Vector-Valued Functions

11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6

CHAPTER

11

VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS THE CALCULUS OF VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS MOTION IN SPACE CURVATURE TANGENT AND NORMAL VECTORS PARAMETRIC SURFACES

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS Preliminaries

For the circuitous path of the airplane, it is convenient to describe the airplanes location at any given time by the end point of a vector whose initial point is located at the origin (a position vector). Notice that a function that gives us a vector in V3 for each time t would do the job nicely. This is the concept of a vector-valued function.
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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

DEFINITION 1.1 A vector-valued function r(t) is a mapping from its domain D to its range R V3, so that for each t in D, r(t) = v for exactly one vector v R. We can always write a vector-valued function as r(t) = f (t)i + g(t)j + h(t)k, (1.1) for some scalar functions f, g and h (called the component functions of r).

We can likewise define a vector-valued function r(t) in V2 by r(t) = f (t)i + g(t)j, for some scalar functions f and g.
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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS Preliminaries

For each t, we regard r(t) as a position vector.
The endpoint of r(t) then can be viewed as tracing out a curve. Observe that for r(t) as defined in (1.1), this curve is the same as that described by the parametric equations x = f (t), y = g(t) and z = h(t). In three dimensions, such a curve is referred to as a space curve.
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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.1 Sketching the Curve Defined by a VectorValued Function

Sketch a graph of the curve traced out by the endpoint of the two-dimensional vector-valued function r(t) = (t + 1)i + (t2 2)j.

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.1 Sketching the Curve Defined by a VectorValued Function

Solution Substituting some values for t, we have r(0) = i 2j = 1,2, r(2) = 3i + 2j = 3, 2 and r(2) = 1, 2.

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.1 Sketching the Curve Defined by a VectorValued Function

Solution The endpoints of all position vectors r(t) lie on the curve C, described parametrically by Eliminate the parameter:

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.1 Sketching the Curve Defined by a VectorValued Function

Solution The small arrows marked on the graph indicate the orientation, that is, the direction of increasing values of t. If the curve describes the path of an object, then the orientation indicates the direction in which the object traverses the path.
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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.2 A Vector-Valued Function Defining an Ellipse Sketch a graph of the curve traced out by the endpoint of the vector-valued function

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.2 Solution A Vector-Valued Function Defining an Ellipse

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.3 A Vector-Valued Function Defining an Elliptical Helix

Plot the curve traced out by the vector-valued function r(t) = sin ti 3 cos tj + 2tk, t 0.

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.3 Solution A Vector-Valued Function Defining an Elliptical Helix

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.4 A Vector-Valued Function Defining a Line

Plot the curve traced out by the vector-valued function

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EXAMPLE 1.4 Solution A Vector-Valued Function Defining a Line

Recognize these equations as parametric equations for the straight line parallel to the vector 2,3,4 and passing through the point (3, 5, 2).
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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.5 Matching a Vector-Valued Function to Its Graph Match each of the vector-valued functions f1(t) = cos t, ln t, sin t, f2(t) = t cos t, t sin t, t, f3(t) = 3 sin 2t, t, t and f4(t) = 5 sin3 t, 5 cos3 t, t

with the corresponding computer-generated graph (on the following slide).

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.5 Matching a Vector-Valued Function to Its Graph

f1(t) = cos t, ln t, sin t, f2(t) = t cos t, t sin t, t, f3(t) = 3 sin 2t, t, t and f4(t) = 5 sin3 t, 5 cos3 t, t
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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.5 Solution Matching a Vector-Valued Function to Its Graph f1 f4

f1(t) = cos t, ln t, sin t, f2(t) = t cos t, t sin t, t, f3(t) = 3 sin 2t, t, t and f4(t) = 5 sin3 t, 5 cos3 t, t f2 f3

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS Arc Length in

A natural question to ask about a curve is, How long is it? Note that the plane curve traced out exactly once by the endpoint of the vector-valued function r(t) = f (t), g(t), for t [a, b] is the same as the curve defined parametrically by x = f (t), y = g(t). Recall from section 10.3 that if f, f' , g and g' are all continuous for t [a, b], the arc length is given by

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS Arc Length in

Consider a space curve traced out by the endpoint of the vector-valued function r(t) = f (t), g(t), h(t), where f, f' , g, g', h and h' are all continuous for t [a, b] and where the curve is traversed exactly once as t increases from a to b. The arc length of the space curve is given by:

(See the text for the derivation of this result.)

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.6 Computing Arc Length in

Find the arc length of the curve traced out by the endpoint of the vector-valued function r(t) = 2t, ln t, t2, for 1 t e.

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.6 Computing Arc Length in

Solution First, notice that for x(t) = 2t, y(t) = ln t and z(t) = t2, we have x'(t) = 2, y'(t) = 1/t and z'(t) = 2t, and the curve is traversed exactly once for 1 t e.

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.6 Solution Computing Arc Length in

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.7 Approximating Arc Length in

Find the arc length of the curve traced out by the endpoint of the vector-valued function r(t) = e2t , sin t, t, for 0 t 2.

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.7 Approximating Arc Length in

Solution First, note that for x(t) = e2t , y(t) = sin t and z(t) = t, we have x'(t) = 2e2t , y'(t) = cos t and z'(t) = 1, and that the curve is traversed exactly once for 0 t 2

Approximate the integral using Simpsons Rule or the numerical integration routine built into your calculator: s 53.8.
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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.8 Finding Parametric Equations for an Intersection of Surfaces Find the arc length of the portion of the curve determined by the intersection of the cone

and the plane y + z = 2 in the first octant.

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.8 Solution Finding Parametric Equations for an Intersection of Surfaces

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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.8 Solution Finding Parametric Equations for an Intersection of Surfaces

The portion of the parabola in the first octant must have x 0 (so t 0), y 0 (so t2 4) and z 0 (always true). This occurs if 0 t 2.
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11.1 VECTOR-VALUED FUNCTIONS

EXAMPLE 1.8 Solution Finding Parametric Equations for an Intersection of Surfaces

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