MTH 201 Chapter 2: Application of Integration

2.4.1 Length of a Plane Curve

General Idea:
Determine the length of the following curves:

Here the length of the curve is easy to calculate. Here the length of curve seems almost impossible to
Length = 6 − 2 = 4 calculate!

The Specifics:
Suppose f ( x ) is a function with a continuous first derivative on the interval  a, b  . Also suppose that a curve
C is defined by the equation y = f ( x ) where a  x  b .

Now, we wish to find the length of the curve C. To do this we first get an approximation by dividing  a, b  into
n equally spaced subintervals (with endpoints x0 , x1,...,& xn ) and approximating the curve with line segments.
A picture is shown below.

From the above picture we see that we let Pk have coordinates ( xk , f ( xk ) ) . Note that the length of the kth line
segment is:
( x ) + ( yk ) ( x ) + ( f ( xk ) − f ( xk −1 ))
2
Lk = =
2 2 2

We can see that the approximation gets better as n increases. This leads to the following definition:
The length of the curve C is:
n n
L = lim  Lk = lim  ( x ) + ( f ( xk ) − f ( xk −1 ))
2 2

n→ n→
k =1 k =1
Now, by the mean value theorem we know that there is a number xk * in ( xk −1 , xk ) such that

f ( xk ) − f ( xk −1 )
= f  ( xk * )  f ( xk ) − f ( xk −1 ) = f  ( xk * ) ( xk − xk −1 )  f ( xk ) − f ( xk −1 ) = f  ( xk * ) x
xk − xk −1

Using this and the fact that x  0 we see that:

( x ) + ( f ( xk ) − f ( xk −1 ) )
2 2
= ( x )
2
(
+ f  ( xk * ) x )
2
= ( 1+ ( f  ( x )) ) x
k
*

Now, by definition we know that the length of the curve C is given by:

 2 
(
L = lim  Lk = lim   1 + f  ( xk * )  x )
n n

k =1  
n → n →
k =1

Now, we notice that the limit on the right side is a definite integral! In particular,
b
 2 
( )
L = lim   1 + f  ( xk * )  x =  1 + ( f  ( x ) ) dx
n
2

n →
k =1   
a

Now we have derived the following formula.

Theorem (The Arc Length Formula): If f  ( x ) is continuous on  a, b  , then the length of the curve
y = f ( x ) where a  x  b is

b

b 2
 dy 
L =  1 +  f  ( x )  dx =  1 +   dx
2

  dx 
a 
a

Note: If a curve has the equation x = g ( y ) , where c  y  d and g  ( y ) is continuous on  c, d  then

d
d
  dx 
2

L =  1 +  g  ( y )  dy =  1 +   dy
2

   dy 
c 
c
Example 1: Find the exact length of the curve determined by y = x 2 3 between the points (1,1) and ( 8, 4 ) .

a) Determine this by integrating with respect to x.

dy 2 −1 3
We see that = x is continuous on the interval 1,8 .
dx 3
Setup:
dy 2 −1 3
In this case we see that 1  x  8 and y = x 2 3 , so = x . So the desired length is given by:
dx 3
8 8 8 8
 2 
2
 
23 (
9 x 2 3 + 4 )dx =  (9x + 4 )dx
4 1 1
L =  1 +  x −1 3  dx =  1 + 2 3 dx =   13
23

 3   9x  9x  3x
1 1 1
1

Evaluate:
1
Let u = 9 x2 3 + 4 and thus du = 6 x −1 3dx , sodu = x −1 3dx .
6
Our limits of integration become: u (1) = 9 (1) + 4 = 13 & u (8) = 9 (8) + 4 = 40 .
23 23

8 40 40
 1 
 1
 13
 3x
(9x 23
+ 4 )dx = 

1
 18
u du =  u 3 2  = ( 403 2 − 133 2 )
 27
1
 13 27
1 13

b) Determine this arc length by integrating with respect to y.

dx 3 1 2
We see that x = y 3 2 and = y is continuous on the interval 1, 4 .
dy 2
Setup:
dx 3 1 2
In this case we see that 0  y  4 and x = y 3 2 , so = y . So the desired length is given by:
dy 2
4 4
 3 12
2
 9
L =  1 +  y  dy =  1 + y dy
 2   4
1 1

Evaluate:
9 9 4
Let u = 1 + y and thus du = dy → du = dy .
4 4 9
9 13
Our limits of integration become: u (1) = 1 + (1) = & u ( 4 ) = 1 + 9 = 10
4 4
4
8  3 2  13   43 2  3 2  13   1
10 32 32
 42 32
10

10 −    = ( 40 − 13 )
9 4
L =  1 + y dy =  u du =  u  = 10 −    = 32 32

 4 9 13 93 
 13 27  
 4   27   4   27
1 4 4
Example 2: Set up, and evaluate using your calculator, an integral equal to the arc length of the arc of the
1
parabola y 2 + 1 = x from (1, 0 ) to ( 3, 2 ) .
2

= y is continuous on the interval  0, 2 .

dx
We see that
dy

Setup:
dx
In this case we see that 0  y  2 and = y . So the desired length is given by:
dy
2
L =  1 + y 2 dy  2.96
0

Note: we will learn to evaluate integrals like this in Chapter 3.

Definition: Suppose the curve C is given by y = f ( x) where a  x  b and f  ( x ) is continuous on  a, b  .

We define the arc length function for the curve C as the function with domain  a, b  given by the formula:

x
s ( x) =  1 + ( f (t ) ) dt
2

Note: The point ( a, f (a) ) is often referred to as the starting point, and in some problems we use  a,  ) as the
interval rather than  a, b  .

ds
= 1 + ( f ( x) ) . So, the differential of arc length
2
Note: By the fundamental theorem of calculus we see that
dx
2
 dy 
is ds = 1 + ( f ( x) ) dx = 1 +   dx .
2

 dx 

2
 dx 
Note: When x is a function of y the arc length differential becomes: ds = 1 +   dy .
 dy 

Note: When a curve C is given by a function with a continuous first derivative we call C a smooth curve. It
is important to note that in this section we are working with smooth curves, but the notion of arc length can
be generalized to include curves that are given by a continuous function (such a generalization does not even
require that the function is differentiable!).
 1
Example 3: Consider the function f ( x) = x 2 − ln( x) .
8
a) Find the arc length function (simplify until no integral remains) for this function (1, f (1) ) is taken to be the
starting point (Hint: the radical should simplify nicely).
x
By the definition above we know that s( x) =  1 + ( f (t ) ) dt . So we compute.
2

1
x x
x
  1
2
 1 1
s ( x) =  1 + ( f (t ) ) dt =  1 +  2t −  dt =  1 + 4t 2 − +
2
dt
1   8t   2 64t 2
1 1

x x x
 1 1   1
2
 1
=  4t 2 + + dt =   2t +  dt =   2t +  dt
   8t   8t 
2
2 64t
1 1 1

x
 1  1
=  t 2 + ln(t )  = x 2 + ln( x) − 1
 8 1 8

1
Thus, the answer is s( x) = x 2 + ln( x) − 1 .
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b) Use your answer to (a) to find the exact arc length along the curve from (1, f (1) ) to ( 3, f (3) )

ln ( 3) ln(3)
We want to find s ( 3) . So using our answer for part (a) we compute: s(3) = 9 + −1 = 8 + .
8 8
ln ( 3)
Therefore the length of the curve f ( x ) on 1,3 is exactly s ( 3) = 8 + .
8