Integrating a Line Integral Along a Curve with Given Boundaries

In summary, the problem is to find the integral of (zdx + xdy + ydz) along the curve C: x(t) = cos(t), y(t) = sin(t), z = 3t with boundaries 0 and 2pi. The attempt at a solution involved using the chain rule to find the values of dx, dy, and dz, and substituting them into the original equation. However, the integration became stuck in an endless loop and it was suggested to use the half-angle identity to evaluate the middle term.
  • #1
Oakwater
5
0

Homework Statement



∫(zdx+xdy+ydz)

along the curve C: x(t)= cos(t), y(t)= sin(t), z = 3t,

Boundaries are 0 and 2pi


Homework Equations



General integration and differentation.

The Attempt at a Solution


given the values I calculated that:

Using chain rule:

dx = -sintdt
dy = costdt
dz = 3dt

i then resubbed into the original equation to get:

∫(-3tsin(t)dt + cos^2(t)dt + 3sin(t)dt)

this is where I've got stuck, I attempted to integrate by parts the first term however it seems to get stuck in an endless loop, I'm not sure where to go from there.
 
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  • #2
Why don't you show us your work. It may be a simple problem to fix.
 
  • #3
The first and last terms of your integral should be easy to evaluate, the possibly tricky one is the middle term. The trick is to use the half-angle identity:
[tex] \cos^2 \theta = \frac{1 + \cos 2\theta}{2} [/tex]
 

1. What is a line integral?

A line integral is a mathematical tool used to calculate the total value of a function along a given path in two or three-dimensional space. It takes into account both the distance traveled along the path and the value of the function at each point.

2. How is a line integral evaluated?

A line integral is evaluated by breaking the path into small segments and approximating the value of the function at each point. The sum of these approximations is then multiplied by the length of each segment and added together to get the total value of the line integral.

3. What is the significance of the direction of the path in a line integral?

The direction of the path is important because it determines the sign of the line integral. If the path is traversed in the same direction as the positive orientation, the value of the line integral will be positive. If the path is traversed in the opposite direction, the value of the line integral will be negative.

4. How does a line integral relate to physical concepts?

Line integrals are commonly used in physics to calculate physical quantities such as work, flow, and flux. For example, a line integral can be used to calculate the work done by a force along a given path, or the amount of fluid flowing through a pipe over a certain distance.

5. What are some common applications of line integrals?

Line integrals have many applications in mathematics, physics, and engineering. They are used to calculate physical quantities, solve optimization problems, and analyze vector fields. They also have applications in computer graphics and image processing, such as contour integrals and path tracing.

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