THE VECTOR DIFFERENTIAL OPERATOR DEL, written V, is defined by 3 Berea Wee 2 4 oy ity Senet amavis eae i ‘This vector operator Possesses properties analogous to those of ordinary vectors. It is useful in de- fining three quantities which arise in Practical applications and are known as the gradient, the diver- gence and the curl. The operator V is also known as nabla, THE GRADIENT. Let $(z, y, 2) be defined and differentiable at each point (zy, 2) in a certain re- Sion of space (J.e, ¢ defines a differentiable scalar field) written Vp or grad ¢, is defined Then the gradient of d, by Beer d' 223 2, , 26, , ad aig 4 —).+ mosh + ry + SS) Oo Ge ieee Baetcay? Sia Note that Vo defines a vector field. ‘The component of Vo in the direction of a unit vector a is gi rectional derivative of'd in the dire ven by Vb-a and is called the di- con a. Physically, this is the rate of change of the direction a, at (x,y, 2) in fe ORNs Very.) = 11+ 5 + Yk be dotined and differentiable at each point (y.2) in @ certain region of space (J.e. V defines a differentiable vector field) FV, written V+ V or div V, 1s defined by Then the divergence o Note the analogy with A-B = 4.8, + 4,8, 4By- Also note that Vey 4 y.W THE CURL. Te Vex, y, 2) is a differ Curl V or rot V, is defi entiable vector fleld then the curl or fae en the curl or rotation of V, written Vxy, Oxi sneer58 GRADIENT, DIVERGENCE and CURL i ae plage a |2y Bely — [ee ely 4 2 le ww wow ee 2 3 ~ By B-Boy + E- Bw Note that in the expansion of the determinant the operators 2 i 2 ‘ ie must precede K, Vy, hy « FORMULAE INVOLVING V. If A and B are differentiable vector functions, and p and y) are differen- tlable scalar functions of position (x,y, 2), then 1 Ve+p) =Vo+W ot . V(AtB) = VA + WB oor grad (p+) = grad p + grad yy div(A+B) = divA + divB . Vx(A+B) = VxA+UxB or curl(A+B) = curl A + curl B . Vea) = (Vp)-A + H(V-A) j. V(AxB) = B-(Vx A) — A(VxB) 7. Vx (Ax B) = (B-V)A — B(V-A) — (A-V)B + A(V-B) . V(A-B) = (B-V)A + (A-V)B + Bx(VxA) + Ax(VxB) 2 2 2 9. V-(Wb) = Vp = 2H, 8H, A Ree eam aah aie wer Vio 2 2 oe Sat Set Fer 'Sealled the Laplacian operator. 2. 3. 4. 5. Vx(@a) = (Vd)xA + (Vx A) 6. 7. 8. 10. Vx(Vd) = 0. The curl of the gradient of ¢ ts zero, 1. V-(VxA) = 0. The divergence of the curl of A is zero. 12, Ux(Vxay = VV-Ay—- 0a Od ok WA wt h 7K ven = TOV: Vh In Formulae 9-12, it is supposed that ¢ and A have continuous second partial derivatives. INVARIANCE. Consider two rectangular coordinate systems or frames of reference xyz and x'y'z'(see figure below) having the same origin O but with axes rotated with respect to each other. A point P in space has coordinates (,y, 2) or % oe) (@ly}z') relative to these coordinate systems, The 1 ere equations of transformation between coordinates or the coordinate transformations are given by a= lz + hoy + bat wm y= lege + lay + loot if Tex + Loy + boot where 1, j,k = 1,2,3, represent direction cosines of the x',y’ and z' axes with respecttothe x,y, and i— GRADIENT, DIVERGENCE and CURL 59 +z axes (see Problem 38). In case the origins of the two coordinate systems are not coincident the equations of transformation become = dae + boy t ligt + at 2 2) y= lax + lay + lat + a2 4 = lye + lay + bat + 05 ‘where origin O of the xyz coordinate system is located at (a, a3, a4) relative to the x'y‘z’ coordinate tem. Bata bisabstaaiton ‘equations (J) define a pure rotation, while equations (2) define a rotation plus translation, Any rigid body motion has the effect of a translation followed by a rotation, The trans- formation (1) is also called an orthogonal transformation, A general linear transformation is called an affine transformation. Physically a scalar point function or scalar field (x,y,2) evaluated at a particular point should he independent of the coordinates of the point. Thus the temperature at a point is not dependent on whether coordinates (x,y,z) or (x,y,z) are used. Then if (x,y,z) is the temperature at point P with Coordinates (x,y,z) while (x;y; 2') is the temperature at the same point P with coordinates (x, y/ z'), we must have (x,y,z) = P'(x\y,2'). If P(x,y,z) = H'(xiyiz'), where x,y,z and xy! z’ are related by the transformation equations (1) ot (2), we call (x,y,z) an invariant with respect to the transfor- mation. For example, 2°+y*+2? is invariant under the transformation of rotation (1), since x?+y"+z? = ty! +s. e Similarly, @ vector point function or vector field A(x,y,2) is called an invariant if A(x,y,2) = A(ziy\2'). This will be true if Avaya + Asmrnd + Agcy = Aexiye)t + Aeiyiai' + Ae 2yk! In Chap. 7 and 8, more general transformations are considered and the above concepts are extended. It can be shown (see Problem 41) that the gradient of an inVarlant sci falar field is an invari Nestor field with respect to the transformations (1) or (2). Similarly, the divergence and curl of i ‘Variant vector field are invariant under this transformation, fon, SOLVED PROBLEMS ‘THE GRADIENT fe 2 BGey.2) = a2"y — ¥%2", tind Vp (or grad ) at the point a, = 21+ 25+ 2a yeety yy a 1 3p 08x?y 9927) + yD ig.2)_ a. a & Br - P24) + vReaty 9.1, WAR (88 37S ast = 61) (= DL + (af aeatea? Hayy — aay ey “1a — 93 — ik Lat -60 GRADIENT, DIVERGENCE and CURL 2. Prove (a) V(F+C) = VF+VG, (b) ViFG) = F VG+G VF where F and G are di lar functions of x,y and z. (a) ViF+G) = oa +d + Zwrerey = 12ers) - she) = rd) 0B BP Be BP = 19F 4 42F QF , 136 , 420 8¢ 1§ one er aes Dee jed-niy 2 oo eee. ass oread a Gp Dee ae (6) WRG) = ei +o: +2nee = Zeon + Reo * Zuo Br. 2¢ oF. ae. oof. = Fe cFy FSG 4 G2F), 4 Fe cE ta ait ¢ 3.) = FB04 + By + Bay oSE e+ 8F y+ Puy = PVG + cVF +3. Find Vo it (a) p= In| r|, 6) p= 2. G@) matty + zk. Then |r| = VF+y2+27 ant p=in|r| = dincetey?+ 2). Vp = 4Vin(x?+y?+27) 10g In(x2+y2422) + rs In(et4y?42%) + nS inatestes)) s ee eae Mais + take + tathe - Suu. 5 ) Vb = Ved) = % y= Vice? 4} Veiga = dary + Batya + adore 1(—feateyaery” Mae) + sob eeteytee My) + a deeteyteey Ma) axinyinzk ateeeee & 4. Show that Vr" = nr™~*r, Vet = Vevatey testy = Veatsyteety? 3 12 (ate?) + se tatetean™*) + az {ate}GRADIENT, DIVERGENCE and CURL 61 fans = {Betey?taty/27* 26) + 5 (Ba ay? e229 May} + w{Bcaray?er?y az} 2 = ntetsyter)/?"? (et + ys + ak) Beatty = nt? Note that if r= n Ty where r, is a unit vector in the direction r, then Vr" = 5. Show that Vp is a vector perpendicular to the surface (x,y,z) = ¢ where c is @ constant. Let r= xityJ+2k be the position vector to any point P(x,y,z) on the surface. Then dr = dzi + dyj+dzk Mes in the tangent plane to the surface at P. Bey + hee = 0 we Bee BPs aytact sags vara) we Le. Vb-dr = 0 sothat Vi is perpendicular to dr and therefore to the surface, But t= a 8. Find a unit normal to the surface x*y + 2xz = 4 at the point (2, 3). Vosty + Bea) = (ey +2) + 25 + Bek = ~21 + 4f + ake at the point (2, ‘Thon a unit normal to the surface = Ht +4 ty, 2) 2 Vem ay (ay + (ay a Anotter unit normal is 1 — 24 — 2x having direction opposite to that above, 7 Pind an equation for the tangent plane to the surface 2e:?—3zy—4x=7 at the point (1,—1,2), V(aex?— Sey —4x) = (229—3y—4)1 — anf + ger ‘Then a normal to the surface at the point (1,~1,2)1s 71 — 3 + 8k, ‘The equation of a plane passing through point whose Position vector is fo and wi tothe normal Nis (r—F.)+N= 0. (See Chap.2, Prob. 1s.) Then the required-e@uation is Cone ys +2 -—1+20) + (334m) « 9 Me=2) = S41) + Bea) = 9, hich 1s perpendicular B Let P(xy.2) and dextde, y4dy, 2402) be the temperatures at two nei and QretAz, ytAy, e+Ac) of a cortain region, St eee Perey (a) Interpret physically the quantity 4¢ . Pix+Ax, y+, 1 eta) — 4 Aistance between points P and Q. O* as where As 1s the Og | a ©) Evaluate jin $2 $2 and interpret physicatty. (©) Show that ae = Vo. a is62 GRADIENT, DIVERGENCE and CURL () From the calculus, 5 Ag = aw + Zu a Sa, + Anfinitesimals of order higher than Ar, Ay and Az 9G. yy, Ae , Ob Ay | OAs Beta ea sds Sey Abe Teyanee See Le ted dg re dae, oy ti ae ‘Then % toward Q. This is also called the directional derivative of p. Oe SE Pe Be Bi a Ba ee tity Note that since 2 is a unit vector, Vp-G is the component of Vo in the direction of this unit vector. Show that the greatest rate of change of @, i.e. the maximum directional derivative, takes place in the direction of, and has the magnitude of, the vector Vo. This projection will be By Problem o(c), $2 = V3.2" ts the projection ot Vis inthe direction # © maximum when Vb and $f have the same direction, Then the maximum value ot $ takes pluce in the direction of Vo and its magnitude is | Vb |. Find the directional derivative of ¢ = x#yz + 4xz? at (1,—2,—1) in the direction 21 — 4 — 2k. Vp = Vestyr tae) = (anys +4s%9 + ed + Oy + aea)k = Bi-J-10k at (1,-2,-1). ‘The unit vector in the direction of 21 oot S Vatecar eats tte # ‘Then the required directional derivative is Vbea = (Bi-j— 10%) «(34 ll epee eg a ‘Since this is positive, is increasing in this direction. 11. (a) In what direction from the point (2,1,—1) is the directional derivative of ¢ =2*yz* a maximum? (6) What is the magnitude of this maximum? Vb = Wea?) = eye + 72s + ey = -4i-4/+12k at (2,1,-1). ‘Then by Problem 9, jg Tepresents the rate of change of temperature with respect to distance at point P in a direction