College of Engineering Pune.

(MA-) Vector Calculus & Partial Differential Equations

(Academic Year: 2017-18)
Question Bank on Vector Differential Calculus

Questions on CO1
1. Define a vector field and a scalar field. Give an example of each.
2. Define the derivative of a vector function. What is its significance in mechanics and in
geometry?
3. Define gradient of a scalar function, divergence and curl of a vector function and explain
their physical significance.
Questions on CO2 and CO3
1. Consider the pressure field given by f (x, y) = 9x2 + 4y 2. Sketch the isobar for pressure 36.
Also find the region in which the pressure varies between 36 and 144.
Ans: ellipse and region between two ellipses.
2. Determine and sketch the isotherms of the temperature fields
(a) T = x2 − y 2 (b) T = x/(x2 + y 2).
Ans: (a) y = ±x for T = 0 and hyperbolas for other constant temperatures.
(b) T not defined at origin. Zero temp on y-axis and circles with centers on x-axis for other
constant temperatures.
3. Determine the level surfaces of the scalar fields
(a) f = x2 + y 2 − z (b) f = y 2 − z.
Ans: (a) paraboloids (b) parabolic cylinders
4. Sketch the vector fields given by the vector functions
(a) v = yi − xj (b) v = i + j
5. Sketch the following curves and identify them:
(a) r(t) = [2 + 4cost, 2sint, 0]
Ans: circle in xy plane
(b) r(t) = [−2, 2 + 5cost, −1 + 5sint]
Ans: circle in the plane x = −2
6. Find the parametric representation of the circle in the yz− plane with center (4, 0) and
passing through (0, 3). Sketch it.
Ans: [0, 4 + 5cost, 5sint]
7. Find the parametric representation of the helix x2 + y 2 = 25, z = arctan(y/x) . Sketch it.
Ans: [5cost, 5sint, t]
8. Find the tangent and the unit tangent vector to the given curve at the given point:
(a) r(t) = [cost,
√ sint, 9t] Point P (1, 0, 18π)
Ans: [0, 1, 9], 1/ 82[0, 1, 9]
(b) r(t) = [t, 4/t,√
0] Point P (4, 1, 0)
Ans: [1, −1/4, 0], 4/ 17[1, −1/4, 0]

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 9. Find the√length of the above curves from t = 0 to t = 2π and t = 1 to t = 2 respectively.
Ans: 2π 82, cannot be determined in a closed form

10. Find the directional derivative of f at P in the direction of a where

2 2
(a) f = ln(x
√ + y ), P : (4, 0), a = i − j
Ans: 1/2 2
(b) f = xyz, P : (−1, 1, 3), a = i − 2j + 2k
Ans: 7/3

11. Let f = xy − yz, v = [2y, 2z, 4x + z], w = [3z 2 , 2x2 − y 2, y 2 ]. Find

(a) div(grad f) (b) grad(div w) (c) div(curlv) (d) Dw f at (1,1,0) (e) [(curl v) × w] · w

12. Prove the following:

(i) (u · v)′ = u′ · v + u · v′ Hence prove that a non zero vector of constant length is
perpendicular to its derivative.
(ii) (u × v)′ = u′ × v + u × v′

13. For f = x2 − y 2 and g = ex+y , verify div (f ∇g)−div (g∇f ) = f ∇2 g − g∇2f .

14. Find the direction and magnitude of the force in an electrostatic field f at the point P :
f = ln(x2 +√ y 2 ); P (4, 2)
Ans: [2/5, 1/5], 5/5
f = 2x2 + 4y 2 + 9z 2
√ ; P (−1, 2, −4)
Ans: [−4, 16, −72], 1/ 341[−4, 16, −72]

15. For what points P (x, y, z) does gradient of f = 25x2 + 9y 2 + 16z 2 have the direction from
P to origin?
Ans: Points along the coordinate axes
2 2
16. The flow of heat in a temperature field T = ex −y sin 2xy takes place in the direction of
maximum decrease of temperature T . Find the direction of the flow in general and at the
point P (1, 1).
Ans: -grad(T) and -grad(T) at P

17. Find the unit normal vector for the surface x2 + y 2 + 2z 2 = 26 at the point P (2, 2, 3). Also
find the √
equation of tangent plane and normal line through that point.
Ans: 1/ 11[1, 1, 3], x + y + 3z = 13, r = [2 + t, 2 + t, 3 + 3t]

18. If on a mountain the elevation above sea level is z(x, y) = 1500 − 3x2 − 5y 2 [meters], what
is the direction of steepest ascent at P (−0.2, 0.1)?
Ans: Ans: [1.2, −1]

19. What is the directional derivative of f = xy 2 + yz 3 at the point (2, −1, 1) in the direction
2
of the normal
√ to the surface (x ln z) − y = −4 at (-1,2,1)?
Ans: 15/ 17

20. Find the angle between the surfaces x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 9 and z = x2 + y 2 − 3 at the point
(2,-1,2). √
Ans: cos−1 (1/ 6)

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21. Find divv and its value at P:
(i)√v = [0, sinx2 yz, cosxy 2 z], P (1, 1/2, −π)
Ans: 2/8
(ii) v = (x2 + y 2 + z 2 )−3/2 [−x, −y, −z]
Ans: 0
22. Find v3 such that divv is greater than zero everywhere if v = [x, y, v3 ]
Ans: v3 = kz, k > −2
23. Find potential field f for given v or state that v has no potential.
(a) [xy, 2xy, 0] (b) [x2 − yz, y 2 − zx, z 2 − xy]
Ans: No potential, f = (x3 + y 3 + z 3 )/3 − xyz + c
24. If u and v are irrotational, then show that u × v is incompressible.
25. Plot the the given velocity field of a fluid flow in a square centered at the origin. Recall
that the divergence measures outflow minus inflow. By looking at the flow near the sides
of the square, can you see whether div v must be positive or negative or zero?
(a) v = xi (b) v = xi + yj (c) v = xi − yj
26. The velocity vector v(x, y, z) of an incompressible fluid rotating in a cylindrical vessel is of
the form v = w × r, where w is the constant rotation vector. Show that div v = 0.
27. The velocity vector v = [x, y, −z] of a fluid motion is given. Is the flow irrotational?
Incompressible?
Ans: Yes, No
28. Find the values of the constants a,b,c so that the directional derivative of f = axy 2 + byz +
cz 2 x3 at (1,2,-1) has a maximum of magnitude 64 in a direction parallel to z-axis.
Ans: -6, -24, 8 or 6, 24, -8
29. Find the directional derivative of f = e2x cos(yz) at (0,0,0) in the direction of tangent to
the curve x = a sin t, y = a cos t, z = at at t = π/4.
Ans: 1
30. In what directions is the derivative of f (x, y) = (x2 − y 2 )/(x2 + y 2) at P (1, 1) equal to zero?
Ans: [1, 1]
31. Is there a direction u in which the rate of change of f (x, y) = x2 − 3xy + 4y 2 at P (1, 2)
equals 14 ? Give reasons to your answer. √
Ans: No since directional derivative can be at most 185
√
32. The derivative of f (x, y) at point P0 (1, 2) in the direction of i+j is 2 2 and in the direction
of −2j is -3.
√ What is derivative of f in the direction of −i − 2j?
Ans: −7/ 5
33. We know that the gradient of differentiable function of two variables at a point is always
normal to the function’s level curve through that point. Further, the line through a point
P0 (x0 , y0 ) normal(perpendicular) to a vector Ai+Bj has the equation A(x−x0 )+B(y−y0) =
2
0. Using these facts, find an equation for the tangent to the ellipse x4 + y 2 = 2 at the point
(-2,1).
Ans: 2y − x = 4

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 34. Find the points (x, y) and the directions for which the directional derivative of f (x, y) =
3x2 + y 2 has its largest value, if (x, y) is restricted to be on the circle x2 + y 2 = 1. Ans:
(±1, 0) along x-axis

35. A differentiable scalar field f has at the point (1, 2), directional derivative +2 in the direc-
tion toward (2, 2) and -2 in the direction toward (1, 1). Determine the gradient vector at
(1, 2) and compute the directional derivative in the direction toward (4, 6).
Ans: [2, 2],14/5

Questions on CO4 and CO5

1. Define Directional Derivative of a scalar function f at point P in the direction of a. Derive

1
the formula Da f = a · grad f .
|a|
2. Let f be a differentiable scalar function that represents a surface S : f (x, y, z) = c. If the
gradient of f at a point P of S is not the zero vector, then prove that it is a normal vector
of S at P .

3. Let f (P ) = f (x, y, z) be a scalar function having continuous first partial derivatives. Then
prove that grad f exists and its length and direction are independent of the particular
choice of Cartesian Co-ordinates in space. If at a point P the gradient of f is not the zero
vector, then prove that it has the direction of maximum increase of f at P .

Please report any mistakes in the problems here and start a forum on moodle where you can
post the solutions to these.