Dr.

Dubewar A V
Vector Differentiation:
1. Gradient of a Scalar point function: If     x, y, z  be a scalar point function defined over a
  
scalar field s, then the vector function i j k is called Gradient of a scalar point
x y z
   
function  and is denoted as Grad  =  = i j k  i .
x y z x
  
Where   i j k is a vector differential operator. Geometrically  is a vector
x y z
normal to the surface.
N1  N 2
Angle between two surfaces= cos 
N1 N 2
2. Directional Derivative: If     x, y, z  be a scalar point function and a be the given vector
then the component of Grad  in the direction of a is called Directional Derivative of  in the
direction of a and is given by
Directional Derivative of     â
3. Divergence of a vector point function: If F  F1i  F2 j  F3 k be a vector point function then
the divergence of a contineously differentiable vector point function F is denoted by div F or
   F
  F & is defined as div F =   F  F1  F2  F3   i 
x y z x
4. Curl of a vector point function: If F  F1i  F2 j  F3 k be a vector point function then Curl of a
vector point function F is denoted by curl F or   F & is defined as
i j k
   F
Curl F =   F   i
x y z x
F1 F2 F3
5. Irrotational Vector Field: If curl F =0 then F is called irrotational or conservative vector field.
If F is conservative then there exist a scalar potential  such that F  
6. Solenoidal Vector Field: If Div F =0 then F is called solenoidal vector field.

Important Results:

If  and  are scalar point function, & let u , v , w be vector point function, r  x i  y j  z k
and r  r  x 2  y 2  z 2 & let C be a scalar constant, C is vector constant then.

a)          b)   u  v     u    v
c)   u  v     u    v d)   C  0
e)   C  0 f) C   0
g)   r  0 h)   r  3

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 Dr. Dubewar A V
f r  j)   C u   C   u 
i) f r   r
r
k)           l)    u      u      u
m)    u      u     u n)   u  v   u    v   v    u 
o)   u  v   u   v   u   v  v    u  v   u 
p) u  v   u    v   u   v  v   u  v    u 

Exercise:

1. Find the unit vector normal to the surface x y 3 z 2  4 at  1,1, 2

 3 1  dr
2. If r  t i   2t  2  j , show that r  k
3
(M.U. 2004)
 5t  dt
dr d 2 r
3. If r  a cos t i  a sin t j  at tan  k , prove that  2  a 2 sec 
dt dt
4. Find  if   3 x 2 y  y 3 z 2 at 1,  2,1 [Ans:  12i  9 j  16k ]
xi  yj 2 2
5. Find div F and curl F where F  2 [Ans: , 2 k] (M.U. 2000)
x  y2 x  y x  y2
2 2

6. If A   xy  yz  zx , find   A and   A [Ans: 0, 0] (M.U. 2004)

7. If F  a  r  r where a is constant vector, find curl F and prove that it is perpendicular to a .
(M.U. 2002)
8. Find the directional derivative of   x y  y z  z x at P1, 2, 1 in the direction of the normal
2 2 2 2

to the surface x 2  y 2  z 2 x  1 at Q1, 1, 1 [Ans: 4/3]

9. Find the directional derivative of   2 x 3 y  3 y 2 z at P1, 2,  1 in the direction towards
Q3,  1, 5 . In what direction from P is the directional derivative maximum? Find the magnitude
of maximum directional derivative. [Ans: -90/7; 12i  14 j  12k ; 22 ]
10. Find the directional derivative of   x  y  z at A 1,  2, 1 in the direction of AB where
4 4 4

B is 2, 6,  1 . Also find the maximum directional derivative of  at 1,  2, 1 .

(M.U. 2009)
11. Find the directional derivative of   x y  y z  z x at 1, 1,  2  in the direction of the
2 2 2 2 2 2

tangent to the curve x  e  t , y  2 sin t  1, z  t  cos t at t  0 [Ans: 2 / 6 ]

1. Find the directional derivative of   e cos yz at (0, 0, 0) in the direction of the tangent to the
2x

curve x  a sin t , y  a cos t , z  at at t   / 4 . [Ans: 1] (M.U. 2002)

x y z
2. Find the directional derivative of   x 2  y 2  z 2 in the direction of the line  
3 4 5
26
at (1, 2, 3) [Ans: 2] (M.U. 2007)
5
3. Find the directional derivative of   x 2 y cos z in the direction of the line a  2i  3 j  2k

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 Dr. Dubewar A V
at (1, 2,  / 2 ) [Ans: ] (M.U. 2013)

4. Find the acute angle between the surface x 2  y 2  z 2  9 and z  x 2  y 2  3 at 2,  1, 2 

[Ans: cos   8 / 3 21 ]

5. Find the angle between the two surfaces x 2  y 2  a z 2  6 and z  4  y 2  b x y at 1, 1, 2

[Ans: cos   6 / 11 ]
6. Find the rate of change of   xy  yz  zx at 1,  1, 2 in the direction of the normal to the
surface x 2  y 2  z  4 . [Ans: 14 / 21 ]

7. In what direction is the directional derivative of   2 xz  y 2 at 1, 3, 2  maximum? Find its

magnitude. [Ans: 2 14 ]
8. Find the rate of change of   x y 2  y z 3 at 2,  1,1 in the direction of the normal to the
surface x log z  y 2  4  0 at  1, 2, 1 [Ans: 15 / 17 ]
9. Find the angle between the normals to the surfaces x y  2 x z  4 at 2,  2, 3 and to
2

x 3  y 3  3 x y z  3 at 1, 2,  1 [Ans: cos   11 / 126 ]

10. Find the constants a and b such that the surfaces ax  2 byz  a  4  x will be orthogonal to the
2

surface 4 x 2 y  z 3  4 at 1,1, 2 . [Ans: a=5, b=1]

11. Find the constants a, b if the angle between the surfaces x 2  axz  byz  2 &
 
x 2 z  xy  y  1  z at (0, 1, 2) is cos1 1 / 3 . [Ans: a=1, b=1]
12. Find the constants a, b such that the surfaces 5 x 2  2 yz  9 x  0 & ax 2 y  bz 3  4 cut
orthogonally at (1,-1, 2) [Ans: a=4, b=1] (M.U. 2004, 11)
13. If the directional derivative of   ax  by  2 z at (1, 1, 1) is maximum in the direction of
2

i  j  k , find a &b. [Ans: a=1, b=2] (M.U. 2001)

14. If a is a constant vector such that a  a then prove that    a  r  a   a 2
(M.U. 2002,05)
15. If a is a constant vector and r  xi  yj  zk , prove that
i) div a  r   0 ii) div  a  r  a  a 2
iii) div a  r  a   2a 2 iv) curl a  r   2a (M.U. 2005,08)
16. If   x  y  z  3xyz, find (i) r   , (ii)   F ,   F where F  
3 3 3

[Ans: 3 , 6 x  y  z , 0 ] (M.U. 2003)

1 r
17. Prove that     3 .
r r
f r 
18. Prove that f r   r and hence, find f if f  2 r 4 r . (M.U. 2008)
r
19. Find  e 
r 2
[Ans: 2e r r ]
2
(M.U. 2004)
 a  r   a n a  r  r
20. Show that   n   n  (M.U. 2005)
 r  r r n2
n2
21. Prove that r  n r
n
r (M.U. 2006)

22. Prove that     F   0 where F is a vector point function. (M.U. 2000)

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 Dr. Dubewar A V
 r 2
23. Prove that       3 r (M.U. 2005)
 r r
 1 3
24. Prove that    r  3   4 (M.U. 2006)
 r  r
 1  n n  2 
25. Prove that    r  n   (M.U. 2009)
 r  r n 1
26. Prove that div grad r  n n  1 r
n n2
(M.U. 2004)
 a  r  2  n  a n a  r  r
27. Prove that    n    (M.U. 2002, 03, 05,09)
 r  rn r n2
a  r  r
28. Prove that  log r  2 and hence, show that    a   log r   2
r
, where a is a
r r4
constant vector. (M.U. 2000)
r
29. Prove that F  3 is both irrotational and solenoidal. (M.U. 2002, 04)
r
30. Find a, b, c if F  axy  bz 3  i  3 x 2  cz  j  3 xz 2  y  k is irrotational. (M.U.1999,2005)
[Ans: 6, 1, 1]
31. Prove that F  x  2 y  az  i  bx  3 y  z  j  4 x  cy  2 z  k is solenoidal and determine the
constants a, b, c if F is irrotational. [Ans: 4, 2, -1] (M.U.2000,04)
r
32. Show that F  2 is irrotational. Find  such that F   where r  xi  yj  zk
r
1

[Ans:  log x 2  y 2  z 2 ]
2
 (M.U. 2004)


33. A vector field F is given by F   y sin z  sin x  i   x sin z  2 yz  j  xy cos z  y k Prove that
2

it is irrotational and hence, find its scalar potential. [Ans:   xy sin z  cos x  y 2 z ]
34. A vector field is given by F  x 2  xy 2  i   y 2  x 2 y  j . Show that F irrotational and find its
x3 y3 x2 y 2
scalar potential. [Ans:     ] (M.U. 2004)
3 3 2
35. If    y 2  2 xyz 3  i  3  2 xy  x 2 z 3  j  6 z 3  3 x 2 yz 2  k , find  where  1, 0, 1  8
3 3
[Ans: xy 2  x 2 yz 3  3 y  z  ] (M.U. 2005)
2 2
d 2 f 2 df
36. Prove that  2
f r    (M.U. 2003)
dr 2 r dr
6
37. Show that  4 r 2 log r  2
r
1
38. Prove that  2 r n  n n  1 r n  2 and hence, deduce that  2    0 (M.U. 2003)
r
 r  2
39. With usual notation, prove that  2   2   4 (M.U. 2001, 03, 05)
 r  r
40. Find  r  such that   5 and  1  0
r
(M.U. 2010)
r
41. Find the value of n for which the vector r r is solenoidal, where r  x i  y j  z k (M.U. 2011)
n

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 Dr. Dubewar A V
 f r   1 d 2
42. Prove that    r  2    
r f r  hence or otherwise prove that div r n r  n  3 r n
 r  r dr
(M.U. 2012)
43. Show that F   y  z  3 y z  2 x  i  3 x z  2 x y  j  3 x y  2 x z  2 z  k is both solenoidal &
2 2

irrotational. (M.U. 2012)

44. If r  x i  y j  z k and a , b are constant vectors, prove that (M.U. 2007)
 1
a   b     3
a  r  b  r   a  b
 r r5 r3
45. If r is the position vector of point x, y, z  and r is the modulus of r , then prove that r r is an
n

irrotational vector for any value of n but solenoidal only if n  3 .

46. If f   x  y  1i  j   x  y  k , prove that f  curl f  0