Math 2220 Problem Set 10 Solutions Spring 2010

Section 6.1 :
2. Calculate the integral of the function f (x, y, z) = xyz over the curve c(t) = (t, 2t, 3t) ,
0 ≤ t ≤ 2.
Z 2
Solution. The integral can be computed as f (r(t))|r′ (t)| dt , where r(t) denotes the
0
parametrization of the curve. After substituting the given function f (x, y, z) = xyz we
get
Z 2 √
3√ √
Z Z 2 2
3 4
f ds = (t)(2t)(3t)|(1, 2, 3)| dt = 6 14 t dt = 14 t  = 24 14
C 0 0 2 0

4. Calculate the integral of f (x, y, z) = 3x+xy+z 3 over the curve c(t) = (cos 4t, sin 4t, 3t) ,
0 ≤ t ≤ 2π .
Solution. The derivative of the parametrization is c′ (t) = (−4 sin 4t, 4 cos 4t, 3) and its
norm is |c′ (t)| = 5 . Thus, the integral is
Z Z 2π
f ds = (3 cos 4t + cos 4t sin 4t + 27t3 )(5) dt =
C 0

 
3 1 27 2π
5 sin 4t + sin2 4t + t4  = 540π
4
4 8 4 0

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8. Calculate C
F · ds for the vector field F(x, y, z) = (x, y, −z) where C is the curve
2 3
c(t) = (t, 3t , 2t ) , −1 ≤ t ≤ 1 .
Solution. The derivative of the parametrization is c′ (t) = (1, 6t, 6t2 ) and the vector field
along the curve is F(c(t)) = (t, 3t2 , −2t3 ) . Therefore the line integral over the curve can
be computed as

1 1
t2 9 4
Z Z 1
2 3 2 3 65
(t, 3t , −2t ) · (1, 6t, 6t ) dt = (t + 18t − 12t ) dt = + t − 2t  = 0
−1 −1 2 2 −1

Alternatively, you can start with the line integral

Z Z
F1 dx + F2 dy + F3 dz = x dx + y dy − z dz
C C

and compute this using (x, y, z) = (t, 3t2 , 2t3 ) , which leads to the same thing.
18. Evaluate C (x2 − y) dx + (x − y 2 ) dy where C is the line segment from (1, 1) to (3, 5) .
R

Solution. The segment goes in the direction of the vector (3, 5) − (1, 1) = (2, 4) so it can be
parametrized as (x, y) = (1, 1) + t(2, 4) = (1 + 2t, 1 + 4t) for 0 ≤ t ≤ 1 . The line integral
Math 2220 Problem Set 10 Solutions Spring 2010

is then Z 1
(1 + 2t)2 − (1 + 4t) (2) dt + (1 + 2t) − (1 + 4t)2 ) (4) dt
  
0
1
56 3 1 92
Z
= (8t2 − 24t − 64t2 ) dt = −12t2 − t  =−
0 3 0 3
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22. Calculate C z dx + x dy + y dz where C is the curve obtained by intersecting the
surfaces z = x2 and x2 + y 2 = 4 , and C is oriented counterclockwise when viewed from
above.
Solution. One way of obtaining a parametrization of the curve C is to notice that its
projection in the xy plane is a circle of radius 2 , which can be parametrized by (x, y) =
(2 cos t, 2 sin t) , and the curve C itself is just the lift of this circle to the graph of the
function z = x2 , so we get the z -coordinate of C by squaring the x -coordinate which is
2 cos t . Thus we can parametrize C via (x, y, z) = (2 cos t, 2 sin t, 4 cos2 t) for 0 ≤ t ≤ 2π .
The line integral is then
Z
z dx + x dy + y dz
C
Z 2π
= (4 cos2 t)(−2 sin t) dt + (2 cos t)(2 cos t) dt + (2 sin t)(−8 cos t sin t) dt
0
Z 2π
−8 cos2 t sin t + 2 + 2 cos 2t − 16 sin2 t cos t dt


=
0 
8 3 16 3 2π
= cos t + 2t + sin 2t − sin t  = 4π.
3 3 0

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28. Let F be the radial vector field F = x i + y j + z k . Show that C
F · ds = 0 whenever
C is a curve c(t) = (x(t), y(t), z(t)) that lies on the sphere x2 + y 2 + z 2 = c2 . Hint:
Differentiate [x(t)]2 + [y(t)]2 + [z(t)]2 = c2 .
Solution. The derivative of the equation x(t)2 + y(t)2 + z(t)2 = c2 is

2x(t)x′ (t) + 2y(t)y ′ (t) + 2z(t)z ′ (t) = 0

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After canceling the factor 2 , this says exactly that F · ds = 0 . Hence C
F · ds = 0 .

Section 6.2 :
4. Verify Green’s theorem for the vector field F(x, y) = (2y, x) and the semicircular
region D defined by x2 + y 2 ≤ a2 and y ≥ 0 , by computing both ∂D M dx + N dy and
R
RR
D
(Nx − My ) dA .
Math 2220 Problem Set 10 Solutions Spring 2010

Solution. The boundary of D consists of two parts: the semicircle itself and a line seg-
ment contained in the x -axis. One the line segment we have y = 0 and dy = 0 ,
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so 2y dx + x dy = 0 on this line segment. For the semicircle, we parametrize it by
(x, y) = (a cos t, a sin t) for 0 ≤ t ≤ π , with line integral
Z π Z π
2
(2a sin t)(−a sin t)dt + (a cos t)(a cos t)dt = a (cos2 t − 2 sin2 t) dt
0
Z0 π  
2 1 + cos 2t
=a − 1 − cos 2t dt
0 2
πa2
 
2 t sin 2t π
=a − −  =−
2 4 0 2
Doing the calculation the other way, we have
πa2
ZZ ZZ ZZ
(Nx − My ) dA = (1 − 2) dA = − dA = −Area(D) = −
D D D 2

10. Let a be a positive constant. Use Green’s theorem to calculate the area under one
arch of the cycloid x = a(t − sin t) , y = a(1 − cos t) . (Letting t vary in the interval
0 ≤ t ≤ 2π gives one arch of the cycloid.)
R
Solution. By Green’s Theorem the line integral C −y dx is equal to the area enclosed by
the curve C . The boundary of the region under one arch of the cycloid consists of two
parts: C1 , the part of the x axis between 0 and 2π (in the direction of increasing x ); and
C2 , the cycloid taken with the opposite orientation, from right to left. On C1 we have
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y = 0 hence C1 −y dx = 0 . Thus we have
Z Z 2π   
Area(D) = −y dx = − − a(1 − cos t) a(1 − cos t) dt
C2 0
2π 2π  
1 + cos 2t
Z Z
2 2 2


=a 1 − 2 cos t + cos t dt = a 1 − 2 cos t + dt
0 0 2
 
3 1 2π
= a2 t − 2 sin t + sin 2t  = 3πa2 .

2 4 0

11. Evaluate C (x4 y 5 − 2y) dx + (3x + x5 y 4 ) dy where C is the

R

closed oriented curve shown in the figure.

Solution. We can use Green’s theorem since the curve is a closed
curve. The curl of the vector field is equal to

Nx − My = 3 + 5x4 y 4 − (5x4 y 4 − 2) = 5
Math 2220 Problem Set 10 Solutions Spring 2010

and Green’s Theorem gives

Z ZZ ZZ
M dx + N dy = (Nx − My ) dA = 5 dA = 5 Area(D).
∂D D D

By looking at the picture one sees that the area of the region D enclosed by the curve C
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is equal to 9 . Therefore, ∂D M dx + N dy = 45 . However the curve C has the opposite
orientation from the curve ∂D , so the final answer is −45 .

−y 3 dx + (x3 + 2x + y) dy is positive for

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20. Show that C
any closed curve C to which Green’s theorem applies.
Solution. The curl of the vector field is equal to

Nx − My = 3x2 + 2 − (−3y 2 ) = 3x2 + 2 + 3y 2

and Green’s Theorem gives

Z ZZ ZZ
M dx + N dy = (Nx − Ny ) dA = (3x2 + 2 + 3y 2 ) dA
∂D D D

This last integral has to be positive since the function 3x2 + 2 + 3y 2 is positive everywhere.
(One can regard this double integral as computing the volume of a certain solid region
lying above the xy -plane, so the volume is positive.)
22. Let r = x i + y j be the position vector of any point in the plane. Show that the flux
of F = r over any closed curve C in R2 is equal to twice the area inside C .
Solution. The divergence of the vector field F is equal to div(F) = 1 + 1 = 2 . The
divergence form of Green’s Theorem says that the flux of F across a closed curve C = ∂D
equals Z ZZ ZZ
F · n ds = div(F) dA = 2 dA = 2 Area(D).
∂D D D

∂ 2f ∂ 2f
24. Let f (x, y) be a function of class C 2 such that ∂x2
+ ∂y 2
= 0 . (Such functions are
called harmonic.) Show that if C is any closed curve to which Green’s theorem applies,
then C ∂f dx − ∂f
R
∂y ∂x
dy = 0 .
Solution. If we apply Green’s theorem C M dx + N dy = D ( ∂N ∂M
R RR
∂x − ∂y ) dx dy to the line
2 2
integral C M dx + N dy = C ∂y dx − ∂f
R R ∂f RR ∂ f ∂ f
∂x dy we get D
(− ∂x 2 − ∂y 2 ) dx dy . This equals

∂ 2f ∂ 2f
0 since we assume ∂x2 + ∂y 2 = 0.