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18.02 Multivariable Calculus

Fall 2007

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 18.02 Lecture 21. – Tue, Oct 30, 2007
Test for gradient fields.
Observe: if F� = Mı̂ + Nĵ is a gradient field then Nx = My . Indeed, if F� = �f then M = fx ,
N = fy , so Nx = fyx = fxy = My .
Claim: Conversely, if F� is defined and differentiable at every point of the plane, and Nx = My ,
then F� = Mı̂ + Nĵ is a gradient field.
Example: F� = −yı̂ + xĵ: Nx = 1, My = −1, so F� is not a gradient field.
Example: for which value(s) of a is F� = (4x2 + axy)ı̂ + (3y 2 + 4x2 )ĵ a gradient field? Answer:
Nx = 8x, My = ax, so a = 8.

Finding the potential: if above test says F� is a gradient field, we have 2 methods to find the
potential function f . Illustrated for the above example (taking a = 8):
Method 1: using line integrals (FTC backwards):
We know that if C starts at (0, 0) and ends at (x1 , y1 ) then f (x1 , y1 ) − f (0, 0) = C F� · d�r. Here
�
f (0, 0) is just an integration constant (if f is a potential then so is f + c). Can also choose the
simplest curve C from (0, 0) to (x1 , y1 ).
Simplest choice: take C = portion of x-axis from (0, 0) to (x1 , 0), then vertical segment from
(x1 , 0) to (x1 , y1 ) (picture drawn).
� �
Then �
F · d�r = (4x2 + 8xy) dx + (3y 2 + 4x2 ) dy:
C C1 +C2
4 3 x1
� � x1 � �
2 4
Over C1 , 0 ≤ x ≤ x1 , y = 0, dy = 0: = (4x + 8x · 0) dx = x = x31 .
C 0 3 0 3
�1 � y1
y
(3y 2 + 4x21 ) dy = y 3 + 4x21 y 01 = y13 + 4x21 y1 .
� �
Over C2 , 0 ≤ y ≤ y1 , x = x1 , dx = 0: =
C2 0
4
So f (x1 , y1 ) = x31 + y13 + 4x21 y1 (+constant).
3
Method 2: using antiderivatives:
We want f (x, y) such that (1) fx = 4x2 + 8xy, (2) fy = 3y 2 + 4x2 .
Taking antiderivative of (1) w.r.t. x (treating y as a constant), we get f (x, y) = 43 x3 + 4x2 y+
integration constant (independent of x). The integration constant still depends on y, call it g(y).
So f (x, y) = 43 x3 + 4x2 y + g(y). Take partial w.r.t. y, to get fy = 4x2 + g � (y).
Comparing this with (2), we get g � (y) = 3y 2 , so g(y) = y 3 + c.
Plugging into above formula for f , we finally get f (x, y) = 43 x3 + 4x2 y + y 3 + c.
Curl.
Now we have: Nx = My ⇔∗ F� is a gradient field ⇔ F� is conservative: C F� · d�r = 0 for any
�
closed curve.
(*): ⇒ only holds if F� is defined everywhere, or in a “simply-connected” region – see next week.
Failure of conservativeness is given by the curl of F� :
Definition: curl(F� ) = Nx − My .
Interpretation of curl: for a velocity field, curl = (twice) angular velocity of the rotation
component of the motion.
1
2

(Ex: F� = �a, b� uniform translation, F� = �x, y� expanding motion have curl zero; whereas
F� = �−y, x� rotation at unit angular velocity has curl = 2).
For a force field, curl F� = torque exerted on a test mass, measures how F� imparts rotation motion.
Force d
For translation motion: = acceleration = (velocity).
Mass dt
Torque d
For rotation effects: = angular acceleration = (angular velocity).
Moment of inertia dt
18.02 Lecture 22. – Thu, Nov 1, 2007
Handouts: PS8 solutions, PS9, practice exams 3A and 3B.
Green’s theorem.
If C is a positively oriented closed curve enclosing a region R, then
� �� � ��
�
F · d�r = �
curl F dA which means M dx + N dy = (Nx − My ) dA.
C R C R

��
Example (reduce a complicated line integral to an easy ):
Let C = unit circle centered at (2,0), counterclockwise. R = unit disk at (2, 0). Then
� �� �� ��
−x 1 2 −x −x −x
ye dx + ( x − e ) dy = Nx − My dA = (x + e ) − e dA = x dA.
C 2 R R R
This is equal to area · x̄ = π · 2 = 2π (or by direct computation of the iterated integral). (Note:
direct calculation of the line integral would probably involve setting x = 2 + cos θ, y = sin θ, but
then calculations get really complicated.)
Application: proof of our criterion for gradient fields.
Theorem: if F� = Mı̂ + Nĵ is defined and continuously differentiable in the whole plane, then
Nx = My ⇒ F� is conservative (⇔ F� is a gradient field).
If Nx = My then by Green, C F� · d�r = R curl F� dA = R 0 dA = 0. So F� is conservative.
� �� ��

Note: this only works if F� and its curl are defined everywhere inside R. For the vector field on
PS8 Problem 2, we can’t do this if the region contains the origin – for example, the line integral
along the unit circle is non-zero even though curl(F� ) is zero wherever it’s defined.
Proof of Green’s theorem. 2 preliminary remarks:
� �� � ��
1) the theorem splits into two identities, C M dx = − R My dA and C N dy = R Nx dA.
2) additivity:
� � if theorem
� is true for R1 and R2 then it’s true for the union R �� = R1 ∪��
R2 (picture
��
shown): C = C1 + C2 (the line integrals along inner portions cancel out) and R = R1 + R2 .
� ��
Main step in the proof: prove C M dx = − R My dA for “vertically simple” regions: a < x < b,
f0 (x) < y < f1 (x). (picture drawn). This involves calculations similar to PS5 Problem 3.
LHS: break
� C into �four sides (C1 lower, C2 right vertical segment, C3 upper, C4 left vertical
segment); C2 M dx = C4 M dx = 0 since x = constant on C2 and C4 . So
� � � � b � b
= + = M (x, f0 (x)) dx − M (x, f1 (x)) dx
C C1 C3 a a
(using along C1 : parameter a ≤ x ≤ b, y = f0 (x); along C2 , x from b to a, hence − sign; y = f1 (x)).
 3

�� � b� f1 (x) � b
RHS: − My dA = − My dy dx = − (M (x, f1 (x)) − M (x, f0 (x)) dx (= LHS).
R a f0 (x) a
Finally observe:
� any region
�� R can be subdivided into �vertically simple
�� pieces (picture shown);
for each piece Ci M dx = − Ri My dA, so by additivity C M dx = − R My dA.
� ��
Similarly C N dy = R Nx dA by subdividing into horizontally simple pieces. This completes
the proof.
�
�� Example. The area of a region R can be evaluated using a line integral: for example, C x dy =
R 1dA = area(R).
This idea was used to build mechanical devices that measure area of arbitrary regions on a piece
of paper: planimeters (photo of the actual object shown, and principle explained briefly: as one
moves its arm along a closed curve, the planimeter calculates the line integral of a suitable vector
field by means of an ingenious mechanism; at the end of the motion, one reads the area).

18.02 Lecture 23. – Fri, Nov 2, 2007

Flux. The flux of a vector field F� across a plane curve C is C F� · n̂ ds, where n̂ = normal vector
�

to C, rotated 90◦ clockwise from T̂ .

We now have two types of line integrals: work, F� · T̂ ds, sums F� · T̂ = component of F� in
�

direction of C, along the curve C. Flux, F� · n̂ ds, sums F� · n̂ = component of F� perpendicular to

�
C, along the curve.
� �
If we break C into small pieces of length Δs, the flux is (F · n̂) Δsi .
i

Physical interpretation: if F� is a velocity field (e.g. flow of a fluid), flux measures how much
matter passes through C per unit time.
Look at a small portion of C: locally F� is constant, what passes through portion of C in unit
time is contents of a parallelogram with sides Δs and F� (picture shown with F� horizontal, and
portion of curve = diagonal line segment). The area of this parallelogram is Δs · height = Δs (F� · n̂).
(picture shown rotated with portion of C horizontal, at base of parallelogram). Summing these
contributions along all of C, we get that (F� · n̂) ds is the total flow through C per unit time;
�
counting positively what flows towards the right of C, negatively what flows towards the left of C,
as seen from the point of view of a point travelling along C.
Example: C = circle of radius a counterclockwise, F� = xı̂ + yĵ (picture shown): along C,
F� //n̂, and |F� | = a, so F� · n̂ = a. So
� �
�
F · n̂ ds = a ds = a length(C) = 2πa2 .
C C
Meanwhile, the flux of −yı̂ + xĵ across C is zero (field tangent to C).
That was a geometric argument. What about the general situation when calculation of the line
integral is required?
Observe: d�r = T̂ ds = �dx, dy�, and n̂ is T̂ rotated 90◦ clockwise; so n̂ ds = �dy, −dx�.
So, if F� = P ı̂ + Qĵ (using new letters to make things look different; of course we could call the
components M and N ), then
� � �
�
F · n̂ ds = �P, Q� · �dy, −dx� = −Q dx + P dy.
C C C
4

(or if F� = �M, N �, C −N dx + M dy).

�

So we can compute flux using the usual method, by expressing x, y, dx, dy in terms of a parameter
variable and substituting (no example given).

Green’s theorem for flux. If C encloses R counterclockwise, and F� = P ı̂ + Qĵ, then

� ��
F� · n̂ ds = div(F� ) dA, where div(F� ) = Px + Qy is the divergence of F� .
C R

Note: the counterclockwise orientation of C means that we count flux of F� out of R through C.
� �
Proof: �
F · n̂ ds = −Q dx + P dy. Call M = −Q and N = P , then apply usual Green’s
� C C ��
theorem M dx + N dy = (Nx − My ) dA to get
C R
� �� ��
−Q dx + P dy = (Px − (−Qy )) dA = div(F� ) dA.
C R R

This proof by “renaming” the components is�why we called the components

�� P, Q instead of M, N .
�
If we call F = �M, N � the statement becomes −N dx + M dy = (Mx + Ny ) dA.
C R

Example: in the above example (xı̂ + yĵ across circle), div F� = 2, so flux = R 2 dA =
��

2 area(R) = 2πa2 . If we translate C to a different position (not centered at origin) (picture shown)
then direct calculation of flux is harder, but total flux is still 2πa2 .
Physical interpretation: in an incompressible fluid flow, divergence measures source/sink den­
sity/rate, i.e. how much fluid is being added to the system per unit area and per unit time.