Vector Calculus

Fundamental Theorems:

Gradient Theorem: ∫𝒂𝒃(𝛁𝑓 ). 𝑑𝒍 = 𝑓 (𝒃) − 𝑓 (𝒂)

Gauss’s Theorem: ∫(𝛁. 𝐀)𝑑𝜏 = ∮ 𝑨. 𝑑𝒂

Stokes’ Theorem: ∫(𝛁. 𝑨). 𝑑𝒂 = ∮ 𝑨. 𝑑𝒍

Vector Derivatives:

Spherical: 𝑑𝒍 = 𝑑𝑟 𝒓̂ + 𝑟𝑑𝜃 𝜽 ̂ + 𝑟 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 𝑑𝜙 𝒛̂ ; 𝑑𝜏 = 𝑟2 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 𝑑𝑟 𝑑𝜃 𝑑𝜙

𝜕𝑡 1 𝜕𝑡 ̂ 1 𝜕𝑡 ̂
𝛁𝑡 = 𝒓̂ + 𝜽+ 𝝓
𝜕𝑟 𝑟 𝜕𝜃 𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 𝜕𝜙

2
1 𝜕(𝑟 𝑣𝑟 ) 1 𝜕(𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 𝑣𝜃 ) 1 𝜕𝑣𝜙
𝛁. 𝑽 = + +
𝑟2 𝜕𝑟 𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 𝜕𝜃 𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜃 𝜕𝜙

1 𝜕(sin 𝜃 𝑣𝜙 ) 𝜕𝑣𝜃 1 1 𝜕𝑣𝑟 𝜕(𝑟𝑣𝜙 ) ̂ 1 𝜕(𝑟𝑣𝜃 ) 𝜕𝑣𝑟 ̂

𝛁×𝑽 = [ − ] 𝒓̂ + [ − ]𝜽+ [ − ]𝝓
𝑟 sin 𝜃 𝜕𝜃 𝜕𝜙 𝑟 sin 𝜃 𝜕𝜙 𝜕𝑟 𝑟 𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝜃

1 𝜕 2 𝜕𝑡 1 𝜕 𝜕𝑡 1 𝜕2𝑡
∇2 𝑡 = 2
(𝑟 ) + 2 (𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 ) + 2 2
𝑟 𝜕𝑟 𝜕𝑟 𝑟 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 𝜕𝜃 𝜕𝜃 𝑟 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 𝜕𝜙2

𝑥 = 𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜙 𝒙̂ = 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙 𝒓̂ + 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜙 𝜽 ̂ − 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜙𝝓̂

𝑦 = 𝑟 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙 , 𝒚̂ = 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜙 𝒓̂ + 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜙 𝜽 ̂ + 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜙 𝝓̂
{ {
𝑧 = 𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃 𝒛̂ = 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃 𝒓̂ − 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 𝜽 ̂
2 2
𝑟 = √𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧 2
𝒓̂ = 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙 𝒙̂ + 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜙 𝒚̂ + 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃 𝒛̂
−1 √𝑥2 +𝑦2
𝜃 = tan ( 𝑧 ) , 𝜽 ̂ = 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜙 𝒙̂ + 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜙 𝒚̂ − 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 𝒛̂
{ 𝝓̂ = −𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜙 𝒙̂ + 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜙 𝒚̂
{ 𝜙 = tan−1 (𝑦⁄𝑥)

Cylindrical: 𝑑𝒍 = 𝑑𝑠 𝒔̂ + 𝑠𝑑𝜙 𝝓̂ + 𝑑𝑧 𝒛̂ ; 𝑑𝜏 = 𝑠 𝑑𝑠 𝑑𝜙 𝑑𝑧

𝜕𝑡 1 𝜕𝑡 ̂ 𝜕𝑡
𝛁𝑡 = 𝒔̂ + 𝝓+ 𝒛̂
𝜕𝑠 𝑠 𝜕𝜙 𝜕𝑧

1 𝜕(𝒔𝑣𝑠 ) 1 𝜕𝑣𝜙 𝜕𝑣𝑧

𝛁. 𝑽 = + +
𝑠 𝜕𝑠 𝑠 𝜕𝜙 𝜕𝑧

1 𝜕𝑣𝑧 𝜕𝑣𝜙 𝜕𝑣𝑠 𝜕𝑣𝑧 1 𝜕(𝑠𝑣𝜙) 𝜕𝑣𝑠

𝛁×𝑽 =[ − ] 𝒔̂ + [ − ] 𝝓̂ + [ − ] 𝒛̂
𝑠 𝜕𝜙 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑠 𝑠 𝜕𝑠 𝜕𝜙

1 𝜕 𝜕𝑡 1 𝜕2𝑡 𝜕2𝑡
∇2 𝑡 = (𝑠 ) + 2 2 + 2
𝑠 𝜕𝑠 𝜕𝑠 𝑠 𝜕𝜙 𝜕𝑧

𝑥 = 𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜙 𝒙̂ = 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙 𝒔̂ − 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜙 𝝓̂ 𝑠 = √𝑥2 + 𝑦2 𝒔̂ = 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙 𝒙̂ + 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜙 𝒚̂

𝑦 = 𝑠 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙 , ̂ ; −1 𝑦 ,
{ { 𝒚̂ = 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜙 𝒔̂ + 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜙 𝝓 { 𝜙 = tan (𝑥) { = −𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜙 𝒙̂ + 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜙 𝒚̂
𝒚̂
𝑧=𝑧 𝒛̂ = 𝒛̂ 𝑧=𝑧 𝒛̂ = 𝒛̂
 Vector Identities:

𝛁(𝑓𝑔) = 𝑓 (𝛁𝑔) + 𝑔(𝛁𝑓 )

𝛁(𝑨. 𝑩) = 𝐀 × (𝛁 × 𝑩) + 𝐁 × (𝛁 × 𝑨) + (𝑨. 𝛁)𝑩 + (𝑩. 𝛁)𝑨

𝛁. (𝑓𝑨) = 𝑓 (𝛁. 𝑨) + 𝑨. (𝛁𝑓 )

𝛁(𝑨 × 𝑩) = 𝐁. (𝛁 × 𝑨) − 𝑨. (𝛁 × 𝑩)

𝛁 × (𝑓𝑨) = 𝑓 (𝛁 × 𝑨) − 𝑨 × (𝛁𝑓 )

𝛁 × (𝐀 × 𝐁) = (𝐁. 𝛁)𝐀 − (𝐀. 𝛁)𝐁 + 𝐀(𝛁. 𝐁) − 𝐁(𝛁. 𝐀)

𝛁. (𝛁 × 𝐀) = 𝟎

𝛁 × (𝛁 × 𝑓 ) = 0

𝛁 × (𝛁 × 𝑨) = 𝛁(. 𝛁𝐀) − ∇2 𝑨

Triple Product:

𝑨. (𝑩 × 𝑪) = 𝑩. (𝑪 × 𝑨) = 𝑪. (𝑨 × 𝑩)

𝑨 × (𝑩 × 𝑪) = 𝑩(𝑨. 𝑪) − 𝑪(𝑨. 𝑩)

Dirac Delta:

𝛿 3 (𝒓) = 𝛿(𝑥)𝛿(𝑦)𝛿(𝑧)
∞
3
∫𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑠𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝛿 (𝒓)𝑑𝜏 = 𝛿(𝑥)𝛿(𝑦)𝛿(𝑧) 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑧 = 1
∭
−∞

r̂ 𝟏
𝛁. ( ) = 4𝜋𝛿 3 (r) , 𝛁 𝟐 = −4𝜋𝛿 3 (r)
r𝟐 r