Tensors

Part C Tensor
Calculus
2C1
Tensor-valued functions of a tensor
Let T=T(t) be a tensor-value function of a scalar t.
T t t T t
dT
lim
dt t 0
t

d
dT dS
T S
dt
dt dt
d
d
dT
t T
T

dt
dt
dt
d
dT
dS
TS S T
dt
dt
dt

d
dT
da
Ta a T
dt
dt
dt
d T
dT
T

dt
dt

Show that:

Tensors
d
dT
da
Ta a T
dt

dt

dt

T t t a t t T t a t
d
Ta lim
t 0
dt
t

T t t a t t T t a t t T t a t t T t a t
lim
t 0
t
T t t T t
a t t a t
lim
a t t lim T t
t 0
t 0
t
t

dT
da

aT
dt
dt

Tensors
Example 2C1.1:
Show that in Cartesian coordinates the components of dT/dt, i.e., (dT/dt)ij
are given by the derivatives of the components, dTij/dt.

Solution:
Tij ei Te j
de1 de 2 de3

0
dt
dt
dt

dTij

d
dT
dT
ei Te j ei e j

dt
dt
dt
dt ij

Tensors
Example 2C1.2:
Show that for an orthogonal tensor Q(t), (dQ/dt)QT is antisymmetric tensor.

solution: T
QQ I
dQT dQ T
Q

Q 0
dt
dt
dQ T
dQ T
Q

Q
dt
dt
T

dQ dQ T
Q
Q

dt
dt

d Q T dQ T
dQ
Q
Q
Q

dt
dt
dt

dQ T

Q
dt

Tensors
Example 2C1.3:
A time-dependent rigid body rotation about a fixed point can be represented by a
rotation tensor R(t), so that a position vector r0 is transformed through rotation
into r(t)=R(t)r0. Derive the equation

dr
r
dt

dR T
R

Where
is the dual vector of the asymmetric tensor dt
.

Solution:
r (t ) R (t )r0

dR T is an antisymmetric tensor
R
dt

dr dR
dR T

r0
R rr

dt
dt
dt

dR T
R
is the dual vector of
dt

Tensors
2C2 Scalar Field, Gradient of a Scalar Function
Let r be a scalar-valued function of the position vector

r.
The gradient of at a point r is defined to be vector, denoted by grad or
For the gradient of a scalar, its magnitude is the maximum rate of change at the
point; its direction is along the direction where maximum rate of change ocuurs.

Temperature field

One can obtain the following temperatures after the

measurement

T(P)
10

Radius l

T(P1) T(P2) T(P3) T(P4) T(P5)

9.98

9.96

9.94

10.05

T ( Pi ) T ( P )
T |P max
l
r
T ( P5 ) T ( P)
T | P
PP 5
l

10.07

Tensors
Mathematical definition of gradient
The gradient of scalar field V(x,y,z) at point P0(x0,y0,z0) can be represented as

V ( x, y, z )
V V ( x, y, z ) V ( x0 , y0 , z0 )
( x x0 )
x
P0
V ( x, y, z )
V ( x, y, z )

( y y0 )
( z z0 )
y
z
P0
P0
v
v
v
V ( x, y, z ) v V ( x, y, z ) v V ( x, y, z ) v
V
i
j
k (xi yj zk )
x
y
z

v v v
V V V ( x, y, z ) v V ( x, y , z ) v V ( x, y , z ) v

i
j
k l0 V l0
l
l
x
y
z
7

Tensors
d r dr r dr
dr denotes the magnitude of dr
e is the unit vector in the direction of dr (note: e=dr/dr)
d
e
dr
In the Cartesian coordinate system (e1, e2, e3)

e1 1

e1
e2
e3
dr e1 x1
x1
x2
x3

d
e 2 2

dr e2 x2

d
e3 3

Surface of
dr e3 x3
constant

Tensors
Example 2C2.1:
If x1 x2 x3 , find a unit vector n normal to the surface of a constant
passing through (2,1,0).

Solution:

e1
e2
e3 x2e1 x1e 2 e3
x1
x2
x3
At the point (2,1,0),

e1 2e 2 e3
1
n
e1 2e2 e3
6

Tensors
Example 2C2.2:
If q denotes the heat flux vector (rate of heat flow/area), the Fourier heat
conduction law states that:

q k T

2
2
where T is the temperature field and k is the thermal conductivity. If T 2 x1 x2
find T at A(1,0) and B(1/ 2 1/
, 2 ). Sketch curves of constant T and indicate the
vectors q at the two points.

Solutions:
T
T
T
T
e1
e2
e3 4 x1e1 4 x2e 2
x1
x2
x3
q 4k x1e1 x2e 2
T 2
q A 4ke1
At point A,
q B 2 2k e1 e 2
At point B,

x2

qB
B
qA

A
T 1

x1

Tensors
Example 2C2.3:
A more general heat conduction law can be given in the following form:

q K T

Where K is a tensor known as thermal conductivity tensor.

a). If it is known that K is symmetric, show that there are at least three directions
in which heat flow is normal to the surface of constant temperature.
b). If T=2x1+3x2 and
2 1
K 1 2
0 0

find q.

Solution:
1

0
0
3

Kni ki ni

Note that T T n1

q1 KT K T n1 T Kn1 k1 T n1

Tensors
2 T=2x1+3x2
x2

T 2e1 3e 2
2 1
1 2
q

0 0

0
0
3

2 1
3 4

0 0

q 1e1 4e 2

x1
T 2

T 4

Tensors

2C3 Vector Field, Gradient of a Vector Field

Let v(r) be a vector-valued function of position r.
The gradient of v ( denoted byv or grad v) is defined to be the second-order
tensor which, when operating on dr gives the difference of v at r+dr and r.

dv v r dr v r v dr
Let dr denotes |dr| and e denote dr/dr

dv
v e
dr e
v Transforms the unit vector e into the vector describing the rate of change v in
that direction.

Tensors
v
dv
v e1

dr e1 x1
In the Cartesian coordinate system (e1, e2, e3),

v 11 e1 v e1 e1 e1 v
x1 x1

v1

x1

v
dv
v e j

dr e j x j

v ij

v
ei v e j ei
x j

ei v
x j

vi

x j

Tensors
2C4 Divergence of a Vector Field
Let v(r) be a vector field. The divergence of v(r) is defined to be a scalar field
given by the trace of the gradient of v.

divv tr v
In the Cartesian coordinate system (e1, e2, e3),

v1 v2 v3 vm
divv

x1 x2 x3 xm

Tensors

Definition of Flux

V ( x , y , z ) dS
S

v
v

V ( x, y, z ) dS
S

Closed surface

v
gVd

Gauss Law

Tensors
2C4 Divergence of a
Tensor
Let T(r) be aField
second-order tensor. The divergence of T is defined to be a
vector field (div T), such that for any vector a

divT a

div TT a -tr TT a

In the Cartesian coordinate system (e1, e2, e3), let b=div T,

bi b ei div T ei -tr T
T

ei div Time m

Tim
div T
ei
xm

Tim
0
xm

Tensors
Example 2C4.1:
If r and a a r
Show that: div a div a a
Solution:

The bi ai
n
bi
ai

ai div a a
an div b
xi
xi xi
d
Letb a

Tensors
Example 2C4.2:
T r
Given r
Show that: div T T divT

Solution:

Tim
div T
ei
xm

Tij

div T
Tij ei
Tij ei
ei

x j
x j
x j
T divT

Tensors
2C5 Curl of a Vector
Let v(r) be a vector field. The curl of v is defined to be the vector field given by
A
twice the dual vector of the antisymmetric part of v, that is curlv 2t

v
F
v
F

Definition of circulation

v
v
F ( x, y, z ) dl
l
v
v

F ( x, y, z ) dl
l

v v
F gdS
F dl
l

Curl

Stokes theorem

Tensors
In the Cartesian coordinate system (e1, e2, e3),

1 v1 v2

2 x2 x1

1
2

v1 v2

x2 x1

v1 v3

x3 x1

1 v2 v3


2 x3 x2

1 v1 v3

2 x3 x1

1 v2 v3

2 x3 x2

t A T32e1 T13e 2 T21e3

v3 v2
v1 v3
v2 v1
curlv 2t
e1
e2
e3
x1 x2
x2 x3
x3 x1
A

Tensors
2C6 Laplacian of a Scalar Field
Let f(r) be a scalar-valued function of the position vector r. The definition of the
Laplacian of a scalar field is given by

2 f div f tr f

In rectangular coordinates the Laplacian becomes

f tr f
2

2 f
2 f 2 f 2 f

2 2 2
xi xi x1 x2 x3

Tensors
2C7 Laplacian of a Vector Field
Let v(r) be a vector field. The Laplacian of v is defined by the following:

2 v divv - v
v j
vk
In rectangular coordinates divv

ei v jk
e
xi xk
xk
v j
v i jk

ei
x xk

i jk i jk ij k ik j

v j
v ij k ik j

ei
xk

vi
v

ei

x xi
x x

Tensors

v
xi

vk

ei
xk
x

vi
ei 2 vi ei

vi
v

2
2
2

v1
2
1
1
v
2 2 e1
2
x1 x2 x3

2 v2 2 v2 2 v2

2 2 e2
2
x2
x3
x1
2 v3 2 v3 2 v3

2 2 e3
2
x2 x3
x1

ei

Tensors
Problem1:

Consider the scalar field defined by x1 3 x1 x2 2 x3

a Find the unit vectors normal to the surface of constantat the origin (0,0,0)
and point (1,0,1).
b What are the maximum values of the directional derivatives of at the
origin and point (1,0,1).
c Evaluate
d / dr at the origin if dr=ds(e1+e2)
2

Problem2:
2
2
2
2
2
2
Consider the ellipsoid defined by the equation x / a y / b z / c 1
Find the unit normal vector at a given position x,y,z

Problem3:
Consider the vector field v x12e1 x32e 2 x22e3 . For the point 1,1,0
(a)Find the matrix of v
(b)Find the vector v v
(c)Find div v
(d)If dr ds e1 e 2 e3 / 3
, find the differential dv