sin t, t2 ),

0 t 2.

a) Show that the particle moves on a quadratic surface. Describe and sketch the
curve.
b) Calculate the distance travelled by the particle.
Solution:
a) Since x(t) = sin t t cos t, y(t) = cos t + t sin t, z(t) = t2 we deduce the following,
x2 + y 2 = (sin t t cos t)2 + (cos t + t sin t)2
= sin2 t 2t sin t cos t + t2 cos2 t + cos2 t + 2t cos t sin t + t2 sin2 t,
= 1 + t2 = 1 + z.
Therefore the surface can be described as x2 + y 2 = 1 + z.
The surface starts at z = 1 where it is a point. As we move upwards it takes
the form of a circle of radius 1 + z. This can be described as a hyperboloid.
b) The distance is the norm of the displacement,
p

k~g (t)k = x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1 + t2 + t2 = 1 + 2t2 .