Vector Calculus

del operator, gradient, divergence, curl and Laplacian

Extracted from: Elements of Electromagnetics by Matthew 4, 3rd edition

1
del operator (
 Spatial differential operator
 Differentiation with respect to distance in three dimensions
In Cartesian form,

+ +
In cylindrical form,

+ +
In spherical form,

+ +
2
Vector operators
• Gradient of a scalar V
• Divergence of a vector A
• Curl of a vector A
• Laplacian of a scalar V

3
Gradient of a scalar

For a scalar function V, the gradient of V is denoted as

4
Gradient of scalar V

Then, differential
displacement

(Maximum when θ = 0)

Directional derivative

Directional derivative is the derivative

in a particular direction

5
Gradient of a scalar V
In Cartesian form,

+ +
In cylindrical form,

+ +
In spherical form,

+ +

6
Example G1:

Solution:

7
Solution:

8
Solution:
(c)

( ) ( ) ( )

9
Example G2:

10
Example G3:

11
Computation Formulas

12
Divergence of a vector A
The divergence of A at a given point P is the outward flux
per unit volume as the volume shrinks about P.

Mathematically,

Where Δv is the volume enclosed

by the closed surface S in which P
is located.

13
 At a source At a sink

No source
nor sink

Divergence operator is useful when determining if there is a

source or a sink at a certain location in space in a region where
a vector exists.
For electromagnetics fields, these sources and sinks will turn
out to be positive and negative charges.

14
 Applying Taylor series expansion of A about P and simplification*
leads to

Hence, the divergence of A at point P

+ +
15
*(See Sadiku, Chapter 3 for complete derivation)
Divergence of a vector field A
In cartesian form,

+ +

In cylindrical form,

+ +

In spherical form,

+ )+

16
17
Divergence theorem

• also known as Gauss-Ostrogradsky

theorem

“ the total outward flux of a vector field A

through the closed surface S is the same as the
volume integral of the divergence of A.”

18
Example D1:

19
20
Example D2:

Solution:

21
22
23
Curl of a vector
The curl of vector A is an axial (or rotational) vector whose
magnitude is the maximum circulation of A per unit area as the area tends
to zero and whose direction is the normal direction of the area when the
area is oriented so as to make the circulation maximum.

24
Curl of a vector
In Cartesian form,

25
In cylindrical form,

OR

26
In spherical form,

27
28
Stokes’s theorem
 States that the circulation of a
vector field A around a closed
path L is equal to the surface
integral of the curl of A over the
open surface S bounded by L
(see figure) provided that A and
are continuous on S.

29
Example C1:

30
31
32
Example C2:

Solution:

33
34
35
36
Laplacian of a scalar
This is defined as the divergence of the gradient of V
(Solved by obtaining the first
Cartesian:
derivative and then the second
derivative)

Cylindrical:

Spherical:

37
Example L1:

38
Solution:

39
40
Important notes:

 If Laplace’s equation,
, is satisfied
by a scalar field V in a
given region, V is said
to be harmonic in that
region.
 A vector field is
solenoidal if
it is irrotational or
conservative if

41
 Exercise problems
Provide the complete solutions to the following:
1.

2.

42
3.

4.

43
5.

44