AB2.

3: Divergence and Curl of a Vector Field

Denition of divergence
Let v(x, y, z) be a dierentiable vector function,
v(x, y, z) = v
1
(x, y, z)i + v
2
(x, y, z)j + v
3
(x, y, z)k
Then the function
div v =
v
1
x
+
v
2
y
+
v
3
z
is called the divergence of v or the divergence of the vector eld dened by v.
Another convenient notation for div is as follows:
div v = v =

x
i +

y
j +

z
k

(v
1
i + v
2
j + v
3
k) =
v
1
x
+
v
2
y
+
v
3
z
.
Example:
v(x, y, z) = 3xzi + 2xyj yz
2
k,
v
1
x
= 3z,
v
2
y
= 2x,
v
3
z
= 2yz,
and
div v = 3z + 2x 2yz.
THEOREM 8.10.1
The values of div v depend only on the points in space (and on div v) but not on the par-
ticular choice of the coordinates. With respect to other Cartesian coordinates x

, y

, z

and
corresponding components v

1
, v

2
, v

3
of v the function div v is given by
div v =
v

1
x

+
v

2
y

+
v

3
z

If f is a twice dierentiable scalar function, then

grad f =
f
x
i +
f
y
j +
f
z
k.
and
div (grad f) =
2
f =

2
f
x
2
+

2
f
y
2
+

2
f
z
2
is the Laplacian of f.
EXAMPLE 1 Gravitational force
The gravitational force p is the gradient of the scalar function
f(x, y, z) =
c
r
(the potential of the gravitational eld). f satises the Laplaces equation
2
f = 0. Thus
div p = div (grad f) =
2
f = 0.
Curl of a vector eld
Denition of curl
Let x, y, z be right-handed Cartesian coordinates and
v(x, y, z) = v
1
(x, y, z)i + v
2
(x, y, z)j + v
3
(x, y, z)k
be a dierentiable vector function. Then the function
curl v = v =

i j k

z
v
1
v
2
v
3

v
3
y

v
2
z

i +

v
1
z

v
3
x

j +

v
2
x

v
1
y

k
is called the curl of v or the curl of the vector eld dened by v.
EXAMPLE 1 Curl of a vector function
With respect to right-handed Cartesian coordinates, let
v(x, y, z) = yzi + 3zxj + zk.
Then the curl
curl v =

i j k

z
yz 3xz z

z
y

(3xz)
z

i +

(yz)
z

z
x

j +

(3xz)
x

(yz)
y

k = 3xi + yj + 2zk.
Important identities of the vector calculus
For any twice continuously dierentiable scalar function f,
curl (grad f) = 0.
Indeed,
curl (grad f) =

i j k

z
f
x
f
y
f
z

i j k

z
f
x
f
y
f
z

f
z
y

f
y
z

i+

f
x
z

f
z
x

j+

f
y
x

f
x
y

k = (f
zy
f
yz
)i+(f
xz
f
zx
)j+(f
yx
f
xy
)k = 0.
Gradient elds describing a motion are irrotational.
For any twice continuously dierentiable vector function v,
div (curl v) = 0.
Indeed,
div (curl v) =

x

v
3
y

v
2
z

+

y

v
1
z

v
3
x

+

z

v
2
x

v
1
y

=
(v
3yx
v
2zx
) + (v
1zy
v
3xy
) + (v
2xz
v
1yz
) = 0.
THEOREM 8.11.1
The length and direction of curl v are independent of the particular choice of Cartesian coordi-
nate systems in space.
PROBLEM 8.10.1
Find the divergence of
v(x, y, z) = v
1
(x, y, z)i + v
2
(x, y, z)j + v
3
(x, y, z)k = xi + yj + zk.
Solution. The divergence is dened as
div v =
v
1
x
+
v
2
y
+
v
3
z
Here,
v
1
(x, y, z) = x, v
2
(x, y, z) = y, v
3
(x, y, z) = z,
and
div v = 1 + 1 + 1 = 3.
PROBLEM 8.10.2
Find the divergence of
v(x, y, z) = v
1
(x, y, z)i + v
2
(x, y, z)j + v
3
(x, y, z)k = x
2
i + y
2
j + z
2
k.
Solution. Here,
v
1
(x, y, z) = x
2
, v
2
(x, y, z) = y
2
, v
3
(x, y, z) = z
2
,
and
div v = 2x + 2y + 2z = 2(x + y + z).
PROBLEM 8.10.5
Find the divergence of
v(x, y) = v
1
(x, y)i + v
2
(x, y)j = (x
2
+ y
2
)
1
(yi + xj).
Solution. Here,
v
1
(x, y) = (y)(x
2
+ y
2
)
1
, v
2
(x, y) = (y)(x
2
+ y
2
)
1
,
and
div v = 2xy(x
2
+ y
2
)
2
2xy(x
2
+ y
2
)
2
= 0.
PROBLEM 8.10.13b
Find the divergence of
fv(x, y, z) = fv
1
(x, y, z)i + fv
2
(x, y, z)j + fv
3
(x, y, z)k, f = f(x, y, z).
Solution.
div fv =
fv
1
x
+
fv
2
y
+
fv
3
z
= f
v
1
x
+ f
v
2
y
+ f
v
3
z
+ v
1
f
x
+ v
2
f
x
+ v
3
f
x
=
fdiv v +v grad f.
Apply this result for calculating
div (fv(x, y, z)), f(x, y, z) = r
3/2
= (x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
)
3/2
, v = xi + yj + zk.
We have
div v = 3.
grad f = 3r
5/2
(xi + yj + zk)
and
div (fv) = fdiv v +v grad f = 3r
3/2
3r
5/2
[x, y, z] [x, y, z] = 3r
3/2
3r
5/2
r = 0.
PROBLEM 8.10.14
Find the Laplacian
2
f of
f(x, y) = (x y)/(x + y).
Solution. It is easy to see that f is a twice dierentiable function for x = y; then
grad f = f =
f
x
i +
f
y
j =
2y
(x + y)
2
i
2x
(x + y)
2
j,
and the Laplacian of f
div (grad f) =
2
f =

2
f
x
2
+

2
f
y
2
= 4
x y
(x + y)
3
.
PROBLEM 8.10.15
Find the Laplacian
2
f of
f(x, y, z) = 4x
2
+ 9y
2
+ z
2
.
Solution. It is easy to see that f is a twice dierentiable function; then
grad f = f =
f
x
i +
f
y
j +
f
z
k =
8xi + 18yj + 2zk = [8x, 18y, 2z],
and the Laplacian of f
div (grad f) =
2
f =

2
f
x
2
+

2
f
y
2
+

2
f
z
2
= 8 + 18 + 2 = 28.
PROBLEM 8.11.2
Find the curl of
v = [2y, 5x, 0].
Solution.
curl v =

i j k

z
2y 5x 0

(0)
y

(5x)
z

i +

(2y)
z

(0)
x

j +

(5x)
x

(2y)
y

k =
0 i + 0 j + (5 2) k = 3k.
PROBLEM 8.11.3
Find the curl of
v =
1
2
(x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
)(i +j +k).
Solution. Here,
v
1
(x, y, z) = v
2
(x, y, z) = v
3
(x, y, z) = v(x, y, z) =
1
2
(x
2
+ y
2
+ z
2
)
and
v
q
= q, q = x, y, z.
Therefore,
curl v =

v
y

v
z

i +

v
z

v
x

j +

v
x

v
y

k =
(y z)i + (z x)j + (x y)k = [y z, z x, x y].
PROBLEM 8.11.13
Find the curl of
v = [x, y, z].
(the vector eld of a uid motion).
Solution.
curl v =

i j k

z
x y z

(z)
y

y
z

i +

x
z

(z)
x

j +

y
x

x
y

k =
0 i + 0 j + 0 k = 0.
The ow is irrotational.
div v = 1 + 1 1 = 1.
The ow is compressible.
The paths of particles are described by
r(t) = [c
1
e
t
, c
2
e
t
, c
3
e
t
].
PROBLEM 8.11.14
u v =

i j k
u
1
u
2
u
3
v
1
v
2
v
3

=
(u
2
v
3
u
3
v
2
)i (u
1
v
3
u
3
v
1
)j + (u
1
v
2
u
2
v
1
)k.
div (u v) =
(u
2
v
3
u
3
v
2
)
x
+
(u
3
v
1
u
1
v
3
)
y
+
(u
1
v
2
u
2
v
1
)
z
=
(u
2
v
3
)
x
+
(u
3
v
1
)
y
+
(u
1
v
2
)
z

(u
3
v
2
)
x

(u
1
v
3
)
y

(u
2
v
1
)
z
=
v
3
u
2
x
+u
2
v
3
x
+v
1
u
3
y
+u
3
v
1
y
+v
2
u
1
z
+u
1
v
2
z
v
2
u
3
x
u
3
v
2
x
v
3
u
1
y
u
1
v
3
y
v
1
u
2
z
u
2
v
1
z
=
v
1

(u
3
)
y

(u
2
)
z

+ v
2

(u
1
)
z

(u
3
)
x

+ v
3

(u
2
)
x

(u
1
)
y

+
u
1

(v
2
)
z

(v
3
)
y

+ u
2

(v
3
)
x

(v
1
)
z

+ u
3

(v
1
)
y

(v
2
)
x

=
v curl u u curl v.
Thus, we have proved that
div (u v) = v curl u u curl v.
PROBLEM 8.11.15
Find the curl fu for
u = yi + zj + xk
and f = xyz.
Solution. We have
curl fu = grad f u + fcurl u
Here,
grad f = [yz, xz, xy], u = [y, z, x],
Next,
grad f u =

i j k
yz xz xy
y z x

=
= (x
2
z xyz)i (xy
2
xyz)j + (yz
2
xyz)k = [x
2
z xyz, xy
2
xyz, yz
2
xyz].
curl u =

x
y

z
z

i +

y
z

x
x

j +

z
x

y
y

k =
i j k = [1, 1, 1].
Finally,
curl fu = (x
2
z xyz)i (xyz xy
2
)j + (yz
2
xyz)k (xyz)(i +j +k) =
(x
2
z 2xyz)i (xy
2
2xyz)j + (yz
2
2xyz)k.