Vector Fields

Mathematics 55 - Elementary Analysis III

Institute of Mathematics
University of the Philippines-Diliman

07 October 2015

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Definition
A vector field on a domain D in the plane or in three-dimensional
space is a function that assigns a vector to each point in D.

Stewart, J. Calculus, 6ed., 2008.

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Definition
A vector field on a domain D in the plane or in three-dimensional
space is a function that assigns a vector to each point in D.

Anton, et. al. Calculus, Early Transcendentals, 10th ed., 2012.

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Definition
A vector field on a domain D in the plane or in three-dimensional
space is a function that assigns a vector to each point in D.

Anton, et. al. Calculus, Early Transcendentals, 10th ed., 2012.

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Remarks:
1. A vector field in R2 is of the form
~
F(x, y) = f (x, y) + g(x, y) = f (x, y), g(x, y).

Stewart, J. Calculus, 6ed., 2008.

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Remarks:
2. A vector field in R3 is of the form
~
F(x, y, z) = f (x, y, z) + g(x, y, z) + h(x, y, z) k
= f (x, y, z), g(x, y, z), h(x, y, z).

Stewart, J. Calculus, 6ed., 2008.

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Remarks:
3. The range of a vector field in R2 or R3 is a set of vectors in R2 or
R3 , respectively.
4. Vector fields are assumed to be steady-state, that is, they are
dependent only on the position and not on any other
parameter.
5. If a scalar is associated to a point in R2 or R3 by a function,
then the function is said to be a scalar field.
6. If ~
R = x, y, z, then a vector field ~
F (x, y, z) may also be written as
~
~
F (R).

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Definition (Curl and Divergence)

Let ~
F(x, y, z) = f (x, y, z), g(x, y, z), h(x, y, z) be a vector field.
1. The divergence of ~
F, written div~
F, is given by
div~
F=

f g h
+
+
.
x y z

2. The curl of ~
F, written curl~
F, is given by

f h
g f
h g
~
+
+
k.

curl F =
y z
z x
x y

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Remarks: Suppose ~
F (x, y, z) = f (x, y, z), g(x, y, z), h(x, y, z) is a vector
field.
1. Then div~
F is a scalar field, while curl~
F is a vector field.

+
+
k.
2. Define the del operator as =
x
y
z
Then div~
F = ~
F and curl~
F = ~
F.

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Theorem
If ~
F is a vector field in R3 whose components have continuous
second-order partial derivatives, then div(curl~
F ) = 0.
Remark: If is a (scalar) function of x and y, or of x, y, and z, then
we refer to as the gradient field of or a gradient vector field.

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Definition (Conservative Vector Field)

A vector field ~
F in R2 or R3 is conservative on a region D if it is the
gradient field of some function on D, that is, if there exists a
function on D such that = ~
F.
Remark: In the definition, is referred to as a potential function for
~
F.

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Theorem (Conservative Field Test)

Suppose the functions f (x, y) and g(x, y) are continuous and have
continuous first partial derivatives on some disk D. Then the vector
field ~
F(x, y) = f (x, y) + g(x, y) is conservative on D if and only if
g
f
=
.
y x

Remark: In general, the theorem holds true for simply connected

regions D.

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Theorem (Conservative Field Test)

f~
F is a vector field in R3 whose component functions are
continuous and have continuous first partial derivatives on an open
ball D, then ~
F is conservative on D if and only if
curl~
F =~0.

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