Topic 15
Double Integrals & Order of Integration
A double integral is computed as an . The inner limits may be curves; the outer limits are always numbers. The real work is reading the region. So sketch it first, then pick the order that keeps it in one piece or makes the inner integral doable.
5 kinds of question. Open the one you are stuck on.
1Evaluate a double integral over a region bounded by curves
e.g. “Evaluate where is the finite region bounded by the curves … and …”
Evaluate a double integral over a region bounded by curves
e.g. “Evaluate where is the finite region bounded by the curves … and …”- 1Sketch the region and find where the curves meet
- 2Choose the order: or
if one curve is always on top and one on the bottom; if one is always on the left and one on the right.
- 3Write the limits: curves inside, numbers outside
- 4Integrate the inner integral, holding the outer variable fixed
- 5Integrate the outer integral
Remember: Sketch, slice, inside out.
See it in a problem3 worked examples
Evaluate where is the rectangle , .
- 1Sketch the region and find where the curves meet
A rectangle: no curves to intersect.
- 2Choose the order: or
Either order works; use .
- 3Write the limits: curves inside, numbers outside
.
- 4Integrate the inner integral, holding the outer variable fixed
.
- 5Integrate the outer integral
.
Evaluate where is the finite region bounded by and .
- 1Sketch the region and find where the curves meet
at and . For , the line is on top.
- 2Choose the order: or
: top , bottom .
- 3Write the limits: curves inside, numbers outside
.
- 4Integrate the inner integral, holding the outer variable fixed
.
- 5Integrate the outer integral
.
Evaluate where is the region between and .
- 1Sketch the region and find where the curves meet
at . Left curve , right curve .
- 2Choose the order: or
. (In the top and bottom curves change at , so it would split.)
- 3Write the limits: curves inside, numbers outside
.
- 4Integrate the inner integral, holding the outer variable fixed
.
- 5Integrate the outer integral
.
Common mistakes3
- A number in the inner limits that should be a curve, or left in the outer limits.
- Picking the order that splits the region in two when the other order would not.
- Forgetting the outer variable is a constant inside: .
2Reverse the order of integration to evaluate a double integral
e.g. “The inner integrand is , , , , … (no elementary antiderivative)”
Reverse the order of integration to evaluate a double integral
e.g. “The inner integrand is , , , , … (no elementary antiderivative)”- 1Read the region from the limits and sketch it
means and .
- 2Find the constant range of the new outer variable
- 3Find the new inner limits as curves
Solve each boundary curve for the other variable.
- 4Integrate the new inner integral
Usually the hard does not involve the new inner variable. So it just gets multiplied by the length of the slice.
- 5Finish the outer integral
Often a -substitution, with the inside of the hard function.
Remember: Can't integrate it? Flip the order.
See it in a problem3 worked examples
Evaluate .
- 1Read the region from the limits and sketch it
, : the triangle with vertices , , .
- 2Find the constant range of the new outer variable
.
- 3Find the new inner limits as curves
is , so : .
- 4Integrate the new inner integral
.
- 5Finish the outer integral
.
Evaluate .
- 1Read the region from the limits and sketch it
, : bounded by , and .
- 2Find the constant range of the new outer variable
.
- 3Find the new inner limits as curves
is , so : .
- 4Integrate the new inner integral
.
- 5Finish the outer integral
: .
Evaluate .
- 1Read the region from the limits and sketch it
, : the triangle with vertices , , .
- 2Find the constant range of the new outer variable
.
- 3Find the new inner limits as curves
: .
- 4Integrate the new inner integral
.
- 5Finish the outer integral
: .
Common mistakes3
- Swapping the limits without redrawing the region. The new limits are almost never the old ones swapped.
- Turning into instead of .
- Trying integration by parts on . It has no . That is the signal to reverse.
3Reverse the order of integration to combine or split iterated integrals
e.g. “Combine the sum of the two iterated integrals into a single iterated integral with the order of integration reversed”
Reverse the order of integration to combine or split iterated integrals
e.g. “Combine the sum of the two iterated integrals into a single iterated integral with the order of integration reversed”- 1Sketch the region of each piece from its limits
- 2Join the pieces into one region
They share a boundary line, such as . Name every boundary curve.
- 3Find the constant range of the new outer variable
- 4Write the new inner limits as curves, low to high
Bottom to top for , left to right for . If either curve changes partway, split into two integrals there.
Remember: Draw all the pieces, then slice the other way.
See it in a problem2 worked examples
Write as a single integral in the order .
- 1Sketch the region of each piece from its limits
Piece 1: , . Piece 2: , .
- 2Join the pieces into one region
They meet along for . Together: the triangle with vertices , , .
- 3Find the constant range of the new outer variable
.
- 4Write the new inner limits as curves, low to high
Bottom , so ; top , so . Area check with : both ways.
Write in the order .
- 1Sketch the region of each piece from its limits
, : left curve , right line , meeting at .
- 2Join the pieces into one region
One piece, bounded by , the curve from to , and the line from to .
- 3Find the constant range of the new outer variable
.
- 4Write the new inner limits as curves, low to high
The top changes at : for , then for . Area check: both ways.
Common mistakes3
- Writing one integral when an inner-limit curve changes partway: then it must be a sum.
- Leaving numbers in the inner limits.
- Skipping the check with . Both forms must give the same area.
4Find the volume of a solid using a double integral
e.g. “Find the volume of the solid bounded above by the surface …, below by the plane and over the triangle …”
Find the volume of a solid using a double integral
e.g. “Find the volume of the solid bounded above by the surface …, below by the plane and over the triangle …”- 1Find the base region in the -plane
It is the solid's shadow. Look for where the top meets the bottom, or for side walls.
- 2Find the height: top surface minus bottom surface
- 3Set up
- 4Evaluate the iterated integral
Remember: Volume is height integrated over the shadow.
See it in a problem3 worked examples
Find the volume of the solid in the under the plane .
- 1Find the base region in the -plane
The plane meets along : base triangle , .
- 2Find the height: top surface minus bottom surface
Height (bottom ).
- 3Set up
.
- 4Evaluate the iterated integral
Inner: . Outer: .
Find the volume under and above the region .
- 1Find the base region in the -plane
Between the parabola and the line , for .
- 2Find the height: top surface minus bottom surface
Height (bottom ).
- 3Set up
.
- 4Evaluate the iterated integral
Inner: . Outer: .
Find the volume of the solid with , , above and below .
- 1Find the base region in the -plane
Top above bottom when , that is : base triangle , .
- 2Find the height: top surface minus bottom surface
Height .
- 3Set up
.
- 4Evaluate the iterated integral
Inner: . Outer: .
Common mistakes2
- Integrating the top surface alone when the bottom is not .
- Using too big a base: the base is only where the top is above the bottom.
5Evaluate a double integral as an area or volume without integrating
e.g. “Evaluate the given double integral without using iteration. Instead, interpret the integral as an area or a volume”
Evaluate a double integral as an area or volume without integrating
e.g. “Evaluate the given double integral without using iteration. Instead, interpret the integral as an area or a volume”- 1Sketch the region from the limits
- 2Identify the solid: the integrand is its height
Integrand : the integral is the area of . : part of a sphere of radius .
- 3Use an area or volume formula
Remember: Name the shape, then use its formula.
See it in a problem3 worked examples
Evaluate without iterating.
- 1Sketch the region from the limits
, : a rectangle.
- 2Identify the solid: the integrand is its height
Integrand : the area of the rectangle.
- 3Use an area or volume formula
.
Evaluate without iterating.
- 1Sketch the region from the limits
, : the upper half of the disk of radius .
- 2Identify the solid: the integrand is its height
Integrand : its area.
- 3Use an area or volume formula
.
Evaluate without iterating.
- 1Sketch the region from the limits
The disk of radius .
- 2Identify the solid: the integrand is its height
is the upper hemisphere of radius .
- 3Use an area or volume formula
.
Common mistakes2
- Reading the region from the wrong limits: the inner limits bound the inner variable.
- Using the whole ball when the region covers only half or a quarter of it.
Need the formulas? Must memorize · Flashcards
