Parametrization

From Conservapedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by FrankC (talk | contribs) at 21:43, January 13, 2010. It may differ significantly from current revision.
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Parametrization is a technique in calculus for expressing multiple variables in terms of only one variable, which is usually depicted as "t", over a specified range.

The most common parametrization is for a circle centered at the origin in the xy-plane:

  • <math>x=r \cos(t)</math>
  • <math>y=r \sin(t)</math>
  • <math>z=0</math>
  • <math>0 \le t \le \pi</math>

Always remember to be precise in determining the new limits on the new parameter t.

This technique is particularly useful for calculating extrema and line integrals.