Greens Theorem.

Greens theorem and examples.

Greens theorem relates double integrals with line integrals in the plane. If R
is a closed bounded region then we can compute double integrals of scalar fields
over R, and if R denotes the boundary of R (observe it is a close curve), we can
compute line integrals of vector fields along R.

Theorem 1 Greens Theorem: Let R be a closed bounded region in the xy-

plane whose boundary consists of finitely many smooth curves. Let P (x, y) and
Q
Q(x, y) be functions that are continuous with partial derivatives P and
y x
continuous. Then:
ZZ Z
Q P
( )dxdy = P dx + Qdy,
R x y R

1
where R represents the boundary of R.

You do not need to worry that the hypotheses of the theorem are verified in the
following examples or the exams. Everything will work out very well for you :o)
Q P
(Notice that is a scalar field and the vector field in the line integral
x y
is F~ = (P, Q))

Example 1 Verify Greens theorem for P (x, y) = y 2 7y and Q(x, y) = 2xy+2x,

R = {(x, y) R2 : x2 + y 2 1} and R = {(x, y) R2 : x2 + y 2 = 1}.
We compute the first the double integral:
ZZ ZZ ZZ
Q P
( )dxdy = (2y + 2 (2y 7))dxdy = 9 dxdy
R x y R R

Using polar coordinates x = r cos and y = r sin we get:

ZZ Z 2 Z 1 Z 2  2 1  2
r 9
9 dxdy = 9 rdrd = d = = 9
R 0 0 0 2 0 2 0

2
On another hand, choosing the parameterization of the circle of radius 1 ~r(t) =
(cos t, sin t), t [0, 2] we get:

2 sin t
Z Z Z
P dx + Qdy = (P, Q)d~r = (P (~r(t), Q(~r)(t)) dt
R R 0 cos t

Now, P (~r(t)) = sin2 t 7 sin y and Q(~r(t)) = 2 cos t sin t + 2 cos x, and then:

R 2 R 2 sin t R 2 sin t
0 0
(P (~r(t), Q(~r)(t)) dt =
0
(sin2 t 7 sin y, 2 cos t sin t + 2 cos x) dt
cos t cos t
R 2 R 2 R 2
= 0
sin3 tdt + 0
7 sin2 tdt + 2 0
cos2 t sin tdt
R 2
+2 0
cos2 tdt (F)

We compute each integral individually:

R 2 R 2
0
sin3 tdt = sin t(1 cos2 t)dt
0
R 2 R 2
= 0 sin tdt 0 sin t cos2 tdt
h 3 i2
= cos t]0 cos3 t
2
=0
0

R 2 R 2 1 cos 2t
sin2 tdt = ( )dt
0
h0 i2 2h i2
= 21 t 14 sin 2t =
0 0
i2
cos3 t
R 2 h
0
sin t cos2 tdt = 3 =0
0

cos2 tdt = ( 1 + cos 2t

R 2
0
h i2 2 h )dt i2
= 2t1 1
+ 4 sin 2t =
0 0

Substituting in (F) we get that the line integral is 9 as we expected.

Example 2 Evaluate the following line integral

Z
I= (y 2 sin ex + xy)dx (x2 + sech4 y 2xy)dy
C

where C is the parameter of the square with vertices (0, 0), (0, 1), (1, 1) and (1, 0).

3
 We use Greens Theorem with P (x, y) = y 2 sin ex + xy and Q(x, y) =
x2 sech 4 y + 2xy and R is the square with vertices (0, 0), (0, 1), (1, 1) and
(1, 0). Then:
P Q
= 2y + x and = 2x + 2y,
y x
Therefore:

(y 2 sin ex + xy)dx (x2 + sech4 y 2xy)dy =

R RR
C
(2x + 2y 2y x)dxdy
R
R1R1
= 0 0 3xdxdy
= 23 [x2 ]10 dy = 23 0 dy = 23
R R1

Example 3 Use Greens Theorem to evaluate the line integral of F~ = (x cosh y, x2 sinh y)
along the path shown in the figure next page:
In this case
Q P
= 2x sinh y and = x sinh y,
x y

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 F~ =
R RR
R R
2x sinh y x sinh ydxdy
R1Rx R1
= 0 x2
x sinh ydydx = 0 [x cosh y]y=xy=x2 dx
R1 R1 R1
= 0
(x cosh x x cosh x2 )dx = 0 x cosh xdx 0 x cosh x2 dx
[x sinh x]10 0 sinh xdx [ 21 sinh x2 ]10
R1
=
= sinh 1 cosh 1 + cosh 0 12 sinh 1 = 21 sinh 1 + 1 cosh 1
where in the first integral we used integration by parts u = x, dv = cosh xdx and
since sinh 0 = 0 and cosh 0 = 1.

Application to Area
We know from calculus of several variables that the area of a region R can be
computed by calculating the double integral
ZZ
Area(R) = dxdy
R

5
If find P (x, y) and Q(x, y) such that

Q P
= 1,
x y

we could compute the area of the region R using a line integral.

There are many P s and Qs verifying such thing, but for example

1 1
P (x, y) = y and Q(x, y) = x
2 2

would do, so by Greens theorem:

ZZ ZZ
1
Area(R) = dxdy = xdy ydx
R 2 R
2 y2
Example 4 The area of the ellipse x2 + 2 = 1.
a b
To compute the line integral
Z
1
Area = xdy ydx
2 R

we need a parameterization, A possible one is

~r(t) = (a cos t, b sin t),

with t [0, 2]. And then

d~r(t)
= (a sin t, b cos t),
dt

Observing the line integral we conclude that the vector field to integrate is
F~ (x, y) = (y, x). Then the line integral becomes:

1 R xdy ydx = 1 R F~ (~r(t))d~r

2 R 2 R
a sin t
= 12 0 (b sin t, a cos t)
R 2 dt
b cos t
= 21 0 ab sin2 t + ab cos2 tdt
R 2

= 21 0 ab(sin2 t + cos2 t)dt = ab

R 2

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Example 5 Compute the work done by the force field F~ (x, y) = (y + 3x, 2y x)
y2
by a moving particle around the ellipse x2 + 4 = 1.
We could compute the answer to this exercise in two different ways, using
the definition of line integral and choosing a parameterization of the ellipse, for
example ~r(t) = (cos t, 2 sin t), t [0, 2] or using Greens theorem. Let us try
Greens theorem. In this case P (x, y) = y + 3x and Q(x, y) = 2y x. And

P Q
= 1 and = 1
y x

Therefore:
R RR Q P
(y + 3x)dx + (2y x)dy = (
R x
)dxdy
R y
RR
= R
2dxdy = 2Area of the ellipse = 4,

using previous example.

Example 6 Let F~ (x, y) = (x2 + y 2 , x2 y 2 ) = (P, Q) in the region shown in next

page Verify Greens theorem

1 y 2 x2

In this case:
P Q
= 2y and = 2x
y x
Then:
RR R 1 R 2x2
R
2x 2ydxdy = 1 1
(2x 2y)dydx
R1 2
= 1
[2xy y 2 ]2x
1 dx
R1
= 1
(2x(2 x2 ) (2 x2 )2 2x + 1)dx
R1
= 1
(4x 2x3 4 + 4x2 x4 2x + 1)dx
R1
= (x4 2x3 + 4x2 + 2x 3)dx
1
h 5 i1
= x x4 + 4x3 + x2 3x
5 2 3 1

= 25 + 83 6 = 15
56

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Notice that R can be thought as the union of two paths C1 and C2 , where C1 is
the the piece of the parabola y = 2 x2 with 1 x 1 and C2 is the segment
joining (1, 1) with (1, 1). A parameterization for C1 could be:
d~r1
~r1 (t) = (t, 2 t2 ), 1 t 1 = (1, 2t)
dt
and a parameterization for C2 could be:
d~r2
~r2 (t) = (1 t)(1, 1) + t(1, 1) = (2t 1, 1) 0 t 1 = (2, 0)
dt
R R1 R1
C1
(x2 + y 2 )dx + (x2 y 2 )dy = 1
(t2 + (2 t2 )2 )dt + 1
2(t2 (2 t2 )2 )tdt
R1
= 1
(2t5 + t4 10t3 3t2 + 8t + 4)dt
i1
t + t5 5t4 t3 + 4t2 + 4t
6
h
= 3 5 2 1

= 25 2 + 8 = 325
h 3 i1
R
(x 2
+ y 2
)dx + (x 2
y 2
)dy =
R1
2((2t 1)2
+ 1)dt = 8t 4t2 + 4t = 8 4 + 4 = 8
C2 0 3 0 3 3

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 From the orientation of the boundary R, we combine these two results to
get 32 8 56
5 + 3 = 15 .