Denite Integrals

13.2
Introduction
When you were rst introduced to integration as the reverse of dierentiation, the integrals you dealt
with were indenite integrals. The result of nding an indenite integral is usually a function plus a
constant of integration. In this Section we introduce denite integrals, so called because the result
will be a denite answer, usually a number, with no constant of integration. Denite integrals have
many applications, for example in nding areas bounded by curves, and nding volumes of solids.

Prerequisites
Before starting this Section you should . . .
understand integration as the reverse of
dierentiation
be able to use a table of integrals

Learning Outcomes
On completion you should be able to . . .
nd simple denite integrals
handle some integrals involving an innite
limit of integration
14 HELM (2008):
Workbook 13: Integration

1. Denite integrals
We saw in the previous Section that
_
f(x) dx = F(x) + c where F(x) is that function which, when
dierentiated, gives f(x). That is,
dF
dx
= f(x). For example,
_
sin(3x) dx =
cos(3x)
3
+ c
Here, f(x) = sin(3x) and F(x) =
1
3
cos(3x) We now consider a denite integral which is simply
an indenite integral but with numbers written to the upper and lower right of the integral sign. The
quantity
_
b
a
f(x) dx
is called the denite integral of f(x) from a to b. The numbers a and b are known as the lower
limit and upper limit respectively of the integral. We dene
_
b
a
f(x) dx = F(b) F(a)
so that a denite integral is usually a number. The meaning of a denite integral will be developed
in later Sections. For the present we concentrate on the process of evaluating denite integrals.
2. Evaluating denite integrals
When you evaluate a denite integral the result will usually be a number. To see how to evaluate a
denite integral consider the following Example.
Example 9
Find the denite integral of x
2
from 1 to 4; that is, nd
_
4
1
x
2
dx
Solution
_
x
2
dx =
1
3
x
3
+ c
Here f(x) = x
2
and F(x) =
x
3
3
. Thus, according to our denition
_
4
1
x
2
dx = F(4) F(1) =
4
3
3

1
3
3
= 21
HELM (2008):
Section 13.2: Denite Integrals
15
Writing F(b) F(a) each time we calculate a denite integral becomes laborious so we replace this
dierence by the shorthand notation
_
F(x)
_
b
a
. Thus
_
F(x)
_
b
a
F(b) F(a)
Thus, from now on, we shall write
_
b
a
f(x) dx =
_
F(x)
_
b
a
so that, for example
_
4
1
x
2
dx =
_
x
3
3
_
4
1
=
4
3
3

1
3
3
= 21
Example 10
Find the denite integral of cos x from 0 to

2
; that is, nd
_
/2
0
cos x dx.
Solution
Since
_
cos x dx = sin x + c then
_
/2
0
cos x dx =
_
sin x
_
/2
0
= sin
_

2
_
sin 0 = 1 0 = 1
Always remember, that if you use a calculator to evaluate any trigonometric functions, you must
work in radian mode.
Task
Find the denite integral of x
2
+ 1 from 1 to 2; that is; nd
_
2
1
(x
2
+ 1) dx
First perform the integration:
Your solution
Answer
_
1
3
x
3
+ x
_
2
1
.
16 HELM (2008):
Workbook 13: Integration

Now insert the limits of integration, the upper limit rst, and hence evaluat the integral:
Your solution
Answer
_
8
3
+ 2
_

_
1
3
+ 1
_
=
10
3
or 3.333 (3 d.p.).
Task
Find
_
1
2
(x
2
+ 1) dx.
This Task is very similar to the previous Task. Note the limits have been interchanged:
Your solution
Answer
_
1
3
x
3
+ x
_
1
2
=
_
1
3
+ 1
_

_
8
3
+ 2
_
=
10
3
.
Note from these two Tasks that interchanging the limits of integration, changes the sign of the
answer.
Key Point 3
If you interchange the limits, you must change the sign:
_
b
a
f(x) dx =
_
a
b
f(x) dx
HELM (2008):
Section 13.2: Denite Integrals
17
Task
When a spring is xed at one end and stretched at the free end it exerts a restoring
force that is proportional to the displacement of the free end. The constant
of proportionality k N m
1
is known as the stiness of the spring. Calculate
the work done in stretching a spring with stiness k from displacement x
1
m to
displacement x
2
m (x
2
> x
1
) given that the work done (W) is the product of
force and displacement.
Your solution
Answer
The restoring force varies during the displacement. So the work done during the extension cannot
be determined from a single simple product.
Consider a small element x of the extension beyond an arbitrary displacement x. The element is
suciently small that the force during the displacement can be regarded as constant and equal to
the force at displacement x is kx. So the work done W in extending the spring from displacement
x to displacement x + x is approximately kxx.
Using the idea of integration as a limit of a sum, in this case as x tends to zero,
W =
_
x
2
x
1
kx dx =
_
1
2
kx
2
_
x
2
x
1
=
1
2
k(x
2
2
x
2
1
)
Exercises
1. Evaluate (a)
_
1
0
x
2
dx, (b)
_
3
2
1
x
2
dx (c)
_
2
1
e
x
dx (d)
_
1
1
(1 + t
2
) dt
2. Find (a)
_
/3
0
cos 2x dx (b)
_

0
sin x dx (c)
_
3
1
e
2t
dt
Answers
1. (a)
1
3
(b)
1
6
(c) e
2
e
1
= 4.671 (d) 2.667
2 (a)

3/4 = 0.4330 (b) 2 (c) 198.019

Engineering Example 2
Torsion of a mild-steel bar
Introduction
For materials such as mild-steel, the relationship between applied shear stress and shear strain (de-
formation) can be described as follows.
For small values of the shear strain, the shear stress () and shear strain () are proportional
to one another, i.e.
=
1
G
(1)
(where G is the shear modulus). This is known as elastic behaviour.
There is a maximum shear stress that the material is capable of supporting. If the shear
strain is increased further, the shear stress remains roughly constant. This is known as plastic
behaviour.
Figure 3 summarises the relationship between shear stress and shear strain; the point (
Y
,
Y
) is
known as the yield point.
-
6

p p p p p p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p
p

shear strain

shear
stress
Figure 3
Now suppose that one end of a bar of circular cross section is twisted through an angle , then the
shear strain on the surface is given by

S
=
R
L
(2)
(where R and L are the radius and length of the bar respectively), while the shear strain, at a distance
r from the central core, is given by
=
r
L
(3)
The torque transmitted by a bar is given by the integral
T =
_
R
0
2 r
2
(r) dr (4)
HELM (2008):
Section 13.2: Denite Integrals
19
As the shear strain is a function of distance from the central axis of the bar, it may be that the shear
strain on the surface is greater than the critical shear strain
Y
. In this scenario the shear stress is
given by
=
_

Y

Y

Y
>
Y
(5)
i.e. the regions near the central axis exhibit elasticity, but in those regions near the surface the elastic
limit has been exceeded and the metal exhibits plasticity (see Figure 4).
elastic
zone
plastic zone

Y
0
r
e
R
r
e
R
Figure 4
Problem in words
Find an expression for the torque transmitted by a bar as a function of the angle through which
one end is turned.
Mathematical statement of problem
Using Equations (3) to (5), nd a formula for T in terms of the variable .
Mathematical analysis
Substituting (3) into (5)
=
_

Y
r
L
r
L

Y

Y
r
L
>
Y
=
_

Y
r
L
r
L
Y

= r
e

Y
r >
L
Y

= r
e
20 HELM (2008):
Workbook 13: Integration

For small values of , r

Y
r
L
Now (4) becomes
T =
_
R
0
2 r
2

Y

Y
r
L
dr = 2

Y

L
_
R
0
r
3
dr = 2

Y

L
_
r
4
4
_
R
0
=

2

L
R
4
(6)
i.e. the torque is directly proportional to the twist, .
For larger , r
e
< R, so that (4) becomes
T =
_
r
e
0
2 r
2

Y

Y
r
L
dr +
_
R
r
e
2 r
2

Y
dr
= 2

Y

L
_
r
e
0
r
3
dr + 2
Y
_
R
r
e
r
2
dr
= 2

Y

L
_
r
4
4
_
r
e
0
+ 2
Y
_
r
3
3
_
R
r
e
=

2

L
r
4
e
+
2
3

Y
_
R
3
r
3
e
_
But r
e
= L
Y
/, so
T =

2

L
L
4

4
Y

4
+
2
3

Y
R
3

2
3

Y
L
3

3
Y

3
=
2
3

Y
R
3
+
_
1
2

Y

2
3

Y
_
L
3

3
Y

3
=
2
3

Y
R
3

6

Y
L
3

3
Y

3
(7)
Equation (6) will apply when r
e
R, i.e. (L
Y
/) R or (L
Y
/R), so that combining (6)
and (7) gives overall
T =
_

L
R
4

L
Y
R
2
3

Y
R
3

6

Y
L
3

3
Y

3
>
L
Y
R
(8)
Interpretation and further comment
At the critical value of , i.e. when the outer edge begins to exhibit plasticity, both formulae in (8)
give
T
crit
=

2

Y
R
3
Furthermore, the rst derivatives are both
dT
d
=

2

Y
R
4
L
HELM (2008):
Section 13.2: Denite Integrals
21
i.e. the curves join smoothly.
The second derivatives, though, are not equal (zero in one case). In the theoretical limit as
T =
2
3

Y
R
3
so this is the total torsional torque which can be carried by the bar. (The critical torque above is
three-quarters of this value.) However, clearly is merely a theoretical limit since the bar
would, in fact, shear at a nite value of .
3. Some integrals with innite limits
On occasions, and notably when dealing with Laplace and Fourier transforms, you will come across
integrals in which one of the limits is innite. We avoid a rigorous treatment of such cases here and
instead give some commonly occurring examples.
Example 11
Find the denite integral of e
x
from 0 to ; that is, nd
_

0
e
x
dx.
Solution
The integral is found in the normal way:
_

0
e
x
dx =
_
e
x
_

0
There is no diculty in evaluating the square bracket at the lower limit. We obtain simply e
0
=
1. At the upper limit we must examine the behaviour of e
x
as x gets innitely large. This is
where it is important that you are familiar with the properties of the exponential function. If you
refer to the graph (Figure 5) you will see that as x tends to innity e
x
tends to zero.
Consequently the contribution to the integral from the upper limit is zero. So
x
e
x

0
e
x
dx =

e
x

0
= (e

) (e
0
)
= (0) (e
0
)
= 1
Figure 5
Thus the value of
_

0
e
x
dx is 1.
Another way of achieving this result is as follows:
We change the innite limit to a nite limit, b, say and then examine the behaviour of the integral
as b tends to innity, written as
22 HELM (2008):
Workbook 13: Integration

_

0
e
x
dx = lim
b
_
b
0
e
x
dx
Now,
_
b
0
e
x
dx =
_
e
x
_
b
0
=
_
e
b
_

_
e
0
_
= e
b
+ 1
Then as b tends to innity e
b
tends to zero, and the resulting integral has the value 1, as before.
Many integrals having innite limits cannot be evaluated in a simple way like this, and many cannot
be evaluated at all. Fortunately, most of the integrals you will meet will exhibit the sort of behaviour
seen in the last example.
Exercise
Evaluate (a)
_

1
e
x
dx (b)
_

0
e
2x
dx (c)
_

2
e
3x
dx (d)
_

1
4
t
2
dt
Answer
(a) e
1
0.368 (b)
1
2
(c)
1
3
e
6
= 0.0008 (4 d.p.) (d) 4
HELM (2008):
Section 13.2: Denite Integrals
23