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Vector Calculus: 9.9 Independence of Path. Objective

This document discusses path independence in vector calculus. It defines a path as a piecewise-smooth curve between an initial and terminal point. A vector field is path independent if its line integral is the same for all paths between two points. A vector field is conservative if its line integral depends only on the endpoints and not the path. The document provides examples of computing line integrals and finding potential functions to demonstrate the path independence of conservative vector fields.

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Jacynthe Gaudette
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41 views20 pages

Vector Calculus: 9.9 Independence of Path. Objective

This document discusses path independence in vector calculus. It defines a path as a piecewise-smooth curve between an initial and terminal point. A vector field is path independent if its line integral is the same for all paths between two points. A vector field is conservative if its line integral depends only on the endpoints and not the path. The document provides examples of computing line integrals and finding potential functions to demonstrate the path independence of conservative vector fields.

Uploaded by

Jacynthe Gaudette
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CHAPTER 9

VECTOR CALCULUS
 9.9 INDEPENDENCE OF PATH.
 OBJECTIVE:

In this section we refer to a piecewise smooth curve


C between an initial point A and terminal point B as a
path of integration or simply a path

1
Definition: Path
A path is a piecewise-smooth curve C between initial
point A and terminal point B.
From previous section, we know that

Where depends on the path C. That is if are two


different paths between A and B, then it is expected that

But this is not always true.

2
Theorem 9.9.4: Test for conservative field
is Conservative if and only if

3
Example 1

Example 2

4
Definition: Conservative vector field
If a vector field function F in 2 or 3 space is conservative,
then can be written as the gradient of some scalar
function .
That is and is called a potential function of F
and is independent of the path C

5
Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals
Suppose that is a conservative
vector field in R and is a potential function of F and
C is a path in an open region R in the xy-plane
defined by , then

6
Definitions of Connected, Simply Connected and
Open Regions.
1) A region R is said to be connected if any two points A and B in
R can be joined by a piecewise smooth curve that lies entirely
inside R

Not Connected
Connected
7
Theorem 9.9.2
Suppose that is a vector field in an open
connected region R, then is independent of the path C if
and only if F is conservative.

8
Question

If we know that F is conservative, how do we find the potential


function for F and how can we find the work done?

9
Example 3 For

1) Show that the integral is independent of the path.


2) Find the potential function
3) Compute the integral.

10
Example 3 For

1) Show that the integral is independent of the path.


2) Find the potential function
3) Compute the integral.

11
Example 3 For

1) Show that the integral is independent of the path.


2) Find the potential function
3) Compute the integral.

2) Since F is conservative, then

12
Example 4 For
(0,0)

∫ (5 𝑥 +4 𝑦 )𝑑𝑥+(4 𝑥 −8 𝑦 3 )𝑑𝑦
(− 1,1)
1) Show that the integral is independent of the path.
2) Find the potential function
3) Compute the integral.

13
Example 4 For
(0,0)

∫ (5 𝑥 +4 𝑦 )𝑑𝑥+(4 𝑥 −8 𝑦 3 )𝑑𝑦
(− 1,1)
1) Show that the integral is independent of the path.
2) Find the potential function
3) Compute the integral.

14
Example 4 For
(0,0)

∫ (5 𝑥 +4 𝑦 )𝑑𝑥+(4 𝑥 −8 𝑦 3 )𝑑𝑦
(− 1,1)
1) Show that the integral is independent of the path.
2) Find the potential function
3) Compute the integral.

2) Since F is conservative, then

𝜕Φ 𝜕Φ 3
𝐹=(5𝑥+4𝑦)𝑖+(4𝑥−8𝑦 ) 𝑗=∇Φ= 𝑖+ 𝑗
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
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Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals in #-D Space

Suppose that
is a conservative vector field in R and is a potential
function of F and C is a path in an open region R in the
xy-plane defined by
then

Furthermore, is independent of the path if and


only if F is conservative, that is:

16
For
Example 5

1) Show that the integral is independent of the path.


2) Find the potential function
3) Compute the integral.

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Example 5

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Solution of example 5

2) Since F is conservative, then F is independent of the path and

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For (2 , 𝜋 / 2 ,1)
Example 6
∫ 3𝑧 2
(2 𝑥𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑦 +𝑒 )𝑑𝑥+𝑥 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑦 𝑑𝑦+(3 𝑥 𝑒 +5)𝑑𝑧
3𝑧

1) (1 ,0 ,0) that the integral is independent of the path.


Show
2) Find the potential function
3) Compute the integral.

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