37

Lecture 6

6.1

Integration of Vector-Valued Functions,

Arc Length

Integration

Recall that if ~r(t) = x(t)~i + y(t)~j + z(t)~k, then the derivative of ~r(t) is the vector
function whose components are the derivatives of the components of ~r(t):
~r (t) = x (t)~i + y (t)~j + z (t)~k.
The integral for ~r(t) is defined in the same fashion:
Z

~r(t)dt =

x(t)dt ~i +

y(t)dt ~j +

z(t)dt ~k.

The fundamental theorem of calculus is also true for vector functions, i.e. if
~
R(t) : [a, b] R3 is a vector function such that
~ (t) = ~r(t)
R
then

~
~
~r(t)dt = R(b)
R(a).

Any such vector function is called antiderivative and the set of all antiderivatives is
denoted by
Z

~r(t)dt =

x(t)dt ~i +

y(t)dt ~j +

z(t)dt ~k.

~ = c1~i + c2~j + c3~k,

Notice that any two antiderivatives differ by a constant vector C
i.e. an integration constant in each component.
Using the definition and properties for integrals of real-valued functions, one can
prove easily the following properties:

(1)

(2)

d
(3)
dt

C~r(t)dt = C

~r(t)dt

[~r1 (t) ~r2 (t)] dt =

Z

~r(t)dt = ~r(t)

~r1 (t)dt

~r2 (t)dt

38

6.2 Arc Length

Example 1. Find

~r(t)dt and

R1
0

~r(t)dt, where

~r(t) = t2~i + (2t + 1)~j

Z
~
~r(t)dt =
t dti + (2t + 1)dt~j

 3


t
+ C1 ~i + t2 + t + C2 ~j
=
3
3


t~
~
i + t2 + t ~j + C
=
3

 3
Z 1

1 1
t~
2
~
i + t + t j  = ~i + 2~j.
~r(t)dt =
3
3
0
0
Z 1
Z 1
Z 1
or
~r(t)dt =
t2 dt~i +
(2t + 1)dt~j

Solution:

1
t3 1~

=
 i + (t2 + t) ~j
0
3 0
1~
=
i + 2~j
3

6.2

Arc Length

We know from first year calculus that if x (t) and y (t) are continuous, then the
curve given by
y

x = x(t), y = y(t), a t b

(x(b),y(b))

has arc length

L=

Rbp
a

x (t)2 + y (t)2 dt.

(x(a),y(a))

This formula generalizes to 3-space curves:

The arc length of the curve

(x(b),y(b),z(b))

x = x(t), y = y(t), z = z(t), a t b

is given by
(x(a),y(a),z(a))

Rbp
L = a x (t)2 + y (t)2 + z (t)2 dt.

y
x

39

6.3 Arc Length as a Parameter

Example 2. Find the arc length of the curve ~r = a cos t~i + a sin t~j, 0 t 2.
Solution:

L =

Z
p

2
x (t) + y (t) dt =

0
Z0 2 q
Z
2
2
2
=
a (sin t + cos (t)) dt =
0

6.3

(a sin t)2 + (a cos t)2 dt

2

a2 dt = 2a. 2

Arc Length as a Parameter

If we visualise a curve as the trajectory of a moving object it is clear that the same
trajectory can be travelled at a different speed. This means that the same curve
is represented in the parametric form with different parameters, and thus it has
different parametric equations.
For example,

x(t) = a cos t,

y(t) = a sin t,

x(s) = a cos(s2 ),

y(s) = a sin(s2 ),

x(u) = a cos(2eu ),

y(u) = a sin(2eu ),

0 t 2

0 s 2

0u<

all represent the same curve: a circle

with center (0, 0) and radius a.
a
x

To avoid such ambiguity, it is desirable to have a universal parameter for the

parametric equations. This can be done by stipulating that we travel the curve with
speed 1, i.e. 1 length unit i 1 unit of time. In other words, the arc length is used as
parameter. Let us now see how this can be done.
Let C be a given smooth curve. We first introduce the arc length parameter
using the following three steps:

40

6.3 Arc Length as a Parameter

(1) choose a point P0 on the curve,

called a reference point;

(2) Starting from P0 , choose one

direction along the curve to be
the positive direction and
the other to be the negative
direction;

P0

(3) If P is a point on C, let s be the signed arc length along C from P0 to P ,

where s is positive if P is in the positive direction from P0 and s is negative if
P is in the negative direction from P0 .
Let us suppose that C is initially given by the parametric equations
x = x(t),

y = y(t),

z = z(t),

and P0 = (x(t0 ), y(t0), z(t0 )), P = (x(t), y(t), z(t)), and the positive direction
of C is the direction of increasing t.
Then we know from the last section that
Z tp
x (u)2 + y (u)2 + z (u)2 du
s=
t0

This gives s as a function of t. Differentiating we obtain

ds p 2
= x (t) + y (t)2 + z (t)2 .
dt
Example 3. Find parametric equations for x = a cos t, y = a sin t, 0 t 2,
using arc length s as a parameter, with reference point for s being (0, a) in the
xy-plane.
Solution: The point (0, a) corresponds to t =

on the curve.

Therefore,
Z tp
s =
x (u)2 + y (u)2 du

Z 2t p
(a sin u)2 + (a cos u)2 du
=

Z 2t

a2

Solving for t from s = a t



dt = a t
.
2

we obtain
t=

s
+ .
a 2

6.3 Arc Length as a Parameter

41

As t varies from 0 to 2, s varies from 2 a to 32 a. Hence, the parametric

equations in s are
s 
s 
3
, y = a sin
, a s a.
x = a cos
+
+
a 2
a 2
2
2

Or, in vector form

~r = a cos

s

s 
~
~j, a s 3 a.
+
i + a sin
2
a 2
2
2