Math 131 Multivariate Calculus

Prof. D. Joyce, Clark University Wednesday, 3 Mar 2010

Due Friday. Exercises from section 3.3: 1, 4, 9, 10, 1921, 24, 26. Well discuss any questions you have on them today. Spring break. Next week. Due Monday after next. Exercises from section 3.4: 14, 710, 13, 28a. Last time. Introduction of vector elds, gradient elds, and ow lines of vector elds. Well look at a couple of examples in class. As we do so, well develop the idea that div F(x) somehow measures the rate of ow out of the point x, at least when F measures the velocity of a uid. When a vector eld F has 0 divergence, i.e., div F is constantly 0, we say F is incompressible or solenoidal. Denition 2. We dene the curl of a vector eld in space, F : R3 R3 , as F , , x y z i j k
x y z

Today. Gradient, divergence, and curl. curl F = The del operator . First, well start by ab= stracting the gradient to an operator. By the way, the gradient of f isnt always denoted f ; sometimes its denoted grad f . = As you know the gradient of a scalar eld (i.e., scalar-valued function) f : Rn R is f=

(F1 , F2 , F3 )

= f f f , ,..., . x1 x2 xn Well look at a couple of examples of curl in class, We can abstract this by leaving out the f to get an too. Its harder to get a good intuition for curl, but operator it does say something about how much and which , ,..., = way a vector eld swirls, or rotates. A vector eld x1 x2 xn whose curl is constantly 0 is called irrotational. which, when applied to f yields f . This is You can take curls of plane vector elds F : R2 called the del operator. 2 R , too. Just assume that the rst two coordinate We can treat this del operator a vector itself. We functions F and F dont depend on z and the 1 2 can combine it with other vector operations like dot third coordinate function F only depends on z (for 3 product and cross product, and that leads to the instance, you could make it 0). Then the rst two concepts of divergence and curl, respectively. coordinates of curl F are 0 leaving only the third Denition 1. We dene the divergence of a vector coordinate F2 F1 eld F : Rn Rn as x y F1 F2 Fn div F = F = + + + . x1 x2 xn as the curl of a plane vector eld. 1

F1 F2 F3 F3 F2 F1 F3 F2 F1 , , y z z x x y

A couple of theorems about curl, gradient, and divergence. The gradient, curl, and divergence have certain special composition properties, specically, the curl of a gradient is 0, and the divergence of a curl is 0. The rst says that the curl of a gradient eld is 0. If f : R3 R is a scalar eld, then its gradient, f , is a vector eld, in fact, what we called a gradient eld, so it has a curl. The rst theorem says this curl is 0. In other words, gradient elds are irrotational.

Some of the other properties of div and curl are mentioned in the exercises for the section. First of all, theyre both linear. If k is a scalar, and F and G are vector elds, then div (kF) div (F G) curl (kF) curl (F G) = = = = k div F div F div G k curl F curl F curl G

Some version of the product rule also works for them. Here f is a scalar eld, and F and G are Theorem 3. If a scalar eld f : R3 R has vector elds. continuous second partial derivatives, then curl (grad f ) = Proof. Since F= and f= therefore f f f , , x y z , F3 F2 F1 F3 F2 F1 , , y z z x x y ( f) = 0 div (f G) = f div G + (grad f ) G curl (f G) = f curl G + (grad f ) G div (F G) = G curl F F curl G

( f ) equals .

f f f f f f , , y z z y z x x z x y y x Since f has continuous second partials, the order that the partials are taken doesnt matter, so the last expression simplies to (0, 0, 0). q.e.d. Theorem 4. If a vector eld F : R3 R3 has continuous second partial derivatives of its coordinate functions, then div (curl F) = Proof. First, note that
F3 ( x y

( (

F) = 0. F) equals +
F2 ( z x

F2 ) z

F1 ( y z

F3 ) x

F1 ). y

Since order the partials are taken doesnt matter, the expression simplies to 0. q.e.d. 2