Derivation of the Laplace-Operator: Derivation of

Coordinates by Partial Derivative

Dr_math2010@hotmail.com
Ahmed.S.Arife
Tel: +20102958263
Abstract :
The Laplace operator is a second order differential operator often used in
theoretical physics applications. We wish to find a method to derive coordinates by
partial derivative using the Laplace operator. I will discuss curvelinear coordination in
the following chapters :
1- Cartesian Coordinates ( x , y , z)
2- Polarity Coordinates ( r, )
3- Cylindrical Coordinates ( , , z)
4- Spherical Coordinates ( r , , )
5- Parabolic Coordinates ( u, v , )
6- Parabolic Cylindrical Coordinates (u , v , z)
7- Curvilinear Coordinates, this general coordination
And we can use this coordination to derive more Laplace operators in any coordinates.
The question is, why is the Laplace operator used in more application in physics
electricity, and in wave functions
1
, for example,
A wave function can be written,

Now we can derive the wave function,
The last equation can give,
( ) ( ) x ct x ct = + +
( ) ( ) ( ( ) ( )) x ct x ct c x ct x ct
x t



= + + = +

2 2
2
2 2
( ) ( ) ( ( ) ( )) x ct x ct c x ct x ct
x t



= + + = + +

2 2
2 2 2
1
x c t

=

In x,y,z coordinates,
where the Laplace operator gives in 3D x,y,z :
In the quantum mechanical and Schrdinger equation,
And we can write d'Alembertian in spacetime :
some propertities of crul:
And the properties of the divergence:
What the Laplace operator in Cartestian coordination
The is given by
And the
2
=
2 2 2 2
2 2 2 2 2
1
0
x y y c t

+ + =

2 2 2
2
2 2 2
y y y

= + +

2
2
[ ( )]
2
i V x
t m

= +

h
h
2
2
2 2
1
c t

2
1 ( ) ( )
2 ( ) ( )
( )
3 ( )
kA k A
fA f A f A
A f A f A
f f
=
= +

=
2
1 ( ) ( )
2 ( ) ( )
( )
3 ( )
4 ( ) ( ) ( )
kA k A
fA f A f A
A f A f A
f f
A B B A A B
=
= +

=
=

i j k
x y z

= + +

2 2 2
2 2 2
( ) ( ) i j k i j k
x y z x y z x y z

= + + + + = + +


Laplace operator derivative by partial derivation:
The Laplace operator is given by
2
V where V is the function in x,y
I will assume the function V in x,y, derivative of Laplace in polar coordinates ( r, )
By partial derivation,
And the same in ,
We can solve the 2 equations by matrix operator or any methods given that,
and in they dimension
( , ) cos sin V V x y x r y r = = =
cos sin
V V x V y
r x r y r
V V V
r x y


= +


= +

sin cos
V V x V y
x y
V V V y
r r
x y r

= +


= +

sin sin
cos cos
V V V
x r r x r r




= =

cos cos
sin sin
V V V
y r r x r r




= + = +

2
2
sin sin
(cos ) (cos )
V V V
x r r r r




=

2
2
sin sin sin
(cos (cos ) (cos ))
V V V V V
x r r r r r r




=

2
2
sin sin sin sin
(cos cos cos cos
V V V V V
x r r r r r r r r




= +

And in the y dimension
The same algbera derivative gives,
By addition, gives Laplace in x,y
Laplace in r,
Cylindrical Coordinates ( , , z)
The same method can we derive the Laplace operator in cylindrical coordinates
By partial derivative
And the same in :
2
2 2 2 2
2
2 2 2 2 2
cos sin sin cos sin sin
cos 2 2
V V V V V V
x r r r r r r r

= + + +

2
2
cos cos
(sin ) (sin )
V V V
y r r r r




= +

2
2 2 2 2
2
2 2 2 2 2
cos sin sin cos cos cos
sin 2 2
V V V V V V
y r r r r r r r

= + + +

2 2 2 2
2 2 2 2 2
1 1 V V V V V
x y r r r r

+ = + +

2
2
2
1 1
( )
V V
V r
r r r r

= +

( , , ) cos sin V V x y z x y z z = = = =
cos sin
V V x V y V z
x y z
V V V y
r y




= + +


= +

sin cos
V V x V y V z
x y z
V V V
x y

= + +


= +

And the same in z
By the same method in r, can derivative in , , z in the last give :
Spherical Coordinates
Derivative by Walton 1967, Arfken 1985, it is called the Spherical Coordinates
By partial derivative
V V x V y V z
z x z y z z z
V V
z z

= + +


=

2 2
2
2 2
1 1
( )
V V V
V
z

= + +

( , , ) cos sin sin sin cos x y z x r y r z r = = = =
cos sin sin sin cos
x y y
r x r y r y r
r x y y




= + +


= + +

We can solve the system liner equation 1,2,3 by matrix inverse methods which give
By matrix properties, gives the inverse,
By algebra solving the detriment A give
sin sin sin sin
x y y
x y y
r r
x y

= + +


= +

cos cos sin cos sin
x y y
x y y
r r r
r x y y





= + +


= +

cos sin sin sin cos
1
sin sin cos sin 0
cos cos sin sin sin
1
r x
r y
r
z

| | | |
| |

| | | |

| | |
=
| | |

|
| |

\

| |
| |

\ \
1
1
t
A A
DetA

=
%
cos sin sin sin cos
sin sin cos sin 0
cos cos sin sin sin
A



(
(
=
(
(

sin DetA =
2
2
2
cos sin sin cos sin cos
sin sin cos sin sin cos
sin cos 0 sin
t
A



| |
|
=
|
|

\
%
The inverse matrix gives,
Now we can find the equation solution by matrix
Gasiorowicz 1974, pp. 167-168; Arfken 1985, p. 108
1
sin
cos sin cos cos
sin
cos
sin sin sin cos
sin
cos 0 sin
A

| |

|
|
|
=
|
|
|
|
\
sin
cos sin cos cos
sin
cos 1
sin sin sin cos
sin
1
cos 0 sin
x r
y r
r
z

| |
| | | |

|
| |

|
| |
|
| |
=
|
| |

|
| |

|
| |
| |
|

\ \
\
sin cos cos
cos sin
sin x r r r




= +

cos sin cos
sin sin
sin y r r r




= + +

sin
cos
x r r