VECTOR CALCULUS SOLUTIONS

1.) Gradient
Position vector:
𝒓 = 𝑥𝒊 + 𝑦𝒋 + 𝑧𝒌
𝑟 = |𝒓| = √𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2
Equation a:
𝜑(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) = 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2
𝜕𝜑 𝜕𝜑 𝜕𝜑
𝛁𝜑 = 𝒊+ 𝒋+ 𝒌
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
𝜕 2 𝜕 2 𝜕
𝛁𝜑 = (𝑥 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )𝒊 + (𝑥 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )𝒋 + (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )𝒌
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
𝛁𝜑 = (2𝑥 + 0 + 0)𝒊 + (0 + 2𝑦 + 0)𝒋 + (0 + 0 + 2𝑧)𝒌
𝛁𝜑 = 2𝑥𝒊 + 2𝑦𝒋 + 2𝑧𝒌
Write in terms of the position vector:
𝜑(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) = 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 = 𝑟 2
𝛁𝜑 = 2𝑥𝒊 + 2𝑦𝒋 + 2𝑧𝒌 = 2(𝑥𝒊 + 𝑦𝒋 + 𝑧𝒌) = 2𝒓
Therefore:
𝛁𝑟 2 = 2𝒓

Equation b:
1
𝜑(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) =
√𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2
𝜕𝜑 𝜕𝜑 𝜕𝜑
𝛁𝜑 = 𝒊+ 𝒋+ 𝒌
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
𝜕 1 𝜕 1 𝜕 1
𝛁𝜑 = ( )𝒊 + ( )𝒋 + ( )𝒌
𝜕𝑥 √𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 𝜕𝑦 √𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 𝜕𝑧 √𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2
𝑥 𝑦 𝑧
𝛁𝜑 = − 3𝒊− 3𝒋 − 3𝒌
(𝑥 2 + 𝑦2 + 2
𝑧 )2 (𝑥 2 + 𝑦2 + 2
𝑧 )2 (𝑥 2 + 𝑦2 + 2
𝑧 )2
Write in terms of position vector:
1 1
𝜑(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) = =
√𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 𝑟
𝑥 𝑦 𝑧
𝛁𝜑 = − 3𝒊− 3𝒋 − 3𝒌
(𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )2 (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )2 (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )2

1 1 𝒓
𝛁𝜑 = (− 3)
(𝑥𝒊 + 𝑦𝒋 + 𝑧𝒌) = − 3
(𝒓) = − 3
(𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑟 𝑟
𝑧 2 )2
Therefore:
1 𝒓
𝛁( ) = − 3
𝑟 𝑟

2.) Divergence
𝜕𝐹1 𝜕𝐹2 𝜕𝐹3
𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑭 = 𝐹1 𝒊 + 𝐹2 𝒋 + 𝐹3 𝒌, 𝛁∙𝐅= + +
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
Equation a:
𝑭 = 𝑥𝑦𝒊 + 𝑦𝑧𝒋 + 𝑧𝑥𝒌
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
𝛁∙𝐅= 𝑥𝑦 + 𝑦𝑧 + 𝑧𝑥
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧

𝛁∙𝐅=y+z+x

𝛁∙𝐅=x+y+z

Equation b:
𝑭 = 𝑦𝑧𝒊 + 𝑥𝑧𝒋 + 𝑥𝑦𝒌
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
𝛁∙𝐅= 𝑦𝑧 + 𝑥𝑧 + 𝑥𝑦
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧
𝛁∙𝐅= 0
 3.) Curl

𝒊 𝒋 𝒌
𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑭 = 𝐹1 𝒊 + 𝐹2 𝒋 + 𝐹3 𝒌, 𝛁 × 𝐅 = |𝜕/𝜕𝑥 𝜕/𝜕𝑦 𝜕/𝜕𝑧|
𝐹1 𝐹2 𝐹3

𝜕𝐹3 𝜕𝐹2 𝜕𝐹1 𝜕𝐹3 𝜕𝐹2 𝜕𝐹1

𝛁×𝐅= ( − )𝒊 + ( − )𝒋+ ( − )𝒌
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
Equation a:
𝑭 = 𝑥𝑦𝒊 + 𝑦𝑧𝒋 + 𝑧𝑥𝒌
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
𝛁 × 𝐅 = ( 𝑧𝑥 − 𝑦𝑧) 𝒊 + ( 𝑥𝑦 − 𝑧𝑥) 𝒋 + ( 𝑦𝑧 − 𝑥𝑦) 𝒌
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
𝛁 × 𝐅 = (0 − 𝑦 ) 𝒊 + ( 0 − 𝑧 ) 𝒋 + (0 − 𝑥 )𝒌
𝛁 × 𝐅 = −y𝒊 − 𝑧𝒋 − 𝑥𝒌

Equation b:
𝑭 = 𝑦𝑧𝒊 + 𝑥𝑧𝒋 + 𝑥𝑦𝒌
𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕 𝜕
𝛁 × 𝐅 = ( 𝑥𝑦 − 𝑥𝑧) 𝒊 + ( 𝑦𝑧 − 𝑥𝑦) 𝒋 + ( 𝑥𝑧 − 𝑦𝑧) 𝒌
𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑧 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
𝛁 × 𝐅 = (𝑥 − 𝑥 ) 𝒊 + ( 𝑦 − 𝑦 ) 𝒋 + ( 𝑧 − 𝑧 )𝒌
𝛁×𝐅= 0

Equation c:
𝜕𝐹2 𝜕𝐹1
𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑭 = 𝐹1 𝒊 + 𝐹2 𝒋, 𝛁×𝐅= ( − )𝒌
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
𝒖 = 𝑢1 (𝑥, 𝑦)𝒊 + 𝑢2 (𝑥, 𝑦)𝒋
𝜕𝑢2 (𝑥, 𝑦) 𝜕𝑢1 (𝑥, 𝑦)
𝝎= 𝛁×𝒖= ( − )𝒌
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
𝝎 = 𝜔3 (𝑥, 𝑦)𝒌
𝜕𝑢2 𝜕𝑢1
𝜔3 = −
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑦
 4.) Laplacian
𝜕2 𝑓 𝜕2𝑓 𝜕 2𝑓
∇2 𝑓 = 𝛁 ∙ (𝛁𝑓 ) = + +
𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑦 2 𝜕𝑧 2

𝑟 = √𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2
12
𝜕2 1 𝜕2 1 𝜕2 1
∇ = 2( )+ 2( )+ 2( )
𝑟 𝜕𝑥 √𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 𝜕𝑦 √𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 𝜕𝑧 √𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2
𝜕 2 1 1 3 3
(𝑥 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )−2 = − (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )−2 (2𝑥 ) = −𝑥(𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )−2
𝜕𝑥 2
𝜕2 2 2
1
2 −2
𝜕 2 2
3
2 )−2 )
(𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧 ) = (−𝑥 ( 𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧
𝜕𝑥 2 𝜕𝑥
𝜕2 2 2
1
2 −2
3 2 2
5
2 )−2 ( 2 2
3
2 )−2
(𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧 ) = ( −𝑥 ) (− ( 𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧 2𝑥 ) ) + ( 𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧 (−1)
𝜕𝑥 2 2
𝜕2 2 2
1
2 −2 2( 2 2
5
2 )−2 2 2
3
2 )−2
(𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧 ) = 3𝑥 𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧 − ( 𝑥 + 𝑦 + 𝑧
𝜕𝑥 2
Find the derivatives of y and z using the derivative of x:

1
2
3𝑥 2 1 3𝑦 2 1
∇ =( 5− 3) + ( 5− 3)
𝑟 (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )2 ( 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )2
( 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )2 (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )2

3𝑧 2 1
+( 5 − 3)
(𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )2 ( 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )2

1 3𝑥 2 + 3𝑦 2 + 3𝑧 2
2
3
∇ = 5 − 3
𝑟 ( 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 ) 2 ( 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )2
1 3(𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )
2
3
∇ = 5 − 3
𝑟 ( 2
𝑥 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )2 (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 ) 2
1 3 3
∇2 = 3− 3
𝑟 (
𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )2 (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 )2
1
∇2 = 0, 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑟 ≠ 0
𝑟