Fundamental Mathematics for Fluid Mechanics

Daniel Enderton
March 20, 2004
Herein A, B, C, and D are vectors, and f and g are scalar quantites.

1 Coordinate Systems and Transformations

Cartesian
rP = xex + yey + zez
= xi + yj + zk

(1)
(2)

rP = rer + e + zez

rc =
x2 + y 2
y
= tan1
x
x = rc cos
y = rc sin
er = cos ex + sin ej
e = sin ex + cos ej

(3)

Cylindrical

(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
(8)
(9)

Spherical
rP = rer + e + e

rs =
x2 + y 2 + z 2

(10)
(11)
(12)

Earth Centered Coordinates

2 Operators
Gradient:
grad(f ) = f

f
f
f
ex +
ey +
ez
x
y
z

(Cartesian)

(13)

Figure 1: Coordinates and transformations between Cartesian and cylindrical (left panel) and
Cartesian and spherical (right panel).

=
=
=

f
1 f
f
er +
e +
ez
r
r
z
(Spherical)
(Earth)

(Cylindrical)

(14)
(15)
(16)

Divergence:
div(f ) = A

=
=
=
=

Ay
Az
Ax
+
(Cartesian)
+
x
y
z
Az
1 (rAr ) 1 A
+
+
(Cylindrical)
r r
r
z
(Spherical)
(Earth)

(17)
(18)
(19)
(20)

Curl:
curl(f ) = A

ex e y ez

= x
y
x

Ax Ay Az
e

ez
r
e
r
r

= r

Ar rA Az
=
=

(Cartesian)

(Cylindrical)

(Spherical)
(Earth)

(21)

(22)
(23)
(24)

Laplacian:
2 f

=
=
=
=

3
3.1

2f
2f
2f
+
+
(Cartesian)
y 2
y 2
x2

f
1 2f
2f
1
r
+ 2 2 + 2
(Cylindrical)
r r
r
r
z
(Spherical)
(Earth)

(25)
(26)
(27)
(28)

Vector Identities
Vector Products
AB = BA
A B = B A
A (B C) = B (C A)
= C (A B)

Ax Ay Az

= Bx By Bz
Cx Cy Cz

(29)
(30)
(31)
(32)

A (B C) = B(A C) C(A B)
(A B) (C D) = (A C)(B D) (B C)(A D)
2

(33)
(34)
(35)

3.2

Dierentiation with Respect to a Scalar

Herein, A = A(x), B = B(x), and f = f (x).

dA dB
d
(A + B) =
+
dx
dx
dx
d
dA
df
(f A) = f
+ A
dx
dx
dx
d
dB
dA
(A B) = A
+ B
dx
dx
dx
d
dB dA
B
(A B) = A
+
dx
dx
dx

3.3

(37)
(38)
(39)

Identities with the Operator

(f g) = gf + f g
(A )f = A f
(A )f = A (f )

An =
An
n

(40)
(41)
(42)
(43)

An

An

(44)

(A ) B
fA
fA
(A B)
(A B)
(A B)

=
=
=
=
=
=

(A )A

(f ) =
( A) =
( A) =

(36)

A ( B)
f ( A) + A f
f ( A) + A (f )
B ( A) A ( B)
A( B) + (B )A B( A) (A )B
(A )B + (B )A + A ( B) + B ( A)
1
A2 A ( A)
2
0
0
( A) 2 A

(45)
(46)
(47)
(48)
(49)
(50)
(51)
(52)
(53)
(54)

Integration Theorems
Gauss theorem or divergence theorem. Herein, F is a vector function, V is any volume, and
A is the area that encloses the volume:

F en dA = F dV
(55)
A

Stokes theorem. Herein, F is a vector function and A is any area with s the line which
bounds it and en normal to the area:

F ds =
( F) en dA
(56)
A

Notes
All identities should be crossreferenced in a couple other books.
References to proofs of some or all of the identities.
Introduction, description?
What are core Fluid mechanics texts, including and excluding GFD.
Assuming mixed partials equal?
Spherical, Earth coordinates, description (notation, order).
grad() versus .
Align text to right of equations.
Quick references.
Include long versions of curl() operator?
Script version of Laplacian operator, i.e. curl().
Expand to include things such as Taylor series, Eulers formula, hyperbolic function deni
tions
Finish spherical and earth centered coordinates. Look up common notation.
Dene volume integrals in dierent coordinate systems?

References
[1] Granger, Robert A. Fluid Mechanics. Dover Publications, Inc. 1995.