Integral over a Rotated Ellipse

In summary, the student is trying to solve for the integral of f(x,y)=xy over x^2 - xy + 2y^2 = 1 in terms of an integral over the unit circle, but does not know how to start the problem or find the angle of rotation.
  • #1
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Homework Statement


Determine the integral of f(x,y)=xy over x^2 - xy + 2y^2 = 1 in terms of an integral over the unit circle.


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


The associated hint is to complete the square (which I did...and got messy expressions for x and y). I would like to know how to start the problem, since changing directly to polar coordinates will not work. I have tried to use the rotation change of variables (after which I can use polar coordinates), but I do not know the angle of rotation nor the lengths of the semi- axes.

Is there another change of variables that I am overlooking?

Thanks.
 
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  • #2
This page tells you how to find the angle of rotation to get rid of the cross term.

http://www.sparknotes.com/math/precalc/conicsections/section5.rhtml

Or you could derive it yourself by using the rotation formulas

[tex]\begin{align*}
x &= x' \cos \theta - y' \sin \theta \\
y &= x' \sin \theta + y' \cos\theta
\end{align*}[/tex]

Substitute in for x and y and solve for the angle that causes the cross term to vanish.
 
  • #3
I solved the tedious resulting system of equations and got 3=2...which means that there is no such rotation?

EDIT: I get the angle of rotation as 0 when solving for the coefficient of xy to be 0, but according to the formula from the link, the angle should be pi/8.

EDIT2: I get -pi/8 for the angle of rotation, as opposed to the pi/8 by using (A-C)/B.

I did some research and found the change of coordinates related to the shear factor. I believe this makes more sense because the x-intercepts of the ellipse corresponds to the x-intercepts of the unit circle. So now it's a question of how to determine where the vector (0,1) is mapped to on the ellipse.

On second thought, I'll just stick with the rotation and scaling.

Thanks for your help.
 
Last edited:

1. How is an integral over a rotated ellipse different from a regular integral?

An integral over a rotated ellipse involves finding the area under a curve on an ellipse that has been rotated from its standard orientation. This can make the integration process more complicated, as the equations for the rotated ellipse will be different from those of a regular ellipse.

2. What is the formula for finding the area under a rotated ellipse?

The formula for finding the area under a rotated ellipse is A = ∫∫(1 + (y'x)^2)^(1/2)dxdy, where x' and y' represent the rotated coordinates of the ellipse and the integral is taken over the entire ellipse.

3. Can the integral over a rotated ellipse be solved using basic integration techniques?

Yes, the integral over a rotated ellipse can be solved using basic integration techniques such as substitution and integration by parts. However, these techniques may be more complicated due to the rotated coordinates of the ellipse.

4. Is there a specific method for solving integrals over rotated ellipses?

Yes, there is a specific method called the Jacobian method that is often used to solve integrals over rotated ellipses. This method involves transforming the integral into a simpler form by using a change of variables.

5. What are some real-world applications of integrals over rotated ellipses?

Integrals over rotated ellipses are commonly used in physics and engineering to calculate the moments of inertia of objects with elliptical shapes. They are also used in image processing and computer graphics to rotate and scale images. Additionally, they have applications in economics and statistics for calculating probabilities and expected values.

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