2
$\begingroup$

Integrate r = $\sqrt{x^2+y^2}$ from (0,0) to (1,1) along the path (0,0) => (1,0) => (1,1)

My professor tells me to let $dr = dxi +dyj$ where $i $ and $j$ are the standard unit vectors. I don't really see how this is possible with a scalar function. I have been parametrizing:

$\int_Cr(x,y)dr = \int_{t_0}^tr(x_{(t)},y_{(t)})\sqrt{(\frac{dx}{dt})^2 + (\frac{dy}{dt})^2}dt$

and i get $C_1$ (0,0) => (1,0)
$x = t;dx/dt =1;y =0$

But my main confusion is when I try to parameterize C2: (1,0)=>(1,1) I get an integral which I cannot solve by any conventional analytical methods: x = 1, y = t, dy/dt = 1 $\int\sqrt{1 + t^2}dt$

So I have surely done something wrong, any help would be greatly appreciated.

1 Answers 1

1

This suggestion $dr=dx\cdot i+dy\cdot j$ maybe a bit confusing, but perhaps better using that than this one: $dr=\sqrt{(\frac{dx}{dt})^2 + (\frac{dy}{dt})^2}dt$, which is not correct at all: in this notation $dr/dt$ gives the derivative of $r$ by $t$. Also, it seems you want to denote 2 things by $r$: the function itself and the variable point on the given path.

But why don't you just integrate $r$ on the given path? First $y=0$ is fix and $x$ goes from $0$ to $1$, then $x=1$ is fix and $y$ goes from $0$ to $1$. Two one variable integrals (and the second one is exactly that you wrote up:) $\int\sqrt{1+y^2}dy$ For this: have you heard about $\cosh^2-\sinh^2=1$?

So, try the following substitution: $y=\sinh v$, then $dy/dv=\cosh v$, alias, formally, $dy=\cosh v\cdot dv$. You will also need the identity for $\cosh(2v)$.

  • 0
    okay thanks a lot2012-10-07