VECTOR CALCULUS

1. GRADIENT OF A SCALAR
2. DIVERGENCE OF A VECTOR
3. DIVERGENCE THEOREM
4. CURL OF A VECTOR

Dr. ANANT KUMAR SINHA

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
DEPTT. OF PHYSICS
A.M. COLLEGE, GAYA
 1. GRADIENT OF A
SCALAR
Suppose T1 x, y, z is the temperature at P1x, y, z ,
and T2 x  dx, y  dy, z  dz  is the temperature at P2
as shown.
GRADIENT OF A SCALAR (Cont’d)

The differential distances dx, dy, dz are the

components of the differential distance
vector dL :
dL  dxax  dya y  dzaz
However, from differential calculus, the
differential temperature:
T T T
dT  T2  T1  dx  dy  dz
x y z
GRADIENT OF A SCALAR (Cont’d)

But, dx  dL ax
dy  dL a y
dz  dL az
So, previous equation can be rewritten as:

T T T
dT  a x  dL  a y  dL  a z  dL
x y z
 T T T 
  ax  ay  a z  dL
 x y z 
GRADIENT OF A SCALAR (Cont’d)

The vector inside square brackets defines the

change of temperature dT corresponding to a
vector change in position dL .
This vector is called Gradient of Scalar T.

For Cartesian coordinate:

V  V V
V  ax ay  az
x y z
GRADIENT OF A SCALAR (Cont’d)

For Circular cylindrical coordinate:

V 1 V V
V  a  a  az
   z
For Spherical coordinate:

V  1 V 1 V
V  a r a  a
r r  r sin  
EXAMPLE
1

Find gradient of these scalars:

z
(a) V  e sin 2x cosh y

(a) U   z cos 2
2

(b) W  10r sin  cos

2
 SOLUTION TO EXAMPLE 1

(a) Use gradient for Cartesian coordinate:

V  V V
V  a x ay  az
x y z
 2e z cos 2x cosh yax  e z sin 2x sinh ya y
 e z sin 2x cosh yaz
 SOLUTION TO EXAMPLE 1
(Cont’ d)

(b) Use gradient for Circular cylindrical

coordinate:

U 1 U U
U  a  a  az
   z
 2z cos2a  2z sin 2a
  2 cos2az
 SOLUTION TO EXAMPLE 1
(Cont’ d)

(c) Use gradient for Spherical coordinate:

W  1 W 1 W
W  ar a  a
r r  r sin  
 10sin2  cosar  10sin 2 cosa
10sin  sina
1.DIVERGENCE OF A VECTOR

Illustration of the divergence of a vector

field at point P:

Positive Negative Zero

Divergence Divergence Divergence
DIVERGENCE OF A VECTOR
(Cont’ d)

The divergence of A at a given point P

is the outward flux per unit volume:

 A  dS
div A    A  lim s
v0 v
DIVERGENCE OF A VECTOR
(Cont’ d)

What is  A dS ?? Vector field A at

closed surface S
s
DIVERGENCE OF A VECTOR
(Cont’ d)
Where,
 
 A  dS              A dS
s  front back left right top bottom 
And, v is volume enclosed by surface S
 DIVERGENCE OF A VECTOR
(Cont’ d)
For Cartesian coordinate:

Ax  Ay  Az

A
x y z
For Circular cylindrical coordinate:

1  1 A  Az
 A  A 
    z
 DIVERGENCE OF A VECTOR
(Cont’ d)
For Spherical coordinate:

1  A  sin 
1  2
 A  2
r r
 
r Ar 
r sin  

1 A
r sin  
EXAMPLE
1

Find divergence of these vectors:

(a) P  x yzax  xzaz

2

(b) Q   sina   2 za  z cosaz

1
(c) W  2 cos  a r  r s i n  cos  a   c o s  a 
r
 SOLUTION TO EXAMPLE 1

(a) Use divergence for Cartesian

coordinate:

Px  Py  Pz

  P
x y z
  
 2  
x yz  0  xz 
x y z
 2xyz  x

18
 SOLUTION TO EXAMPLE 1
(Cont’ d)

(b) Use divergence for Circular cylindrical

coordinate:
1  1 Q Qz
Q  Q  
    z

 
1  2
 

 sin   
1  2
 

 z  z cos 
z
 2sin  cos
 SOLUTION TO EXAMPLE 1
(Cont’ d)

(c) Use divergence for Spherical coordinate:

1 W  sin 
1  2
r r
 
 W  2 r Wr 
r sin  

1 W
r sin  
1 
 2 cos 
r r
1 
r sin 
rsin2  cos 
1 
 cos 
r sin 
 2cos cos
1. DIVERGENCE THEOREM

It states that the total outward flux of

a vector field A at the closed surface S
is the same as volume integral of
divergence of A.

 A  dS     AdV
V V
EXAMPLE
1

A vector field D   3a exists in the region
between two concentric cylindrical surfaces
defined by ρ = 1 and ρ = 2, with both cylinders
extending between z = 0 and z = 5. Verify the
divergence theorem by evaluating:

(a)  D  ds
S

(b)   DdV
V
SOLUTION TO EXAMPLE 1

(a) For two concentric cylinder, the left side:

 D  dS  Dinner  Douter  Dbottom  Dtop

S
Where,
2 5
Dinner     3a  ddz(a )
 1
 0 z0
2 5
     4a  ddz(a )
 1
 10
 0 z0
 SOLUTION TO EXAMPLE 1
Cont’ d)
2 5
Douter     3a  ddz(a )
 2
 0 z0
2 5
    4a ddz(a )
 2
160
 0 z 0
2 2
Dbottom     3a  dd (az )
z0
0
 1 0
2 2
Dtop     3a  dd (az )
z5
0
 1 0
SOLUTION TO EXAMPLE 1
Cont’ d)

Therefore

 D  dS  10  160  0  0
S
 150
 SOLUTION TO EXAMPLE 1
Cont’ d)
(b) For the right side of Divergence Theorem,
evaluate divergence of D

D
1 
 
 
 3  4  2
5 2 2
So,      DdV     dddz
4  2

z 0  0  1

 2 
5 
 4 2   
    150

   r 1   0  z0 
 
 1. CURL OF A VECTOR

The curl of vector A is an axial

(rotational) vector whose magnitude is
the maximum circulation of A per unit
area tends to zero and whose direction
is the normal direction of the area
when the area is oriented so as to
make the circulation maximum.
CURL OF A VECTOR (Cont’d)


  A  dl 
Curl A    A   lim s an max
 s0 s 
 
Where,
 
 A  dl          A dl
s  ab bc cd da 
CURL OF A VECTOR (Cont’d)

The curl of the vector field is concerned

with rotation of the vector field. Rotation
can be used to measure the uniformity
of the field, the more non uniform the
field, the larger value of curl.
 CURL OF A VECTOR (Cont’d)

For Cartesian coordinate:

ax ay az
  
 A 
x y z
Ax Ay Az

Az  Ay 
 A  
Az  Ax a Ay  Ax 
 ax x z 
y  x  az
 y z   y 
CURL OF A VECTOR (Cont’d)

For Circular cylindrical coordinate:

a a  az
1   
 A 
   z
A A Az
 1 Az A  Az A 
 A     a    a
   z    z 
1   A  A 
    az
    
 CURL OF A VECTOR (Cont’d)

For Spherical coordinate:

ar a a
1   
 A 2
r sin r  
Ar rA r sin A
 A  1   sin A  A  1 1 Ar  rA 
 a r    a
r sin      r  sin  r 
1  (rA )   Ar 
  a
r  r  
EXAMPLE
1

Find curl of these vectors:

(a) P  x yzax  xzaz

2

(b) Q   sina   2 za  z cosaz

1
(c) W  2 cos  a r  r s i n  cos  a   c o s  a 
r
 SOLUTION TO EXAMPLE 1

(a) Use curl for Cartesian coordinate:

Pz  Py   Pz  Px  a  Py  Px 

 P    ax   y   az
 y z   x z   x y 
   
 0  0 a x  x 2 y  z a y  0  x 2 z a z

 
 x 2 y  z a y  x 2 za z
 SOLUTION TO EXAMPLE 1
(Cont’ d)

(b) Use curl for Circular cylindrical coordinate

 1 Qz Q   Q   Qz  1   Q  Q 

 Q     
a   a     az
   z   z     x y 
z 
 sin    2 a   0  0a
  
1

 3  2 z   cos  a z



1

 
z sin    3 a   3 z  cos  a z
 SOLUTION TO EXAMPLE 1
(Cont’ d)

(c) Use curl for Spherical coordinate:

 W  1  sin W  W  1  1 Wr rW 

ar    a
r sin     r  sin  r 
1  (rW ) Wr 
   a
r  r  
 cos 2  
 
 1  cos sin   r sin cos ar  1  1  r   r cos a

r sin      r  sin  r 
 

 cos 2 
 1  (r sin cos )  
2
r  a

r r  
 
SOLUTION TO EXAMPLE 1
(Cont’ d)
1
 cos 2  r sin sin ar  1 0  cosa
rsin r
sin 
r  2r sin cos  2 a
1
 r 
 cos2   cos
  sin a r a
 r sin  r

 2cos  3 sina
 1
 r 