Double Integral Evaluation Using Polar Coordinates

Chiborino
Messages
19
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


Evaluate over the x,y plane:
∫∫e^{-\sqrt{x^{2}+4y^{2}}}dxdy
And I know the answer SHOULD be \pi

Homework Equations


Polar-->rectangular identities maybe?
x--> rcos, y--> rsinθ, dxdy--> rdrdθ



The Attempt at a Solution


I tried using polar coordinates, but it doesn't simplify to something nice. When I did I got:
∫∫r*e^{-r*\sqrt{cosθ^{2}+4sinθ^{2}}}drdθ
But there isn't an identity that simplifies the exponent into something easier to handle
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
Chiborino said:

Homework Statement


Evaluate over the x,y plane:
∫∫e^{-r*\sqrt{x^{2}+4y^{2}}}dxdy
And I know the answer SHOULD be \pi

Homework Equations


Polar-->rectangular identities maybe?
x--> rcos, y--> rsinθ, dxdy--> rdrdθ



The Attempt at a Solution


I tried using polar coordinates, but it doesn't simplify to something nice. When I did I got:
∫∫r*e^{-r*\sqrt{cosθ^{2}+4sinθ^{2}}}drdθ
But there isn't an that simplifies the exponent into something easier to handle

\displaystyle\sqrt{x^{2}+4y^{2}}=r\sqrt{\cos^{2}( \theta)+4sin^{2}(\theta)}

So that last integral should be \displaystyle\int\int r\, e^{r^2\sqrt{\cos^{2}( \theta)+4sin^{2}(\theta)}}dr\,d\theta
.
 
Since the original integral is in xy coordinates, is that "r" a variable or a constant? Is r just short for \sqrt{x^2+ y^2}?
 
HallsofIvy said:
Since the original integral is in xy coordinates, is that "r" a variable or a constant? Is r just short for \sqrt{x^2+ y^2}?

The r I put inthe original shouldn't be there, my apologies.
 
Chiborino;3602540I tried using polar coordinates said:
r*e^{-r*\sqrt{cosθ^{2}+4sinθ^{2}}}[/itex]drdθ
But there isn't an identity that simplifies the exponent into something easier to handle

What's with this something nice and easy to handle thing? That don't happen in the real world. Try and learn to muscle through things. Suppose I just write it as:

\int_0^{2\pi}\left(\int_0^{\infty}re^{-ar}dr\right)d\theta,\quad a>0

Can you do that part in parenthesis? Alright, then switch to:

a=\sqrt{\cos^2(t)+4\sin^2(t)}

and muscle through that one. We can get rid of one of them right?

\cos^2(t)+4\sin^2(t)=1+3\sin^2(t)

Then what about reducing it further with other trig identities?
 
Last edited:
jackmell said:
What's with this something nice and easy to handle thing? That don't happen in the real world. Try and learn to muscle through things. Suppose I just write it as:

\int_0^{2\pi}\left(\int_0^{\infty}re^{-ar}dr\right)d\theta,\quad a>0

Can you do that part in parenthesis? Alright, then switch to:

a=\sqrt{\cos^2(t)+4\sin^2(t)}

and muscle through that one. We can get rid of one of them right?

\cos^2(t)+4\sin^2(t)=1+3\sin^2(t)

Then what about reducing it further with other trig identities?

I ultimately wound up getting \int_0^{2\pi}\frac{1}{5-3cos(2\theta}d\theta

Upon evaluating the integral I got \frac{1}{2}arctan(2tan(\theta)), evaluated between 0 and 2\pi, which is 0. But after splitting the boundaries at \frac{\pi}{2} and \frac{3\pi}{2}, I got simply \pi for an answer.

Thank you for the help.
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
Back
Top