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Derivation of The Laplacian From Rectangular To Spherical Coordinates PDF
Derivation of The Laplacian From Rectangular To Spherical Coordinates PDF
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1 Readers should note that we do not have to define the Laplacian this way. A more rigorous
1
this by substituting the following values (which are easily derived from (2)) in
their respective places in the above three equations
∂r ∂θ 1 ∂φ 1 sin(φ)
= sin(θ) cos(φ), = cos(θ) cos(φ), =− ,
∂x ∂x r ∂x r sin(θ)
∂r ∂θ 1 ∂φ 1 cos(φ)
= sin(θ) sin(φ), = cos(θ) sin(φ), = ,
∂y ∂y r ∂y r sin(θ)
∂r ∂θ 1 ∂φ
= cos(θ), = − sin(θ), = 0. (7)
∂z ∂z r ∂z
After the substitution, equation (4) looks like the following
∂f ∂f 1 ∂f 1 sin(φ) ∂f
= sin(θ) cos(φ) + cos(θ) cos(φ) − . (8)
∂x ∂r r ∂θ r sin(θ) ∂φ
∂f
Assuming that f is a sufficiently differentiable function, we can replace f by ∂x
in the above equation and arrive at the following
∂2f ∂ h ∂f i 1 ∂ h ∂f i 1 sin(φ) ∂ h ∂f i
= sin(θ) cos(φ) + cos(θ) cos(φ) − (9).
∂x2 ∂r ∂x r ∂θ ∂x r sin(θ) ∂φ ∂x
Now the trick is to substitute equation (8) into equation (9) in order to eliminate
any partial derivatives with respect to x. The result is the following equation
∂2f ∂ h ∂f 1 ∂f 1 sin(φ) ∂f i
= sin(θ) cos(φ) sin(θ) cos(φ) + cos(θ) cos(φ) − +
∂x2 ∂r ∂r r ∂θ r sin(θ) ∂φ
1 ∂ h ∂f 1 ∂f 1 sin(φ) ∂f i
cos(θ) cos(φ) sin(θ) cos(φ) + cos(θ) cos(φ) − −
r ∂θ ∂r r ∂θ r sin(θ) ∂φ
1 sin(φ) ∂ h ∂f 1 ∂f 1 sin(φ) ∂f i
sin(θ) cos(φ) + cos(θ) cos(φ) − .
r sin(θ) ∂φ ∂r r ∂θ r sin(θ) ∂φ
In the hopes of simplifying the above equation, we operate the derivates on the
operands and get
2
After further simplifying the above equation, we arrive at the following form
Notice that we have derived the first term of the right-hand side of equation
2
(3) (i.e. ∂∂xf2 ) in terms of spherical coordinates. We now have to do a similar
2 2
arduous derivation for the rest of the two terms (i.e. ∂∂yf2 and ∂∂zf2 ). Lets do it!
After we substitute the values of (7) into equation (5) we get
∂f ∂f 1 ∂f 1 cos(φ) ∂f
= sin(θ) sin(φ) + cos(θ) sin(φ) + . (10)
∂y ∂r r ∂θ r sin(θ) ∂φ
∂2f ∂ h ∂f i 1 ∂ h ∂f i 1 cos(φ) ∂ h ∂f i
= sin(θ) sin(φ) + cos(θ) sin(φ) + (11)
.
∂y 2 ∂r ∂y r ∂θ ∂y r sin(θ) ∂φ ∂y
Now we substitute equation (10) into equation (11) in order to eliminate any
partial derivatives with respect to y. The result is the following
∂2f ∂ h ∂f 1 ∂f 1 cos(φ) ∂f i
= sin(θ) sin(φ) sin(θ) sin(φ) + cos(θ) sin(φ) + +
∂y 2 ∂r ∂r r ∂θ r sin(θ) ∂φ
1 ∂ h ∂f 1 ∂f 1 cos(φ) ∂f i
cos(θ) sin(φ) sin(θ) sin(φ) + cos(θ) sin(φ) + +
r ∂θ ∂r r ∂θ r sin(θ) ∂φ
1 cos(φ) ∂ h ∂f 1 ∂f 1 cos(φ) ∂f i
sin(θ) sin(φ) + cos(θ) sin(φ) + .
r sin(θ) ∂φ ∂r r ∂θ r sin(θ) ∂φ
3
Now we operate the operators and get
∂2f h ∂2f 1 ∂f 1 ∂2f
2
= sin(θ) sin(φ) sin(θ) sin(φ) 2 − 2 cos(θ) sin(φ) + cos(θ) sin(φ) −
∂y ∂r r ∂θ r ∂r∂θ
1 cos(φ) ∂f 1 cos(φ) ∂ 2 f i 1 h ∂f
2
+ + cos(θ) sin(φ) sin(θ) sin(φ) +
r sin(θ) ∂φ r sin(θ) ∂r∂φ r ∂r∂θ
∂f 1 ∂f 1 ∂2f 1 cos(φ)cos(θ) ∂f
cos(θ) sin(φ) − sin(θ) sin(φ) + cos(θ) sin(φ) 2 − +
∂r r ∂θ r ∂θ r sin2 (θ) ∂φ
1 cos(φ) ∂ 2 f i 1 cos(φ) h ∂f ∂2f
+ sin(θ) cos(φ) + sin(θ) sin(φ) +
r sin(θ) ∂θ∂φ r sin(θ) ∂r ∂r∂φ
1 ∂f 1 ∂2f 1 sin(φ) ∂f 1 cos(φ) ∂ 2 f i
cos(θ) cos(φ) + cos(θ) sin(φ) − + ,
r ∂θ r ∂θ∂φ r sin(θ) ∂φ r sin(θ) ∂φ2
and after some simplifications
∂2f h ∂2f 1 ∂f 1 ∂2f
2
= sin2 (θ)sin2 (φ) 2 − 2 sin(θ) cos(θ)sin2 (φ) + sin(θ) cos(θ)sin2 (φ) −
∂y ∂r r ∂θ r ∂r∂θ
1 ∂f 1 ∂2f i h 1 ∂f
2
sin(φ) cos(φ) + sin(φ) cos(φ) + cos(θ) sin(θ)sin2 (φ) +
r ∂φ r ∂r∂φ r ∂r∂θ
1 2 ∂f 1 ∂f 1 ∂2f
cos (θ)sin2 (φ) − 2 sin(θ) cos(θ)sin2 (φ) + 2 cos2 (θ)sin2 (φ) 2 −
r ∂r r ∂θ r ∂θ
1 sin(φ) cos(φ)cos2 (θ) ∂f 1 cos(θ) sin(φ) cos(φ) ∂ 2 f i h 1 2 ∂f
+ + cos (φ) +
r2 sin2 (θ) ∂φ r2 sin(θ) ∂θ∂φ r ∂r
1 ∂2f 1 cos(θ)cos2 (φ) ∂f 1 cos(θ)cos(φ) sin(φ) ∂ 2 f
cos(φ) sin(φ) + 2 + 2 −
r ∂r∂φ r sin(θ) ∂θ r sin(θ) ∂θ∂φ
1 sin(φ) cos(φ) ∂f 1 cos2 (φ) ∂ 2 f i
2 + .
r2 sin (θ) ∂φ r2 sin2 (θ) ∂φ2
∂2f
Now its time to derive ∂z 2 . After our substitution of value in (7) into
equation (6) we get
∂f ∂f 1 ∂f
= cos(θ) − sin(θ) . (12)
∂z ∂r r ∂θ
Once more, assuming that f is a sufficiently differentiable function, we can
replace f by ∂f
∂z in the above equation which gives us the following
∂2f ∂ h ∂f i 1 ∂ h ∂f i
= cos(θ) − sin(θ) . (13)
∂z 2 ∂r ∂z r ∂θ ∂z
Now we substitute equation (12) into equation (13) in order to eliminate any
partial derivatives with respect to z and we arrive at
∂2f ∂ h ∂f 1 ∂f i
= cos(θ) cos(θ) − sin(θ) −
∂z 2 ∂r ∂r r ∂θ
1 ∂ h ∂f 1 ∂f i
sin(θ) cos(θ) − sin(θ) .
r ∂θ ∂r r ∂θ
4
After operating the operators we get
∂2f h ∂2f 1 ∂f 1 ∂ 2 f i h 1 2 ∂f
= cos2 (θ) + cos(θ) sin(θ) − cos(θ) sin(θ) + sin (θ) −
∂z 2 ∂r2 r2 ∂θ r ∂r∂θ r ∂r
1 ∂2f 1 ∂f 1 ∂2f i
sin(θ) cos(θ) + 2 sin(θ) cos(θ) + 2 sin2 (θ) 2 .
r ∂r∂θ r ∂θ r ∂θ
Now that we have all three terms of the right hand side of equation (3)(i.e.
∂2f ∂2f 2
and ∂∂zf2 ), we add them all together (because of equation (3)) to get
∂x2 , ∂y 2
5
the laplacian in terms of r, θ and φ
h ∂2f 1 ∂f 1 ∂2f
∇2 f = sin2 (θ)cos2 (φ) 2 − 2 cos(θ) sin(θ)cos2 (φ) + cos(θ) sin(θ)cos2 (φ) +
∂r r ∂θ r ∂r∂θ
2
1 ∂f 1 ∂ f i h 1 ∂f
2
sin(φ) cos(φ) − sin(φ) cos(φ) + cos2 (θ)cos2 (φ) +
r ∂φ r ∂φ∂r r ∂r
1 ∂2f 1 ∂f 1 ∂2f
sin(θ) cos(θ)cos2 (φ) − 2 sin(θ) cos(θ)cos2 (φ) + 2 cos2 (θ)cos2 (φ) 2 +
r ∂r∂θ r ∂θ r ∂θ
1 sin(φ) cos(φ)cos2 (θ) ∂f 1 cos(θ) sin(φ) cos(φ) ∂ 2 f i h 1 2 ∂f
− + sin (φ) −
r2 sin2 (θ) ∂φ r2 sin(θ) ∂θ∂φ r ∂r
1 ∂2f 1 cos(θ)sin2 (φ) ∂f 1 cos(θ) cos(φ) sin(φ) ∂ 2 f
sin(φ) cos(φ) + 2 − 2 +
r ∂r∂φ r sin(θ) ∂θ r sin(θ) ∂θ∂φ
1 sin(φ) cos(φ) ∂f 1 sin2 (φ) ∂ 2 f i h 2 2 ∂2f
+ + sin (θ)sin (φ) −
r2 sin2 (θ) ∂φ r2 sin2 (θ) ∂φ2 ∂r2
1 ∂f 1 ∂2f 1 ∂f
2
sin(θ) cos(θ)sin2 (φ) + sin(θ) cos(θ)sin2 (φ) − 2 sin(φ) cos(φ) +
r ∂θ r ∂r∂θ r ∂φ
1 ∂2f i h 1 ∂f 1 ∂f
sin(φ) cos(φ) + cos(θ) sin(θ)sin2 (φ) + cos2 (θ)sin2 (φ) −
r ∂r∂φ r ∂r∂θ r ∂r
1 2 ∂f 1 2 2 ∂2f 1 sin(φ) cos(φ)cos2 (θ) ∂f
sin(θ) cos(θ)sin (φ) + cos (θ)sin (φ) − +
r2 ∂θ r2 ∂θ2 r2 sin2 (θ) ∂φ
1 cos(θ) sin(φ) cos(φ) ∂ 2 f i h 1 2 ∂f 1 ∂2f
2
+ cos (φ) + cos(φ) sin(φ) +
r sin(θ) ∂θ∂φ r ∂r r ∂r∂φ
1 cos(θ)cos2 (φ) ∂f 1 cos(θ)cos(φ) sin(φ) ∂ 2 f 1 sin(φ) cos(φ) ∂f
+ 2 − 2 +
r 2 sin(θ) ∂θ r sin(θ) ∂θ∂φ r sin2 (θ) ∂φ
1 cos2 (φ) ∂ 2 f i h 2 ∂ 2 f 1 ∂f 1 ∂2f i
2 2 2
+ cos (θ) 2 + 2 cos(θ) sin(θ) − cos(θ) sin(θ) +
r sin (θ) ∂φ ∂r r ∂θ r ∂r∂θ
h1 ∂f 1 ∂2f 1 ∂f 1 ∂2f i
sin2 (θ) − sin(θ) cos(θ) + 2 sin(θ) cos(θ) + 2 sin2 (θ) 2 .
r ∂r r ∂r∂θ r ∂θ r ∂θ
It may be hard to believe but the truth is that the above expression, after
some miraculous simplifications of course, reduces to the following succinct form
and we finally arrive at the Laplacian in spherical coordinates!
∂2f 1 ∂2f 1 1 ∂2f 2 ∂f 1 cos(θ) ∂f
∇2 f = + + + + 2 . (14)
∂r2 r2 ∂θ2 r2 sin2 (θ) ∂φ2 r ∂r r sin(θ) ∂θ
2 Readers might be surprised how I got from expression (14) to expression (15) so fast!
Even though it is true that expression (14) is equivalent to expression (15), I wouldn’t have
been able to write the expression (15) if I hadn’t known about it beforehand.