Math 377 Winter 2018

Vector Fields

Worksheet # 1 Part 1 January 15 - 19

The problems marked with (∗) are to be attempted during the tutorial time. Students are
strongly encouraged to attempt the remaining problems on their own. Solutions to all the
problems will be available on the course’s D2L website Friday, January 19. Please report any
typos, omissions and errors to aiffam@ucalgary.ca
→
−
01. Recall that a curve C is called a field line for the vector field F , if at each point p on C,
→
−
F (p) is tangent to C at p. Find the field lines of each of the vector fields
→
−
 →
−

a. F (x, y) = 1 , 2 x b*. F (x, y) = x , −y , x > 0, y > 0
→
−
 →
−

c. F (x, y) = − 2 y , 3 x d. F (x, y, z) = 1 , 2 , 3

02*. Find the curl and

the divergence of the given vector field.
→
−
a. F (x, y, z) = x2 y z , x y 2 z , x y z 2
→
−

b. F (x, y, z) = x − cos(y z) , y − cos(x z) , z − cos(x y)
→
− x ~i + y ~j
c. F (x, y) = 2
x + y2 x2 + y 2

→ →
− − −→
−
→ − −
→ →
−
→
Compute ∇ · ∇ × F and ∇ × ∇ × F , if F (x, y, z) = x2 y z , x y 2 z , x y z 2


03.

→
−
04. Given U (x, y, z) a vector
− field with
 continuous first partial derivatives in an open region
→
E, define u(x, y, z) =  U (x, y, z). Establish the following formulas


→
− →
− →
−
−
→ 1 D−
→ ∂U − → ∂U − → ∂U E
∇ u(x, y, z) = U · , U · , U ·
u(x, y, z) ∂x ∂y ∂z
 
→
− 1 1 →
−
∇ =− 2 ∇ u(x, y, z)
u(x, y, z) u (x, y, z)

Let −→
r = x , y , z and r = |− →


05. r |. Let f (t) be a differentiable scalar function of one
→
−
variable, and F (x, y, z) = f (r) −
→
r . Show that
− −
→ → − −
→ → →
−
∇ · F (x, y, z) = r f ′ (r) + 3 f (r), and ∇ × F (x, y, z) = 0

06. Use the results of problem (05) to compute the divergence and curl of an inverse square
→
− k
vector field, i.e., F (x, y, z) = 2 hx y zi, where k, is a constant.
(x + y 2 + z 2 )3/2

1
 →
− −
→
07. Show that the vector field F is conservative in its domain and find a potential f of F .
→
−
a*. F (x, y) = 2 x cos y − y cos x , −x2 sin y − sin x


→
−
b. F (x, y, z) = 2 x y , x2 + 2 y z , 1 + y 2


→
−
c. F (x, y) = 3 x2 y + 2 x , x3 + 3 y 2


→
− 2x+y +z ~ x+2y +z ~ x+ y +2z ~
d*. F (x, y, z) = i+ j+ k
(x + y)(x + z) (x + y)(y + z) (y + z)(x + z)

08*. Find u(x, y) with continuous partial derivatives in the xy-plane, so that the vector field
−
→
F (x, y, z) = y z + x2 y 3 , x z + x3 y 2 , u(x, y) is conservative, then find its potentials.