Consider the following vector field:
Construct a curve according to the following directions:
1)
Start with a unit-circle in the
plane with its center on the origin
2)
Keep points
and
pinned to the
plane so they can't move
3)
Bend the right
half of the circle toward the
direction so that it makes an angle of
with the
plane. The points on the right side of the circle should still be co-planar after the bend.
4)
Bend the left
half of the circle toward the
direction so that it makes an angle of
with the
plane. The points on the left side of the circle should still be co-planar after the bend.
The two bending operations should yield a closed and continuous (but not continuously differentiable) curve. Determine the absolute value of the circulation of over the curve.
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Parameterise the bent curve as x = cos ( 4 π ) cos t and y = sin t , for 0 ≤ t ≤ 2 π (we will not need z ). Now ∫ C − y d x + x d y = ∫ 0 2 π 2 1 d t = 2 π ≈ 4 . 4 4 3 .