MHB How can we simplify the triple integral of a rectangular box?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chris L T521
  • Start date Start date
Chris L T521
Gold Member
MHB
Messages
913
Reaction score
0
Thanks to those who participated in last week's POTW! Here's this week's problem (and the first University POTW of 2013)!

-----

Problem: Let $G$ be a rectangular box defined by the inequalities $a\leq x\leq b$, $c\leq y\leq d$, $k\leq z\leq l$. Show that
\[\iiint\limits_G f(x)g(y)h(z)\,dV = \left[\int_a^b f(x)\,dx\right]\left[\int_c^d g(y)\,dy\right]\left[\int_k^l h(z)\,dz\right],\]
where $\,dV=\,dx\,dy\,dz$.

-----

 
Physics news on Phys.org
This week's problem was correctly answered by Deveno and Sudharaka. You can find Deveno's solution below:

Let $H$ be an anti-derivative of $h$, $G$ be an anti-derivative of $g$ and $F$ an anti-derivative of $f$. I will call the region of integration $R$ to avoid confusion. $f,g,h$ will be assumed to be integrable over the appropriate intervals.Then:
$$\iiint\limits_R f(x)g(y)h(z)\ dV = \int_a^b \left(\int_c^d \int_k^l f(x)g(y)h(z)\ dy\ dz \right)\ dx$$
$$= \int_a^b \left( \int_c^d \left( \int_k^l f(x)g(y)h(z)\ dz \right)\ dy \right)\ dx = \int_a^b \left( \int_c^d f(x)g(y) \left( \int_k^l h(z)\ dz\right)\ dy \right)\ dx$$
$$= \int_a^b \left(\int_c^d [H(l) - H(k)]f(x)g(y)\ dy\right)\ dx = [H(l) - H(k)]\int_a^b \left(\int_c^d f(x)g(y)\ dy\right)\ dx$$
$$=[H(l) - H(k)]\int_a^b f(x) \left(\int_c^d g(y)\ dy \right)\ dx = [H(l) - H(k)]\int_a^b [G( d) - G(c)]f(x)\ dx$$
$$= [G( d) - G(c)][H(l)-H(k)]\int_a^b f(x)\ dx = [F(b)-F(a)][G( d) - G(c)][H(l) - H(k)]$$
$$= \left[\int_a^b f(x)\ dx\right]\left[\int_c^d g(y)\ dy\right]\left[\int_k^l h(z)\ dz\right]$$
 
Back
Top