Scribd
Upload
148 views

Reviewer Ece102

The document defines divergence and curl of a vector field. It provides the mathematical definitions and formulas for calculating divergence and curl. It also includes several examples of calculating the divergence and curl of different vector fields. Key concepts covered include: - The definition of divergence as the sum of the partial derivatives of the vector field components with respect to x, y, z. - The definition of curl as the determinant of the partial derivatives of the vector field components. - Examples show how to apply the definitions to calculate the divergence and curl of specific vector fields. - Important identities are covered, such as curl of a gradient field equals zero, and divergence of a curl equals zero.

Uploaded by

Rigel Zabate
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
148 views

Reviewer Ece102

The document defines divergence and curl of a vector field. It provides the mathematical definitions and formulas for calculating divergence and curl. It also includes several examples of calculating the divergence and curl of different vector fields. Key concepts covered include: - The definition of divergence as the sum of the partial derivatives of the vector field components with respect to x, y, z. - The definition of curl as the determinant of the partial derivatives of the vector field components. - Examples show how to apply the definitions to calculate the divergence and curl of specific vector fields. - Important identities are covered, such as curl of a gradient field equals zero, and divergence of a curl equals zero.

Uploaded by

Rigel Zabate
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 8

AB2.

3: Divergence and Curl of a Vector Field


Denition of divergence
Let v(x, y, z) be a dierentiable vector function,
v(x, y, z) = v
1
(x, y, z)i + v
2
(x, y, z)j + v
3
(x, y, z)k
Then the function
div v =
v
1
x
+
v
2
y
+
v
3
z
is called the divergence of v or the divergence of the vector eld dened by v.
Another convenient notation for div is as follows:
div v = v =


x
i +

y
j +

z
k

(v
1
i + v
2
j + v
3
k) =
v
1
x
+
v
2
y
+
v
3
z
.
Example:
v(x, y, z) = 3xzi + 2xyj yz
2
k,
v
1
x
= 3z,
v
2
y
= 2x,
v
3
z
= 2yz,
and
div v = 3z + 2x 2yz.
THEOREM 8.10.1
The values of div v depend only on the points in space (and on div v) but not on the par-
ticular choice of the coordinates. With respect to other Cartesian coordinates x

, y

, z

and
corresponding components v

1
, v

2
, v

3
of v the function div v is given by
div v =
v

1
x

+
v

2
y

+
v

3
z

If f is a twice dierentiable scalar function, then


grad f =
f
x
i +
f
y
j +
f
z
k.
and
div (grad f) =
2
f =

2
f
x
2
+

2
f
y
2
+

2
f
z
2
is the Laplacian of f.
EXAMPLE 1 Gravitational force
The gravitational force p is the gradient of the scalar function
f(x, y, z) =
c
r
(the potential of the gravitational eld). f satises the Laplaces equation
2
f = 0. Thus
div p = div (grad f) =
2
f = 0.
Curl of a vector eld
Denition of curl
Let x, y, z be right-handed Cartesian coordinates and
v(x, y, z) = v
1
(x, y, z)i + v
2
(x, y, z)j + v
3
(x, y, z)k
be a dierentiable vector function. Then the function
curl v = v =

i j k

z
v
1
v
2
v
3

v
3
y

v
2
z

i +

v
1
z

v
3
x

j +

v
2
x

v
1
y

k
is called the curl of v or the curl of the vector eld dened by v.
EXAMPLE 1 Curl of a vector function
With respect to right-handed Cartesian coordinates, let
v(x, y, z) = yzi + 3zxj + zk.
Then the curl
curl v =

i j k

z
yz 3xz z

z
y

(3xz)
z

i +

(yz)
z

z
x

j +

(3xz)
x

(yz)
y

k = 3xi + yj + 2zk.
Important identities of the vector calculus
For any twice continuously dierentiable scalar function f,
curl (grad f) = 0.
Indeed,
curl (grad f) =

i j k

z
f
x
f
y
f
z

i j k

z
f
x
f
y
f
z

f
z
y

f
y
z

i+

f
x
z

f
z
x

j+

f
y
x

f
x
y

k = (f
zy
f
yz
)i+(f
xz
f
zx
)j+(f
yx
f
xy
)k = 0.
Gradient elds describing a motion are irrotational.
For any twice continuously dierentiable vector function v,
div (curl v) = 0.
Indeed,
div (curl v) =

x

v
3
y

v
2
z

+

y

v
1
z

v
3
x

+

z

v
2
x

v
1
y

=
(v
3yx
v
2zx
) + (v
1zy
v
3xy
) + (v
2xz
v
1yz
) = 0.
THEOREM 8.11.1
The length and direction of curl v are independent of the particular choice of Cartesian coordi-
nate systems in space.
PROBLEM 8.10.1
Find the divergence of
v(x, y, z) = v
1
(x, y, z)i + v
2
(x, y, z)j + v
3
(x, y, z)k = xi + yj + zk.
Solution. The divergence is dened as
div v =
v
1
x
+
v
2
y
+
v
3
z
Here,
v
1
(x, y, z) = x, v
2
(x, y, z) = y, v
3
(x, y, z) = z,
and
div v = 1 + 1 + 1 = 3.
PROBLEM 8.10.2
Find the divergence of
v(x, y, z) = v
1
(x, y, z)i + v
2
(x, y, z)j + v
3
(x, y, z)k = x
2
i + y
2
j + z
2
k.
Solution. Here,
v
1
(x, y, z) = x
2
, v
2
(x, y, z) = y
2
, v
3
(x, y, z) = z
2
,
and
div v = 2x + 2y + 2z = 2(x + y + z).
PROBLEM 8.10.5
Find the divergence of
v(x, y) = v
1
(x, y)i + v
2
(x, y)j = (x
2
+ y
2
)
1
(yi + xj).
Solution. Here,
v
1
(x, y) = (y)(x
2
+ y
2
)
1
, v
2
(x, y) = (y)(x
2
+ y
2
)
1
,
and
div v = 2xy(x
2
+ y
2
)
2
2xy(x
2
+ y
2
)
2
= 0.
PROBLEM 8.10.13b
Find the divergence of
fv(x, y, z) = fv
1
(x, y, z)i + fv
2
(x, y, z)j + fv
3
(x, y, z)k, f = f(x, y, z).
Solution.
div fv =
fv
1
x
+
fv
2
y
+
fv
3
z
= f
v
1
x
+ f
v
2
y
+ f
v
3
z
+ v
1
f
x
+ v
2
f
x
+ v
3
f
x
=
fdiv v +v grad f.
Apply this result for calculating
div (fv(x, y, z)), f(x, y, z) = r
3/2
= (x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
)
3/2
, v = xi + yj + zk.
We have
div v = 3.
grad f = 3r
5/2
(xi + yj + zk)
and
div (fv) = fdiv v +v grad f = 3r
3/2
3r
5/2
[x, y, z] [x, y, z] = 3r
3/2
3r
5/2
r = 0.
PROBLEM 8.10.14
Find the Laplacian
2
f of
f(x, y) = (x y)/(x + y).
Solution. It is easy to see that f is a twice dierentiable function for x = y; then
grad f = f =
f
x
i +
f
y
j =
2y
(x + y)
2
i
2x
(x + y)
2
j,
and the Laplacian of f
div (grad f) =
2
f =

2
f
x
2
+

2
f
y
2
= 4
x y
(x + y)
3
.
PROBLEM 8.10.15
Find the Laplacian
2
f of
f(x, y, z) = 4x
2
+ 9y
2
+ z
2
.
Solution. It is easy to see that f is a twice dierentiable function; then
grad f = f =
f
x
i +
f
y
j +
f
z
k =
8xi + 18yj + 2zk = [8x, 18y, 2z],
and the Laplacian of f
div (grad f) =
2
f =

2
f
x
2
+

2
f
y
2
+

2
f
z
2
= 8 + 18 + 2 = 28.
PROBLEM 8.11.2
Find the curl of
v = [2y, 5x, 0].
Solution.
curl v =

i j k

z
2y 5x 0

(0)
y

(5x)
z

i +

(2y)
z

(0)
x

j +

(5x)
x

(2y)
y

k =
0 i + 0 j + (5 2) k = 3k.
PROBLEM 8.11.3
Find the curl of
v =
1
2
(x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
)(i +j +k).
Solution. Here,
v
1
(x, y, z) = v
2
(x, y, z) = v
3
(x, y, z) = v(x, y, z) =
1
2
(x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
)
and
v
q
= q, q = x, y, z.
Therefore,
curl v =

v
y

v
z

i +

v
z

v
x

j +

v
x

v
y

k =
(y z)i + (z x)j + (x y)k = [y z, z x, x y].
PROBLEM 8.11.13
Find the curl of
v = [x, y, z].
(the vector eld of a uid motion).
Solution.
curl v =

i j k

z
x y z

(z)
y

y
z

i +

x
z

(z)
x

j +

y
x

x
y

k =
0 i + 0 j + 0 k = 0.
The ow is irrotational.
div v = 1 + 1 1 = 1.
The ow is compressible.
The paths of particles are described by
r(t) = [c
1
e
t
, c
2
e
t
, c
3
e
t
].
PROBLEM 8.11.14
u v =

i j k
u
1
u
2
u
3
v
1
v
2
v
3

=
(u
2
v
3
u
3
v
2
)i (u
1
v
3
u
3
v
1
)j + (u
1
v
2
u
2
v
1
)k.
div (u v) =
(u
2
v
3
u
3
v
2
)
x
+
(u
3
v
1
u
1
v
3
)
y
+
(u
1
v
2
u
2
v
1
)
z
=
(u
2
v
3
)
x
+
(u
3
v
1
)
y
+
(u
1
v
2
)
z

(u
3
v
2
)
x

(u
1
v
3
)
y

(u
2
v
1
)
z
=
v
3
u
2
x
+u
2
v
3
x
+v
1
u
3
y
+u
3
v
1
y
+v
2
u
1
z
+u
1
v
2
z
v
2
u
3
x
u
3
v
2
x
v
3
u
1
y
u
1
v
3
y
v
1
u
2
z
u
2
v
1
z
=
v
1

(u
3
)
y

(u
2
)
z

+ v
2

(u
1
)
z

(u
3
)
x

+ v
3

(u
2
)
x

(u
1
)
y

+
u
1

(v
2
)
z

(v
3
)
y

+ u
2

(v
3
)
x

(v
1
)
z

+ u
3

(v
1
)
y

(v
2
)
x

=
v curl u u curl v.
Thus, we have proved that
div (u v) = v curl u u curl v.
PROBLEM 8.11.15
Find the curl fu for
u = yi + zj + xk
and f = xyz.
Solution. We have
curl fu = grad f u + fcurl u
Here,
grad f = [yz, xz, xy], u = [y, z, x],
Next,
grad f u =

i j k
yz xz xy
y z x

=
= (x
2
z xyz)i (xy
2
xyz)j + (yz
2
xyz)k = [x
2
z xyz, xy
2
xyz, yz
2
xyz].
curl u =

x
y

z
z

i +

y
z

x
x

j +

z
x

y
y

k =
i j k = [1, 1, 1].
Finally,
curl fu = (x
2
z xyz)i (xyz xy
2
)j + (yz
2
xyz)k (xyz)(i +j +k) =
(x
2
z 2xyz)i (xy
2
2xyz)j + (yz
2
2xyz)k.

You might also like