Prof. S.M.

Tobias
Jan 2009
VECTOR CALCULUS: USEFUL STUFF
Revision of Basic Vectors
A scalar is a physical quantity with magnitude only
A vector is a physical quantity with magnitude and direction
A unit vector has magnitude one.
In Cartesian coordinates a = a
1
e
1
+ a
2
e
2
+ a
3
e
3
= (a
1
, a
2
, a
3
)
Magnitude: |a| =
_
a
2
1
+ a
2
2
+ a
2
3
The position vector r = (x, y, z)
The dot product (scalar product)
a b = |a||b| cos = a
1
b
1
+ a
2
b
2
+ a
3
b
3
is a scalar
The cross product (vector product) a b is a vector with magnitude |a||b| cos and a direction
perpendicular to both a and b in a right-handed sense.
a b = (a
2
b
3
a
3
b
2
)e
1
+ (a
3
b
1
a
1
b
3
)e
2
+ (a
1
b
2
a
2
b
1
)e
3
The scalar triple product [a, b, c] is a scalar
[a, b, c] = a b c = a b c = b c a
The vector triple product is a vector
a (b c) = (a c)b (a b)c
Vector Algebra and Sux Notation
The rules of sux notation:
(1) Any sux may appear once or twice in any term in an equation
(2) A sux that appears just once is called a free sux.
The free suces must be the same on both sides of the equation.
Free suces take the values 1, 2 and 3
(3) A sux that appears twice is called a dummy sux.
Summation Convention: Dummy Suces are summed over from 1 to 3
The name of a dummy sux is not important.
a b = a
j
b
j
= a
l
b
l
= a
p
b
p
= a
1
b
1
+ a
2
b
2
+ a
3
b
3
(4) The Kronecker Delta:

ij
=
_
1 if i = j,
0 if i = j
or

ij
=
_
_
1 0 0
0 1 0
0 0 1
_
_
The Kronecker Delta is symmetric
ij
=
ji
and
ij
a
j
= a
i
(5) The Alternating Tensor:

ijk
=
_

_
0 if any of i, j or k are equal,
1 if (i, j, k) = (1, 2, 3), (2, 3, 1) or (3, 1, 2)
1 if (i, j, k) = (1, 3, 2), (3, 2, 1) or (2, 1, 3)
The Alternating Tensor is antisymmetric:

ijk
=
jik
The Alternating Tensor is invariant under cyclic permutations of the indices:

ijk
=
jki
= kij
(6) The vector product:
(a b)
i
=
ijk
a
j
b
k
(7) The relation between
ij
and
ijk
:

ijk

klm
=
il

jm

im

jl
Vector Dierentiation
In all of the below formulae we are considering the vector F = (F
1
, F
2
, F
3
)
Basic Vector Dierentiation
(1) If F = F(t) then
dF
dt
=
_
dF
1
dt
,
dF
2
dt
,
dF
3
dt
_
(2) The unit tangent to the curve x = (t) is given by
dx/dt
|dx/dt|
Grad, Div and Curl
(3) The gradient of a scalar eld f(x, y, z) (= f(x
1
, x
2
, x
3
)) is given by
gradf = f =
_
f
x
,
f
y
,
f
z
_
=
_
f
x
1
,
f
x
2
,
f
x
3
_
(4) f is the vector eld with a direction perpendicular to the isosurfaces of f with a magnitude
equal to the rate of change of f in that direction.
(5) The directional derivative of f in the direction of a unit vector u is (f) u
(6) pronounced del or nabla is a vector dierential operator. It is possible to study the algebra
of .
(7) The divergence of a vector eld F is given by
div F = F =
F
1
x
+
F
2
y
+
F
3
z
=
F
1
x
1
+
F
2
x
2
+
F
3
x
3
(8) A vector eld F is solenoidal if F = 0 everywhere.
(9) The curl of a vector eld F is given by
curl F = F =
_
F
3
y

F
2
z
_
e
1
+
_
F
1
z

F
3
x
_
e
2
+
_
F
2
x

F
1
y
_
e
3
=
_
F
3
x
2

F
2
x
3
_
e
1
+
_
F
1
x
3

F
3
x
1
_
e
2
+
_
F
2
x
1

F
1
x
2
_
e
3
=

e
1
e
2
e
3

z
F
1
F
2
F
3

e
1
e
2
e
3

x
1

x
2

x
3
F
1
F
2
F
3

(10) A vector eld F is irrotational if F = 0 everywhere.

(11) (F ) is a vector dierential operator which can act on a scalar or a vector
(F ) f = F
1
f
x
+ F
2
f
y
+ F
3
f
z
(F )G = ((F ) G
1
, (F ) G
2
, (F ) G
3
)
(12) The Laplacian operator
2
=

2
x
2
+

2
y
2
+

2
z
2
can act on a scalar or a vector.
Grad, Div and Curl and sux notation
In sux notation
r = (x, y, z) = x
i
gradf = (f)
i
=
f
x
i
()
i
=

x
i
div F = F =
F
j
x
j
(curl F)
i
= (F)
i
=
ijk
F
k
x
j
(F ) = F
j

x
j
Note: Here you cannot move the

x
j
around as it acts on everything that follows it.
These can all be used to prove the vector dierential identities.
Vector Identities
Here are some simple vector identities that can all be proved with sux notation.
If F and G are vector elds and and are scalar elds then
() =
2

(F) = 0
() = 0
() = +
(F) = F +F
(F) = F + F
(F) = (F)
2
F
(F G) = F (G) +G(F) + (F )G+ (G )F
(F G) = G (F) F (G)
(F G) = F(G) G(F) + (G )F (F )G
Vector Integral Theorems
Alternative Denitions of divergence and curl
(1) An alternative denition of divergence is given by
F = lim
V 0
1
V
__

S
F ndS,
where V is a small volume bounded by a surface S which has outward-pointing normal n.
(2) An alternative denition of curl is given by
n F = lim
S0
1
S
_
C
F dr,
where S is a small open surface bounded by a curve C which is oriented in a right-handed sense.
Physical Interpretation of divergence and curl
(3) The divergence of a vector eld gives a measure of how much expansion and contraction there
is in the eld.
(4) The curl of a vector eld gives a measure of how much rotation or twist there is in the eld.
The Divergence and Stokes Theorems
(5) The divergence theorem states that
___
V
F =
__

S
F ndS,
where S is the closed surface enclosing the volume V and n is the outward-pointing normal from
the surface.
(6) Stokes theorem states that
__
S
F ndS =
_
C
F dr,
where C is the closed curve enclosing the open surface S and n is the normal from the surface.
Conservative Vector elds, line integrals and exact dierentials
(7) The following 5 statements are equivalent in a simply-connected domain:
(i) F = 0 at each point in the domain.
(ii)
_
C
F dr = 0 around every closed curve in the region.
(iii)
Q
_
P
F dr is independent of the path of integration from P to Q.
(iv) F dr is an exact dierential.
(v) F = for some scalar which is single-valued in the region.
(8) If F = 0 then F = A for some A. (This vector potential A is not unique.)