This article is about "path integrals" in the general mathematical sense, and not the path integral formulation of physics which was studied by Richard Feynman.

In mathematics, a path integral (also known as a line integral) is an integral where the function to be integrated is evaluated along a path or curve. Various different path integrals are in use. In the case of a closed path it is also called a contour integral.

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	Methods of contour integration - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (1264 words) Applications of integral theorems are also often used to evaluate the contour integral along a contour, which means that the real-valued integral is calculated simultaneously along with calculating the contour integral. The contour is chosen so that the contour follows the part of the complex plane that describes the real-valued integral, and also encloses singularities of the integrand so application of the Cauchy integral formula or residue theorem is possible The whole of the contour can be divided into the contour that follows the part of the complex plane that describes the real-valued integral as chosen before (call it R), and the integral that crosses the complex plane (call it I).
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