3

Definite Integrals
1 When we find the area
V  t2 1
8
under a curve by adding
2
rectangles, the answer is
called a Riemann sum.
1 (named for Bernhard
Riemann, 1826-1866)

0 1 2 3 4
The width of a rectangle is
subinterval called a subinterval.

The entire interval is

partition called the partition.

Subintervals do not all have to be the same size.


3
1
V  t2 1
8
2
If the partition is denoted by P, then
the length of the longest subinterval
1
is called the norm of P and is
denoted by P .
0 1 2 3 4

subinterval
As P gets smaller, the
partition approximation for the area gets
better.

n
Area  lim
P 0

k 1
f  ck  xk if P is a partition

of the interval a, b 


 n
lim  f  ck  xk is called the definite integral of
P 0
k 1 f over a, b .
If we use subintervals of equal length, then the length of a
ba
subinterval is: x 
n
The definite integral is then given by:

n
lim  f  ck  x
n 
k 1


 n
lim  f  ck  x Leibnitz introduced a simpler notation
n 
k 1
for the definite integral:

n
lim  f  ck  x   f  x  dx
b

n  a
k 1

Note that the very small change

in x becomes dx.


 upper limit of integration

f  x  dx
Integration b
Symbol
 a
integrand
variable of integration
lower limit of integration (dummy variable)

It is called a dummy variable

because the answer does not
depend on the variable chosen.
 f  x  dx
b
 a

We have the notation for integration, but we still need

to learn how to evaluate the integral.


 We considered an object moving at a constant rate of
3 ft/sec.

Since rate . time = distance: 3t  d

If we draw a graph of the velocity, the distance that the
object travels is equal to the area under the line.
3

After 4 seconds,
2
the object has
gone 12 feet.
velocity
1
ft
3  4 sec  12 ft
0 1 2 3 4
sec
time

 3

If the velocity varies:

1 2

v  t 1
2 1

1 2
Distance: s  t t 0 1 2 3 4
4 x

1
(C=0 since s=0 at t=0) Area  1  3 4  8
2
1
After 4 seconds: s  16  4
4 The distance is still
s 8 equal to the area
under the curve!
Notice that the area is a trapezoid.

 1 2
What if: v  t  1
3

8
2

0 1 2 3 4
x

We could split the area under the curve into a lot of thin
trapezoids, and each trapezoid would behave like the large
one in the previous example.
It seems reasonable that the distance will equal the area
under the curve.


 ds 1 2 3
v  t 1
dt 8
2

1 3
s t t
1

24
0 1 2 3 4
x

1 3
s 4 4
24 2
The area under the curve  6
3
2
s6
3
We can use anti-derivatives to
find the area under a curve!

Let’s look at it another way:
Let Aa  x   area under the
curve from a to x.

(“a” is a constant)

a x xh Then:

Aa  x   Ax  x  h   Aa  x  h 
Aa  x  Ax  x  h 

Ax  x  h   Aa  x  h   Aa  x 
Aa  x  h 


 The area of a rectangle drawn
under the curve would be less
than the actual area under the
min f max f curve.

The area of a rectangle drawn

above the curve would be
x xh more than the actual area
h under the curve.

short rectangle  area under curve  tall rectangle

h  min f  Aa  x  h   Aa  x   h  max f
Aa  x  h   Aa  x 
min f   max f
h

 Aa  x  h   Aa  x 
min f   max f
h
As h gets smaller, min f and max f get closer together.

Aa  x  h   Aa  x 
lim  f  x  x  is the
AaThis F  definition
x  c
h 0 h of derivative!
Aa  a   F  a   c
d
Aa  x   f  x 
dx 0  F a  c
initial
Take the anti-derivative value
of both F  a   c
sides to find an explicit formula
for area.


 Aa  x  h   Aa  x 
min f   max f
h
As h gets smaller, min f and max f get closer together.

Aa  x  h   Aa  x  Aa  x   F  x   c
lim  f  x
h 0 h
Aa  a   F  a   c
d
Aa  x   f  x 
dx 0  F a  c

F  a   c
Aa  x   F  x   F  a 
Area under curve from a to x = antiderivative at x minus
antiderivative at a. 
 n
Area  lim  f  ck  xk
P 0
k 1

  f  x  dx
b

 F  x  F a


Example: yx 2

4
Find the area under the curve from
3 x=1 to x=2.
2 1 3 1
  2  1
2 2
x dx
1
1 3 3
2
1 3 8 1 7
0 1 2
x  
3 1 3 3 3

Area
Area from
under thex=0 Areax=from
curve from 1 to x=0
x=2.
to x=2 to x=1

 Example:
Find the area between the
1
3
pos. 2
x-axis and the curve y  cos x 0

from x  0 to x 
3 .  neg.
-1 2
2
 3

0
2
cos x dx   cos x dx
2
2

 /2 3 / 2
sin x 0  sin x  / 2
    3 
 sin  sin 0    sin  sin  If you use the absolute
 2   2 2
value function, you
1  0   1 1 3 don’t need to find the
roots.
