1

1.1

Gradient, Divergence, Curl, and Laplacian

Cartesian Coordinates (x, y, z)
V
V
V
a
x +
a
y +
a
z
x
y
z
~ = Ax + Ay + Az
A
x
y
z

y a
z
x a

~=
A
x y z
A A A
V =

2 V =

1.2

x
2
V

x2

2V
y 2

(2)
(3)

2V
z 2

(4)

Cylindrical Coordinates (, , z)
V
1 V
V
a
+
a
+
a
z

z
~ = 1 (A ) + 1 A + Az
A


z

a a
z
1

~
A =

A A Az

1
V
1 2V
2V
2
V =

+ 2
+

2
z 2
V =

1.3

(1)

(5)
(6)
(7)

(8)

Spherical Coordinates (r, , )

V
1 V
1 V
a
r +
a
+
a

r
r
r sin
~ = 1 (r2 Ar ) + 1 (sin A ) + 1 A
A
r2 r
r sin
r sin

r
a
r
sin

r
1

~=

r2 sin r
Ar rA r sin A

1
1

V
1
2V
2
2 V
V = 2
r
+ 2
sin
+ 2 2
r r
r
r sin

r sin 2
V =

(9)
(10)
(11)

(12)

Useful Vector Identities

~ (B
~ C)
~ =B
~ (C
~ A)
~ =C
~ (A
~ B)
~
A
~ (B
~ C)
~ = B(
~ A
~ C)
~ C(
~ A
~ B)
~
A

(13)

~ B)
~ (C
~ D)
~ = (A
~ C)(
~ B
~ D)
~ (A
~ D)(
~ B
~ C)
~
(A

(15)

(V ) = V + V
~ = A
~ + A
~
( A)
~ = A
~ + A
~
( A)
~ B)
~ =B
~ ( A)
~ A
~ ( B)
~
(A
~ B)
~ = A(
~
~ B(
~
~ + (B
~ )A
~ (A
~ )B
~
(A
B)
A)
~ B)
~ = (A
~ )B
~ + (B
~ )A
~+A
~ ( B)
~ +B
~ ( A)
~
(A
V = 0
~ =0
( A)

(20)
(21)

(24)
(25)

~
~ dl
A

(26)

~ =
~ ds
A
{

~ dv
A

(27)

~ =
ds

dv
V

~ =
dl
C

~
ds

(28)
(29)

~ =
ds

+ 2 dv

(30)

y
{

~
2 2 dv =
( ) ds
V

~B
~ A
~ B)dv
~
( A
=

(19)

(18)

(17)

(23)

~ =
~ ds
A

(16)

(22)

~ = ( A)
~ 2 A
~
A
y
{
~
~ dv =
~ ds
A
A
V

(14)

S
{

(31)

~
~ B)
~ ds
(A

(32)

~
~B
~ B
~ A)
~ ds
(A

(33)

~ A
~A
~ B)dv
~
(B
=

{
S

1
~r ~r0
~r ~r0
=

= 4(~r ~r0 )
(34)
|~r ~r0 |
|~r ~r0 |3
|~r ~r0 |3
~
~
dA
A
d~r
~ ~v (A
~ ~v )
=
+ A
~v =
= velocity
dt
t
dt
(35)

2 (V ) = 2 V + V 2 + 2V

(36)

The Taylor series expansion of a function (~r) is:

1
1
(~r + ~h) = (~r) + (~h )(~r) + (~h )2 (~r) + . . . + (~h )n (~r) + . . .
2!
n!
f (x + h) = f (x) + h

d
h 2 d2
hn dn
f (x) +
f
(x)
+
.
.
.
+
f (x) + . . .
dx
2! dx2
n! dxn

(37)
(38)