Example of using Green's Theorem
Evaluate the line integral
`int_C 1/2 y^6dx + (6/5 x^5+3xy^5)dy` along the curve `C` from
(0,0) along `y=(x+2)^2 -4` to (1,5) and then
using
`y=5x` back to (0,0).
We might note that we could just evaluate the line integral via a program
such as the topics15s4demo.pl program, here, though not shown.
This has the form of Green's Theorem,
namely, it looks like `int_C Mdx+Ndy`
where
`M(x,y)=1/2 y^6` and `N(x,y)= 6/5 x^5+3xy^5`.
Therefore, by Green's Theorem, we can rewrite the line integral as
the double integral over the surface in the form
`int_Rint (delN)/(delx)-(delM)/(dely) dA`.
However, we see that
`(delN)/(delx) = 6x^4+3y^5` and
`(delM)/(dely) = 3y^5`. So
`int_Rint (delN)/(delx)-(delM)/(dely) dR = int_Rint 6x^4+3y^5 - 3y^5 dA`.
This simplifies to
`int_Rint 6x^4 dA`.
Fortunately, our region R is "nice" in that we can describe it by saying that x goes between 0 and 1, the lower bound of the region is a function of x, namely,
`y=(x+2)^2-4 = x^2 +4x +4 - 4 = x^2+4x`
and the upper bound of the region is a function of x, namely,
`y=5x`.
Therefore, we can convert the double integral to an iterated integral as in
`int_Rint 6x^4 dA = int_0^1 int_(x^2+4x)^(5x)6x^4 dy dx`.
Dealing with the inside integral, the anti-derivative with respect to `y` is
`6x^4y` and we need to find
`(6x^4y) |_(x^2+4x)^(5x) = (6x^4)(5x) - (6x^4)(x^2+4x)`. But that simplifies to
`30x^5 -6x^6-24x^5 = 6x^5-6x^5`. Thus, our problem now becomes
`int_0^1 6x^5-6x^6 dx`. However, the anti-derivative of `6x^5-6x^6` is
`x^6 - 6/7x^7` which we need to evaluate between 0 and 1 as in
`x^6 - 6/7x^7)|_0^1 = (1 - 6/7) - (0-0) = 1/7`.
Thus, for the give closed curve C we have
`int_C 1/2 y^6dx + (6/5 x^5+3xy^5)dy = int_Rint 6x^4+3y^5 - 3y^5 dA = int_Rint 6x^4 dA = int_0^1 int_(x^2+4x)^(5x)6x^4 dy dx = 1/7`.
©Roger M. Palay
Saline, MI 48176
July, 2015