CALCULUS AND DIFFERENTIAL

EQUATIONS
quicksheets
Gradient, Divergence, and Curl

This QuickSheet illustrates how to define and evaluate the vector

operators gradient, divergence, and curl.

Gradient
The gradient of a scalar-valued function

x0

f ( x) = f x1
x
2
is defined by

f ( x)
x0


x f ( x) = f ( x)
x1


f ( x )
x2

You can compute the gradient using the Mathcad gradient operator. For
example, suppose you define the following scalar-valued function:

f ( x) := ( x0) 2 x1 ( x2) 3

To insert the gradient operator, press [Ctrl] [Shift] G:

Type the variable vector x in the lower placeholder, and type the
function f(x) in the upper placeholder.

x f ( x)

Finally, type [Ctrl] [.] to insert the symbolic equal sign and press [Enter].

2 x0 x1 ( x2) 3

x f ( x) ( x0) 2 ( x2) 3

3 x 2 x x 2
( 0) 1 ( 2)

If you define the vector x numerically, the gradient is a numerical

vector:

1
x := 3

1

6
x f ( x) = 1

9

Divergence

The divergence of a vector-valued function

A(x,y,z) = (A(x,y,z)0, A(x,y,z)1,

A(x,y,z)2)
is defined by

d d d
div ( A , x , y , z) := A ( x , y , z) 0 + A ( x , y , z) 1 + A ( x , y , z) 2
dx dy dz
This can also be written as

div = A

where =
d d d
is the "del" operator.
dx dy dz

For example, if you define

x := x

xz

A( x , y , z) := y2
2
2x y
you can evaluate the divergence symbolically by:

div ( A , x , y , z) z 2 y

After substituting values for x, y, and z, you can evaluate the

divergence numerically:

div ( A , 1 , 1 , 1) = 1

Curl
The curl of a vector-valued function A is defined by

d
A ( x , y , z) 2 d A ( x , y , z) 1
dy dz
d d
curl ( A , x , y , z) := A( x , y , z) 0 A( x , y , z) 2
dz dx
d d
dx A ( x , y , z ) 1 dy A ( x , y , z ) 0

In terms of the del operator, this can be written as

curl = A
To symbolically evaluate the curl of the function A defined previously,
use the symbolic equal sign:

2 x2

curl ( A , x , y , z) x 4 x y

0

Or, you can define values for x, y, and z, and evaluate the curl
numerically:
2
curl ( A , 1 , 1 , 1) = 3

0
Here are some more examples:

f ( x , y , z) := x y z
2 3

B ( x , y , z) := f ( x , y , z) A( x , y , z)

x 3 y z 4
B ( x , y , z ) x 2 y3 z 3

2 x 4 y2 z 3

div ( B , x , y , z) 6 x 4 y2 z 2 3 x 2 y2 z 3 + 3 x 2 y z 4

4 x 4 y z 3 + 3 x 2 y3 z 2
curl ( B , x , y , z) 4 x 3 y z 3 8 x 3 y2 z 3

x 3 z 4 2 x y3 z 3