The Definite Integral

The INTEGRAL CALCULUS is used to find AREAS under curves.

TABLE of SUMS

Area

x = a

f(x) x

Area =

f(x) dx

The symbol

is used to represent summation and

f(x) dx

represents an INFINITE sum of rectangles of HEIGHT f(x) and WIDTH dx

This ties in with the FUNDAMENTAL THEOREM of CALCULUS which states that

f(x) dx =

dF(x) = F(b) F(a)

where F(x) is the ANTI-DERIVATIVE of f(x), meaning that

f(x) =

dF(x) dx

We will illustrate the above by examining cases for In particular, we will show that

f(x) = mx

and

f(x) = mx

X dX =

1 2

( b2

dX =

1 3

( b3

Objective: to calculate areas under the curve y = f(x) using limits and to illustrate the meaning of the definite integral

f(x) dx
a

for

f(x) = mx

THE CONCEPT
We begin by finding the area of the shaded region under f(x) Start by dividing the domain of interest [a, b] into n regions, each of width x where x = If we set
b a n

a = x

o n

= a, x

= a + x, b = x

it follows that

x = x

k+1

for k = 0 to n 1

This in turn means that x = x

1

= x

= .

= x

n 1

which assures that each region has equal width x The area under the curve can now be approximated by a sum of the areas of n rectangles, where each rectangle has width = x height = f(x )
k

area = A where A

= f(x ) x
k

The area under the curve is now approximately

n-1 n-1

A
k=0

f(x )x
k
k=0

Note that we have set

= a

and

= b

The exact area under the curve occurs when the number of rectangles becomes infinite ( n % ), which in turn means that the rectangular width x becomes infinitesimally small ( x % dx )
n-1

limit
x % 0

f(x )x = f(x)dx
b

k=0

where we have used the INTEGRAL SYMBOL ( ) which means "SUM" and "dx" is x when it is infinitesimally small.

APPLYING THE CONCEPT 1. We will demonstrate that

mx dx =

m 2

( b

using the process of

E

limits. To this end, we begin with the drawing below and let A area, where
n 1

be the exact

= lim
n %

k = 0

f(x ) x
k

( A

means A

EXACT

The area is divided into n ( 9 here ) rectangles where

x =

b a n 1 2

= x = x

x x

0 1

. . . = x x
n

n-1

Note that x x
1 2

x
0 0

= x

+ kx

for k = 1 to n - 1

= x = x

+ x + 2x f(x) = mx then

. . . Also note that since f(x ) = mx

k

which since

= x

+ kx

can be written as

f(x ) = m(x
k

+ kx)

If we let A represent the approximate area, then

n 1

A = f(x )x + f(x )x + f(x )x + . . . + f(x

0 1 2

n-1

)x =

k = 0

f(x ) x
k

Since x is the same for each term, then

n 1

A = x

k = 0

f(x )
k k k

and since f(x ) = mx

n 1

= m(x

+ kx), then

A = x

k = 0

m(x mx
0

+ kx)

n 1

n 1

= x

+ x

k = 0

k = 0

mkx
n 1

n 1

= mx x
0

k = 0

1 + m(x) k
2
k = 0

where we have factored out the constants. Using the sums

n 1

k = 0

1 = n 1
x
0 0

n 1

and

k = 0

k =
b a n 2

n(n 1) 2

along with

= a

and

x =

one can write

A = mx x(n 1) + m(x) = m x (n 1)

2 n(n 1)
n 2

(a

+ x

)
1 2

= ( m n x m x ) = = =

(a
n

(b a )
1 2

(m
m 2 m 2

(b a) m

b a

)(

1 n

(b +

) a))

(b a)(b + a) (b
2

(1
1 n

a )

(1

We now have A =
m 2

(b

a )

(1

1 n

( ( 1 1 ) )

In the limit, where the number of rectangles is infinite ( n % ) we have A

E

m 2

(b

a )

This could also be written using "BAR NOTATION" F(x)

m 2

= F(b) F(a)

which means that A

E

(b

a ) =

m 2 2

We have shown that the area from x = a to x = b for the 'curve' f(x) = mx is given by
n 1

limit
n %

k = 0

f(x )x = F(x)
k

where F(x) is the ANTIDERIVATIVE of f(x) f(x) = mx and that

n 1

which means that if

then

F(x) =

1 2

mx

limit
n %

k = 0

f(x )x = F(x)
k

In conventional notation, using the integral sign, one would write

n 1

limit
n %

f(x )x =
k

k = 0

f(x)dx
a

2. Calculation of the approximate and exact areas under the curve f(x) = mx

Write the approximate area as

n 1

A =

k = 0

f(x )x
k b a n

where x = Since x
k k

= x

k-1

= x

0 k

+ kx
2

a + kx

then

f(x ) = mx

= m ( a + kx ) = ma
2

2 2 2

+ 2mkax + mk x

which means that

n 1

A =

k = 0

f(x )x = ma x + 2mkax
2
k
k = 0 k = 0 n 1

n 1

n 1

n 1

k = 0

mk x
2
n 1

= ma x

k = 0

1 + 2max k + mx k
2 3
k = 0 k = 0

n 1

Now use the sums

n 1

k = 0

1 = n 1

n 1

k = 0

k =

n 1

n(n 1) 2

k = 0

n(n 1)(2n 1) 6

to write
n 1

A =

k = 0

f(x )x = ma x 1 + 2max k + mx k
2 2 3
k
k = 0 k = 0 k = 0

n 1

n 1

n 1

= ma x (n 1) + 2max and since x =

m 3 b a n

2 n(n 1)
2

+ mx

3 n(n 1)(2n 1)
6

we can simplify the above to give

m 6n
2

A =

(b

a ) +

( (1

n)(b a)

2n(b

a )

( ( 2 2 ) )

the exact area A

is the limit of the above where n % and equals

n 1

= limit
n %

k = 0

f(x )x =
k

m 3 3

m 3

( b3

We conclude that

mx dx = ( b
a

m 3