MATH 265 LECTURE 6 PAGE 1 OF 13

Applications of double integrals.

Total mass of a lamina occupying bounded region D with density function ρ(x, y) is
∬
m= ρ(x, y) dA
D

(assuming ρ(x, y) is integrable on D). To see why, note that mass of small sub-
rectangle Ri j is approximately
ρ(xi∗j , yi∗j )∆A
(define ρ(x, y) = 0 for (x, y) < D.) Thus,
m Õ
Õ n
m≈ ρ(xi∗j , yi∗j )∆A,
i=1 j=1

which is a Riemann sum approximation to the double integral.

Last updated February 1, 2021.

MATH 265 LECTURE 6 PAGE 2 OF 13

Example 6.1. Charge is distributed over triangular region D with vertices at (−3, 0),
(3, 0), (1, 4), so that the charge density at (x, y) is σ(x, y) = x y 2 , measured in
Coulombs per square metre. Find the total charge Q over D.

Solution.

We describe D as a Type II region:

D = {(x, y) : 0 ≤ y ≤ 4, y − 3 ≤ x ≤ (6 − y)/2}.
Thus,
∬
Q= σ(x, y) dA
D
∫ 4 ∫ (6−y)/2
= xy 2 dx dy
0 y−3
∫ 4   x=(6−y)/4
1 2 2
= x y dy
0 2 x=y−3
= ···
96
= (Coulombs.)
5
MATH 265 LECTURE 6 PAGE 3 OF 13

Moment of a particle about an axis is defined as product of mass and its directed
distance from the axis.

Moment of collection of particles Pi with mass mi and coordinates (xi, yi ) is:

Õ
Mx = mi yi (about x-axis)
i
Õ
My = mi xi (about y-axis)
i

In the example illustrated below,

Mx = m1 y1 + m2 y2, My = m1 x1 + m2 x2,

where Mx stands for moment about the x-axis and My for moment about the y-axis.
MATH 265 LECTURE 6 PAGE 4 OF 13

Centre of mass is ( x̄, ȳ), where

My Mx Õ
x̄ = , ȳ = , m= mi .
m m i

Notice that Õ Õ
mi ( x̄ − xi ) = 0 and mi ( ȳ − yi ) = 0.
i i

Example 6.2. Four masses

m1 = 1, m2 = 2, m3 = 3, m4 = 4

are located at points

P1 = (0, 0), P2 = (1, 2), P3 = (3, 4), P4 = (4, 5)

respectively. Calculate

(a) the moment Mx of the collection about the x-axis.

(b) the moment My of the collection about the y-axis.

(c) the centre of mass ( x̄, ȳ) of the collection.

Solution. (a) We have

Mx = m1 y1 + · · · + m4 y4 = 1(0) + 2(2) + 3(4) + 4(5) = 36.

(b) We have

My = m1 x1 + · · · + m4 x4 = 1(0) + 2(1) + 3(3) + 4(4) = 27.

(c) We have
My 27
x̄ = =
m1 + · · · + m4 10
MATH 265 LECTURE 6 PAGE 5 OF 13

and
Mx 36
ȳ = = .
m1 + · · · + m4 10

As one might expect, if lamina occupies region D and has integrable density function
ρ(x, y) on D, then moment of lamina about x-axis is
∬
Mx = y ρ(x, y) dA.
D

Moment of lamina about y-axis is

∬
My = x ρ(x, y) dA.
D

Centre of mass is ( x̄, ȳ), where

My
∬
Mx
x̄ = , ȳ = , m= ρ(x, y) dA.
m m D

Example 6.3. The density at any point on semi-circular lamina is proportional do

the distance from the centre of the circle. Find its centre of mass.

Solution.
MATH 265 LECTURE 6 PAGE 6 OF 13

The density function is Kr for some constant K > 0. Now,

D = {(r, θ) : 0 ≤ r ≤ a, 0 ≤ θ ≤ π}.

We have
∬
m= ρ(r cos θ, r sin θ)r dr dθ
D
∫ π∫ a
= Kr 2 dr dθ
0 0
= ···
πKa3
= .
3
Also,
∬
Mx = (r sin θ)ρ(r cos θ, r sin θ)r dr dθ
D
∫ π∫ a
= Kr 3 sin θ dr dθ
0 0
= ···
Ka4
= .
2
Similarly, ∫ π ∫ a
My = K r 3 cos θ dr dθ = 0.
0 0
Therefore,
My Mx 3a
x̄ = = 0, ȳ = = .
m m 2π

Moment of inertia (or second moment) of lamina occupying region D with density
function ρ(x, y) (integrable on D) is:
∬
Ix = y 2 ρ(x, y) dA (about x-axis)
∬ D

Iy = x 2 ρ(x, y) dA (about y-axis)

D
MATH 265 LECTURE 6 PAGE 7 OF 13

Moment of inertia about origin/polar moment of inertia:

∬
I0 = (x 2 + y 2 )ρ(x, y) dA = I x + I y .
D

Example 6.4. Find moments of inertia I x , I y , I0 of lamina D from Example 6.3.

Solution. We have
∬
Ix = y 2 ρ(x, y) dA
D
∫ π∫ a
=K (r 2 sin2 θ)r 2 dr dθ
0 0
= ···
πKa5
= .
10
Similarly,
πKa5
Iy = .
10
Hence
πKa5
I0 = I x + I y = .
5
MATH 265 LECTURE 6 PAGE 8 OF 13

Probability.

A random variable (RV) X is a function that assigns a number to a probability even.

For instance, if flipping a coin we might say X = 1 represents “heads” and X = 0
represents “tails”. If rolling a die, X = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, and the probability that
X = 2, 3, 0r 4 is
4 4
Õ Õ 1 1
P(2 ≤ X ≤ 4) = P(X = n) = = .
n=2 n=2
6 2

We’d call P(X = n) = 1/6 a probability density function for this random variable.

Now, X might take on any real number value in an interval, e.g. waiting a certain
number of hours in a queue etc. We may have
∫ t
P(a < X ≤ t) = f (u) du.
a
If P(X ≤ t) is continuous and there exists such a function f that is non-negative,
integrable on every interval [a, t], then f is called a probability density function
(PDF) for X. It’s important to note that, unlike in the discrete case, f (t) is not the
probability that X = t. In fact, assuming P(X ≤ t) is continuous for every t (and we
do), one can show that P(X = t) = 0 for every t. This also means that
P(a ≤ X ≤ b) = P(a < X < b) = P(a < X ≤ b) = P(a ≤ X < b),
∫b
and each of these probabilities is equal to a f (u) du.

For probability density functions, we also have

∫ t ∫ ∞
P(X ≤ t) = f (u) du, and f (u) du = 1.
−∞ −∞

Now consider a pair (X,Y ) of continuous RVs. The joint density function f of (X,Y )
satisfies ∬
P((X,Y ) ∈ D) = f (x, y) dA.
D
If D = [a, b] × [c, d] then
∫ b∫ d ∫ d ∫ b
P(a < X ≤ b, c < Y ≤ d) = f (x, y) dy dx = f (x, y) dy dx.
a c c a
MATH 265 LECTURE 6 PAGE 9 OF 13

This is assuming (among other things) that all integrals exist. We have that f is
non-negative and
∫ d ∫ b ∫ b ∫ d
P(X ≤ b, Y ≤ d) = f (x, y) dx dy = f (x, y) dy dx
−∞ −∞ −∞ −∞

for all b and d, and

∫ ∞∫ ∞ ∫ ∞∫ ∞
f (x, y) dx dy = f (x, y) dy dx = 1.
−∞ −∞ −∞ −∞

Example 6.5. Let X and Y be two jointly continuous random variables with probability
density function
(
x + cy 2 0 ≤ x ≤ 1, 0 ≤ y ≤ 1
f (x, y) =
0 otherwise,

where c is a constant.

(a) Find c.

(b) Find P(0 < X ≤ 1/2, 0 < Y ≤ 1/2).

(c) Find P(0 > 1/2 or X + Y > 3/4).

Solution. (a) We must have

∬
f (x, y) dA = 1.
R2

Now
∬ ∫ 1∫ 1
f (x, y) dA = (x + cy 2 ) dy dx
R2 0 0
= ···
1 c
= + .
2 3
Hence c = 3/2.
MATH 265 LECTURE 6 PAGE 10 OF 13

(b) We have
∫ 1/2 ∫ 1/2
P(0 < X ≤ 1/2, 0 < Y ≤ 1/2) = (x + (3/2)y 2 ) dy dx
0 0
= ···
3
= .
32

(c) We have

P(0 > 1/2 or X + Y > 3/4) = 1 − P(0 < X ≤ 1/2 and 0 < X + Y ≤ 3/4)
35
=1−
384
349
= .
384

To see this, letting

D = {(x, y) : 0 < x ≤ 1/2, 0 < y ≤ (3/4) − x},

MATH 265 LECTURE 6 PAGE 11 OF 13

we want
∬
P((X,Y ) ∈ D) = (x + (3/2)y 2 ) dA
D
∫ 1/2 ∫ (3/4)−x
= (x + (3/2)y 2 ) dy dx
0 0
= ···
35
= .
384
MATH 265 LECTURE 6 PAGE 12 OF 13

If X has PDF fX (x) and Y has PDF fY (y), we say X and Y are independent if joint
distribution function of (X,Y ) is
f (x, y) = fX (x) fY (y)
for all (x, y) ∈ R2 . This is equivalent to
P(a < X ≤ b, c < Y ≤ d) = P(a < X ≤ b)P(c < Y ≤ d)
for all a, b, c, d with a < b and c < d.

Example 6.6. Waiting time to buy train ticket has probability density function
(
0 x<0
fX (x) = 1 −x/9
9e x ≥ 0.
Waiting time for train has probability density function
(
0 y<0
fY (y) = 1 −y/4
4e y ≥ 0.
For instance, the probability of waiting t minutes to buy a ticket is
∫ t
1 −u/9
P(X ≤ t) = e du.
0 9
Assuming waiting times are independent, what is the probability that a passenger
waits 13 minutes total to buy a ticket and board a train?

Solution.
MATH 265 LECTURE 6 PAGE 13 OF 13

Let
D = {(x, y) : 0 ≤ x ≤ 13, 0 ≤ y ≤ 13 − x}.
We have
∬
P(X + Y ≤ 13) = f (x, y) dA
D
∫ 13 ∫ 13−x
1 −x/9 −y/4
= e e dy dx
0 0 36
= ···
4 9
= 1 + e−13/4 − e−13/9 .
5 5