MATH6162 – Mathematics

Week 8

Vector Valued Function

 Learning Objectives

LO 4:
Analyze vector calculus for advanced topic
 Sub Topics

• Divergence and Curl

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• Line and Plane

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• Vector-Valued Functions and Space Curves

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• Differentiation and Integration of Vector-Valued
4 Functions

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 Vector Fields
(Two Dimensional)

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 Example 1

A vector field F in R2 (two-dimensional space) is defined by

F(x,y) = xi + yj. The vector-valued function F associates with
each point (x,y) in R2 its position vector = xi + yj. This
vector points directly away from the origin and has length

As an aid to sketching some vectors

representing F, observe that each
point on a circle of radius r centered
at the origin is associated with a
vector of length r.

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 Vector Fields
(Three Dimensional)

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 Gradient Vector Field

If f is a scalar function of three variables, then the

gradient vector field of f, written f or grad f, is
defined by

If f is a function of two variables, then

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 Divergence

Definition
Let F(x,y,z) = P(x,y,z)i + Q(x,y,z)j + R(x,y,z)k be a
vector field in space, where P, Q, and R have first-order
partial derivatives in some region T.

The divergence of F is the scalar function defined by

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 Example 2

Find the divergence of F(x,y,z) = xyzi + x2y2zj + xy2k at the

point (1, -1, 2).

Solution

In particular, at the point (1, -1, 2) we find

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 Curl

Definition
Let F(x,y,z) = Pi + Qj + Rk be a vector field in space, where P,
Q, and R have first-order partial derivatives in some region T.
The curl of F is the vector field defined by

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 Example 3

Find the curl of F(x,y,z) = xyi + xzj + xyz2k at the point (-1, 2, 1).

Solution

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 Parametric and Symmetric
Equations of a Line

The parametric equations of the line passing through the point

P0(x0,y0,z0) and parallel to the vector v = (a,b,c) are

The symmetric equations of the

line passing through the point
P0(x0,y0,z0) and parallel to the
vector v = (a,b,c) are

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 Equations of Planes in Space

The standard form of the equation of a plane

containing the point P0(x0,y0,z0) and having the normal
vector n = (a,b,c) is

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 Example 4 (1/2)

Find an equation of the plane containing the points P(3,-1,1),

Q(1,4,2), and R(0,1,4).

Solution
Observe that both of the vectors PQ = (-2,5,1) and PR =
(-3,2,1) lie in the plane, so the vector PQ x PR is normal to
the plane. Denoting this vector by n, we have

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 Example 4 (2/2)

Finally, using the point P in the plane (any of the other two
points will also do) and the normal vector n just found,
gives

or, upon simplification

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 Parallel and Orthogonal Planes

Two planes with normal vectors m and n are parallel to

each other if m and n are parallel; the planes are
orthogonal if m and n are orthogonal.
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 Example 5

Find an equation of the plane containing P(2,-1,3) and

parallel to the plane defined by 2x – 3y + 4z = 6.

Solution
By Theorem, the normal vector of the given plane is n =
(2, -3, 4). Since the required plane is parallel to the
given plane, it also has n as a normal vector. Therefore,
we obtain

or

as an equation of the plane

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 Vector Function

A vector-valued function, or vector function, is a function r

defined by

where the component functions f, g, and h of r are real-

valued functions of the parameter t
lying in a parameter interval I.

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 Example 6

Sketch the curve defined by the vector function

Solution
The parametric equations for the curve are

Solving the first equation for cos t and the second equation for
sin t and using the identity
cos2t + sin2t = 1, we obtain the
rectangular equation

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 Derivative of a Vector Function

The derivative of a vector function r is the vector

function r’ defined by

provided that the limit exists.

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 Example 7

Solution

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Integration of Vector Functions

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 Example 8

Evaluate

Solution

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Soo.T.Tan. Mutivariable Calculus. 2010.
Brooks/Cole. ISBN-13: 978-0-534-46575-9
Thank You