Lecture Notes 7: Integration along Paths

Ruipeng Shen
May 29, 2014

Paths

Definition 1. A path c(t) : [a, b] Rn is called C 1 if and only if its component functions have
continuous derivatives on [a, b]. A path c is a piecewise C 1 path if its domain [a, b] can be
broken into subintervals
[a, b] = [t0 , t1 ] [t1 , t2 ] [ti1 , ti ] [tn1 , tn ]
so that the restriction of c to each subinterval [ti1 , ti ] is a C 1 path.
Definition 2. A curve with the same initial and terminal point is called a closed curve.
Definition 3. (a) The image of a one-to-one, piecewise C 1 path c : [a, b] Rm is called a
simple curve.
(b) The image of a piecewise C 1 path c : [a, b] Rm that is one-to-one on [a, b) and is such that
c(a) = c(b) is called a simple closed curve.
Example 4. The formula c(t) = (sin t, sin 2t) gives
a simple curve if t [0, /2].
a simple closed curve if t [0, ].
a closed (but not simple) if t [0, 2].

Path Integrals of a Real-valued Function

Fence Model A path integral of a real-valued function f over a C 1 path c(t) could be understood as the area of a fence erected along the path of height f (c(t)) at c(t).
Definition 5. Let c : [a, b] R2 be a C 1 path and f : R2 R R be a function such that the
composition f (c(t)) is continuous on [a, b]. The path integral c f ds of f along c is given by
Z

Z
f ds =

f (c(t))kc0 (t)kdt =

p
f (x(t), y(t)) (x0 (t))2 + (y 0 (t))2 dt.

If c is a piecewise C 1 path consisting of C 1 paths cj , j = 1, 2, , m, then

Z
f ds =
c

m Z
X
j=1

f ds.

cj

Example 6. What is the integral of function 1 over a C 1 path ?

Example 7. Find the following integral over the parabola c(t) = (2t, t2 ), t [0, 1]
Z
xds.
c

Example 8. Find the following integral over the helix c(t) = (cos t, sin t, 3t), t [0, 2]
Z
(xy + z)ds.
c
1

Theorem 9. Let c be a C path in R

and = c be a reparametrization of c, then

Z
Z
f ds =
f ds.
c

Path Integrals of Vector Fields

Work Model Suppose that the vector field F(x) represents a force on an object, then the
path integral of F along a path c can be understood as the work done by the force if the object
moves along curve from the initial point to the terminal point. By taking a partition
a = t0 < t1 < t2 < < tn1 < tn = b;

ti = ti ti1

We have
W =

n
X

Wi

i=1

n
X
i=1
n
X

F(c(ti1 )) (c(ti ) c(ti1 ))

F(c(ti1 )) c0 (ti1 )ti

F(c(t)) c0 (t)dt.

i=1

Definition 10. Let c(t) : [a, b] Rm be a C 1 path and let F : Rm Rm be a vector field
such
that the composition F(c(t)) is continuous on [a, b]. The path integral (or the line integral)
R
F

ds of F along c is defined by
c
Z
Z b
F ds =
F(c(t)) c0 (t)dt.
c

Alternative Notation If F(x, y) = (F1 (x, y), F2 (x, y)), then we define (Assume c(t) = (x(t), y(t)))
Z
Z
Z b
F1 (x, y)dx + F2 (x, y)dy = F ds =
[F1 (x(t), y(t))x0 (t) + F2 (x(t), y(t))y 0 (t)] dt.
c

Example 11. Compute the path integral of F(x, y) = (ex+y , 3x) along the path c(t) = (t2 , 3
2t2 ) with t [1, 1].
Example 12. Compute the path integral of a constant F0 along an arbitrary path c.
Theorem 13. Let F be a continuous vector field on Rm . Let c(t1 ) : [a, b] Rm be a C 1 curve
and let = c((t2 )) be a reparametrization of c. Then
 R
Z
Rc F ds If is orientation-preserving;
F ds =

F ds If is orientation-reversing;

c
Proposition 14. If a path c consists of cj with j = 1, 2, , n; then
Z
n Z
X
F ds =
F ds.
c

j=1

cj

Example 15. The line integral of a vector field along an oriented simple closed curve does not
depend on the initial point.
2

Path Integrals Independent of Path

Example 16. Find the line integral of gravitational field F(x) =

GM mx
along an arbitrary
kxk3

path c(t).
Definition 17. A continuous vector field F : U Rm is called a gradient vector field if and
only if there is a differentiable function f : U R such that F = f .
Example 18. The gravitational field is given by F = V . Here V is the gravitational potential
V = GM m/kxk. In general
Z
f ds = f (c(b)) f (c(a)).
c

Definition 19. We say a set U Rm is connected if any two points in U can be joined by a
continuous curve that is completely contained in U .
Theorem 20. If F is a continuous vector field defined on an open connected domain U , then
the following are equivalent to each other
R
For any oriented, simple closed curve c, c F ds = 0.
F is path-independent, for any
simple curve c1 and c2 having the same initial
R
R two oriented,
and terminal point points, c1 F ds = c2 F ds.
F is a gradient vector field.