Finding Limits of Integration - Example 1 of 4 - Easy

Defining the limits or boundaries of integration is an important algebraic skill that seems like
it is overlooked in the study of multiple integrals. That may be true, but more often than
not, the truth is the student didnt put as much time into their algebraic skills when they
were learning them, in particular, trivializing the need for translating the abstract concepts
into the the physical with respect to graphing functions. Most calculus texts assume mastery
of these previous skills and will not spend too much time in the analysis and graphing of
boundaries. This short series will attempt to point you in the right direction of where your
skills may need some honing.

1). Find the area of the region R bounded by x + y = 2 and x2 + y 2 = 4, x > 0, y > 0.
ZZ
f (x, y) dA.
R

Step 1: Draw the region of integration. Being able to do rough sketches will really help you
define the correct boundaries as well as help you develop your intuition of what the graphs
of various functions look like. In the case where x and y limits are not explicitly given, we
must find them ourselves. Boundary intersections can be found by setting the boundary
equations equal to each other and solving (in this case x2 + y 2 = 2(x + y)). We will do that
in another exercise. For now it should be easy to see that for the equation x + y = 2 that
when x = 0, y = 2 and when y = 0, x = 2. (Or rewrite x + y = 2 in slope-intercept form
y = x + 2 to define the line that makes up one of the boundaries.)
It should also be easy to see that x2 + y 2 = 4 is the equation of a circle centered about the
origin, with radius r = 2 and that when x = 0, y = 2 and when y = 0, x = 2.
Below is a sketch of the region R bounded by x + y = 2 and x2 + y 2 = 4 with the defined
intersection points (0, 2) and (2, 0).

Figure 1: Graph of the region bounded by x + y = 2 and x2 + y 2 = 4

1
 Step 2: dxdy Determine boundary limits based on order of integration.( dx dy).
Choosing which order to evaluate an integral can make a big difference in how easy the
resulting integration will be and often it is not possible to know before hand which order
will be best. As you keep practicing, your intuition will grow. Here we will do both orders,
starting with the order dx dy first.
To find the limits of x, draw a line parallel to the x axis such that it passes through the
boundaries of integration, noting which boundary is the entry point and which is the exit
point. The entrance is the lower limit of integration, the exit point is the upper. Notice that
we need to express the boundaries in terms of y and indeed the x limits of integration will
be functions of y.

Figure 2: Determining the x limits of integration of R : x + y = 2, x2 + y 2 = 4, x, y > 0

Now that the first limits, in this case x, have been identified it is usually an easy task to
determine the final limits of integration, which are almost always constant values. Here, y
has a minimum at 0 and a maximum at 2. We may now write the area of the region R as
an iterated integral:

ZZ Z Z y=2 x= 4y 2
f (x, y) dA = f (x, y) dx dy.
R y=0 x=2y

Changing the order of integration to dy dx, we replace the hori-

zontal line with a vertical line, parallel to the y axis, and intersecting
the boundaries of integration, note the points of entrance and exit
and write the boundaries as a function of x.
ZZ Z x=2 Z y=4x2
f (x, y) dA = f (x, y) dy dx.
R x=0 y=2x

As mentioned at the start of the paper, this example is an easier

one, intended more as a guide to solving boundary values. We will
increase the difficulty in subsequent examples.