- If f(x)≥g(x) on the interval between x=a and x=b, then the area of the region bounded by the curves y=f(x), y=g(x), x=a and x=b is ∫ba(f(x)−g(x))dx.
- If f(x)<g(x), we instead want ∫ba(g(x)−f(x))dx.
In general, we always want ∫baheight(x)dx, where the height is the larger function value minus the smaller one. This can also be written as ∫ba|f(x)−g(x)|dx.
- If we are not told the beginning and ending values of x, we need to solve f(x)=g(x) to figure them out.
- Sometimes it is easier to slice horizontally than vertically. In that case we wind up with an integral ∫βαwidth(y)dy instead of ∫baheight(x)dx, where α and β are the smallest and largest values of y.
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