The Laplacian in polar coordinates

There are many ways to derive the proper formula for the Laplacian in polar coordinates, but here's one. You might try this yourself and only refer to this computation if you get lost. Anyhow, it's good to sit down and compute this at least once in your life. We will start with x = r cos( ); y = r sin( ): Below we will let u be any function of two variables, with at least two derivatives. Then
@u @r @u = @x @x @r

+ @u @y

@y @r

= cos

@u @x

+ sin

@u : @y

Taking one more derivative, we have

@2u @r2

= = =

@u + sin @u ] @x @y @ 2 u @y @ 2 u @x @ 2 u @x + @x@y ] + sin cos @x 2 @r @r @x@y @r 2u 2u 2u @ @ cos2 @x2 + 2 sin cos @x@y + sin2 @ @y 2

@ @r

cos

u @y +@ ] @y 2 @r

Similarly,

Taking one more derivative, we see

@2u @ 2

@u @

@u @x @u @y = @x + = ?r sin @ @y @

@u @x

+ r cos

@u : @y

@ @

? sin
@u @x @u @x @u @x

@u @x

= ?r cos = ?r cos = ?r cos

? ? ?

= ?r @u + r2 @r
@2u @r2
2u + r12 @ = cos2 @ 2

@u ] @y @u @ 2 u @x @ 2 u @y @ 2 u @x @ 2 u @y r sin + r sin ( 2 + ) + cos ( + )] @y @x @ @x@y @ @x@y @ @y 2 @ @2u @u @2u @2u @2u + r cos )] r sin + r sin ( r sin ) + cos ( r sin + r cos 2 @y @x @x@y @x@y @y 2 2 @2u @u @2u 2 @ u 2 cos sin ] r sin + r2 sin2 + cos 2 @y @x @x@y @y 2 2u 2 @2u 2 @ u 2 cos sin ] sin2 @ + cos 2 @x @x@y @y 2

+ cos

? ?

Now we're ready to put everything together:

@2u @u @2u 2 2 = (cos2 + sin2 ) @x + (cos + sin ) ?1 2 @y 2 r @r @2u @x2
2u @u +@ ?1 ; @y 2 r @r

@2u @x2

+ 2 cos sin

@ 2u @x@y

+ sin2

@2u @y 2

@u ?1 + sin2 r @r

@2u @x2

? 2 cos sin

@2u @x@y

+ cos2

@2u @y 2

which we can rearrange to read

@2u @r2

@u 1 @2u = @2u + @2u = +1 + r @r r2 @ 2 @x2 @y 2

u: