5.

2 Definite Integrals

Greg Kelly, Hanford High School, Richland, Washington

 1 When we find the area
V t2 1
8
under a curve by adding
rectangles, the answer is
called a Rieman sum.

The width of a rectangle is

called a subinterval.

The entire interval is

subinterval called the partition.

partition

Subintervals do not all have to be the same size.

 1
V t2 1
If the partition is denoted by P, then
8

the length of the longest subinterval

is called the norm of P and is
denoted by P .

subinterval
As P gets smaller, the
partition approximation for the area gets
better.

n
Area lim f ck xk if P is a partition
P 0
k 1
of the interval a, b

 n
lim f ck xk is called the definite integral of
P 0
k 1 f over
a, b .
If we use subintervals of equal length, then the length of a
subinterval is: ba
x
n
The definite integral is then given by:

n
lim f ck x
n
k 1

 n
lim f ck x Leibnitz introduced a simpler notation
n
k 1
for the definite integral:

n
lim f ck x f x dx
b

n a
k 1

Note that the very small change

in x becomes dx.

 upper limit of integration

b
f x dx
Integration
Symbol
a
integrand
variable of integration
lower limit of integration (dummy variable)

It is called a dummy variable

because the answer does not
depend on the variable chosen.
 b
f x dx
a

We have the notation for integration, but we still need

to learn how to evaluate the integral.

 In section 5.1, we considered an object moving at a
constant rate of 3 ft/sec.

Since rate . time = distance: 3t d

If we draw a graph of the velocity, the distance that the
object travels is equal to the area under the line.

After 4 seconds,
the object has
gone 12 feet.
velocity

ft
3 4 sec 12 ft
sec
time

 If the velocity varies:
1
v t 1
2
1 2
Distance: s t t
4
1
(C=0 since s=0 at t=0) Area 1 3 4 8
2
1
After 4 seconds: s 16 4
4 The distance is still
s 8 equal to the area
under the curve!
Notice that the area is a trapezoid.

 1 2
What if: v t 1
8

We could split the area under the curve into a lot of thin
trapezoids, and each trapezoid would behave like the large
one in the previous example.
It seems reasonable that the distance will equal the area
under the curve.

 ds 1 2
v t 1
dt 8

1 3
s t t
24

1 3
s 4 4
24 2
The area under the curve 6
3
2
s6
3
We can use anti-derivatives to
find the area under a curve!

Lets look at it another way:
Let Aa x area under the
curve from a to x.

(a is a constant)

a x xh Then:

Aa x Ax x h Aa x h
Aa x Ax x h

Ax x h Aa x h Aa x
Aa x h

 The area of a rectangle drawn
under the curve would be less
than the actual area under the
min f max f curve.

The area of a rectangle drawn

above the curve would be
x xh more than the actual area
h under the curve.

short rectangle area under curve tall rectangle

h min f Aa x h Aa x h max f
Aa x h Aa x
min f max f
h

 Aa x h Aa x
min f max f
h
As h gets smaller, min f and max f get closer together.

Aa x h Aa x
lim f x x is the
AaThis F definition
x c
h 0 h of derivative!
Aa a F a c
d
Aa x f x 0 F a c
dx
initial
Take the anti-derivative value
of both F a c
sides to find an explicit formula
for area.

 Aa x h Aa x
min f max f
h
As h gets smaller, min f and max f get closer together.

Aa x h Aa x Aa x F x c
lim f x
h 0 h
Aa a F a c
d
Aa x f x 0 F a c
dx
F a c
Aa x F x F a
Area under curve from a to x = antiderivative at x minus
antiderivative at a.
 n
Area lim f ck xk
P 0
k 1

b
f x dx
a

F x F a

Example: yx 2

Find the area under the curve from

x=1 to x=2.
2 1 3 1

2
x dx 2 1
1 3 3
2
1 3 8 1 7
x
3 1 3 3 3

Area
Area from
under thex=0 Areax=from
curve from 1 to x=0
x=2.
to x=2 to x=1

Example: yx 2

Find the area under the curve from

x=1 to x=2.

To do the same problem on the TI-89:

x ^ 2, x,1, 2 ENTER

2nd 7

 Example:
Find the area between the 3
pos. 2
y cos x
x-axis and the curve
from x 0 to 3 . neg.
x 2
2
3

0
2
cos x dx cos x dx

2 On the TI-89:

abs cos x , x, 0,3 / 2

2
/2 3 / 2
sin x 0 sin x / 2
3
3
sin sin 0 sin sin If you use the absolute
2 2 2
value function, you
1 0 1 1 3 dont need to find the
roots.