12.

2 Arc length and the unit

tangent vector
Definition [Arc length; Length of a smooth curve] The length of a smooth curve of
r(t)=f( t )i+g( t )j+h( t )k, a t, t b, that is traced exactly once as t increases from
t = a to t = b is

L=

b
2

df dg dh
+
dt
+
dt dt dt

a
b

dx dy dz
+ + dt
dt dt dt

a
b

= v( t ) dt.

Arc length parameter with base point P( t0 ) on a smooth curve

s( t ) =

t
2

dx dy dz
+
d =

+
v dt.

d d d
t
0

Example:
Consider the space curve: r(t) = (6 sin( t ))i + (6 cos( t ))j + 5 tk, 0 t,t 4 .
> restart:r:=t->[6*cos(t),6*sin(t),5*t];
with(plots):
curve:=spacecurve(r(t),t=0..4*Pi,color=red,axes=boxed):
r := t [ 6 cos( t ), 6 sin( t ), 5 t ]
Warning, the name changecoords has been redefined

We can measure the arc length of this curve as t varies from 0 to 4 . We will
approximate the length with line segments first, and then compute it exactly

using the arc length formula.

We will use n line segements. Initially, n=10. The second command defines a
sequence of n+1 points (from 0 to n) along the curve. The colon (:) suppresses
the printing of the points. Change it to a semicolon(;) to see the list.
> n:=10:
Pts:=seq(evalf(r(t*Pi/(n/4))),t=0..n):

This second sequence of points allows us to show each of the line segments
connecting the above sequence of points as a line segment parallel to the
xy-plane and a segment orthogonal to it.
> Pts2:=seq(op(
evalf(
[[r(t*Pi/(n/4))[1],r(t*Pi/(n/4))[2],r((t-1)*Pi/(n/4))[3]],r(t
*Pi/(n/4))])
),t=0..n):
Pts3:=seq(op(
evalf(
[[r(t*Pi/(n/4))[1],r(t*Pi/(n/4))[2],r((t)*Pi/(n/4))[3]],
[r(t*Pi/(n/4))[1]+subs(s=t*Pi/(n/4),diff(r(s)[1],s))*4*Pi/n,
r(t*Pi/(n/4))[2]+subs(s=t*Pi/(n/4),diff(r(s)[2],s))*4*Pi/n,
r(t*Pi/(n/4))[3]+subs(s=t*Pi/(n/4),diff(r(s)[3],s))*4*Pi/n]]
)),t=0..n):

To see the line segments, we display them using PLOT3D, and display which
are in the plots package. Inserting "dots" in the display command will also
show the points. The formula for distance is part of the student package.
Recall that an integral is just the limit of a sum. We take more and more
summands, but decrease the distance between the points where the function is
evaluated. In the do loop, we divide the integral into n pieces. totdist is our
approximation of the integral which gives the arc length.
> with(plots):
dots:=PLOT3D(POINTS(Pts),COLOR(HUE,0.95),
AXESSTYLE(FRAME),VIEW(-6..6,-6..6,0..64)):
dots2:=PLOT3D(POINTS(Pts2),COLOR(HUE,0.95),
AXESSTYLE(FRAME),VIEW(-6..6,-6..6,0..64)):
dots3:=PLOT3D(POINTS(Pts3),COLOR(HUE,0.95),
AXESSTYLE(FRAME),VIEW(-6..6,-6..6,0..64)):
segments3:=PLOT3D(CURVES([Pts3[5],Pts3[6]]),COLOR(HUE,4.0),AX
ESSTYLE(BOX)):
segments:=PLOT3D(CURVES([Pts]),COLOR(HUE,0.6),AXESSTYLE(BOX))
:
segments2:=PLOT3D(CURVES([Pts2]),COLOR(HUE,0.1),AXESSTYLE(BOX
)):

>

display(segments,dots2,segments2,curve,segments3);
with(student):
totdist:=0;
totdist2:=0:
for i from 1 to n do
totdist:=totdist+distance(Pts[i],Pts[i+1]):
totdist2:=totdist2+evalf(sqrt((subs(s=i*Pi/(n/4),diff(r(s)[1]
,s))*4*Pi/n)^2+(subs(s=i*Pi/(n/4),diff(r(s)[2],s))*4*Pi/n)^2+
(subs(s=i*Pi/(n/4),diff(r(s)[3],s))*4*Pi/n)^2)):
od:
totdist;totdist2;

totdist := 0
94.46120580

98.14649201

The exact arc length is the integral of the norm of the velocity vector.
>

int(linalg[norm](diff(r(t),t),2),t=0..4*Pi);

61

A decimal approximation of that number is given by applying the evalf

command which is short for evaluate as a floating point number. % is Maple's
way of refering to the previous calculation.
> evalf(%);
98.14649204

A closer estimate can be obtained by increasing the size of n, that is, by dividing
the integral into more parts.
Exercises:
1. Let r(t)=(cos( t ) + t sin( t ))i + (sin( t ) t cos( t ))j + (6 6 t)k. Graph and
approximate the length of this curve from t=0 to 4 . Find the length of this
curve using the arc length formula. To view the graph, you will need to
change the view option to VIEW(-10..10,-10..10,-60..0).
>

2. Let r(t)=(et cos( t ))i + (et sin( t ))j + (et)k. Graph this curve from t=ln( 4 ) to
0. Find the length of this curve using the arc length formula.
>

Definition [Unit tangent vector] The unit tangent vector of a smooth curve r(t) is
dr dr dt
v
.
=
=
T=
v
ds dt ds