Cool Math Tricks - Deriving The Divergence, (Del or Nabla) Into New (Cylindrical) Coordinate Systemsw

1/2/2019 Cool Math Tricks: Deriving the Divergence, (Del or Nabla) into New (Cylindrical) Coordinate Systems
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Cool Math
Tricks:
Deriving the
Divergence,
(Del or Nabla)
into New
(Cylindrical)
Coordinate
Systems
March 01, 2009
http://copaseticflow.blogspot.com/2009/03/cool-math-tricks-deriving-divergence-or.html 1/24
T
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he following
is a pretty
Labels
lengthy procedure,
Cartesian coordinates
but converting the
Cool Math Tricks
divergence, (nabla, coversion

curl
del) operator
cylindrical coordinates
between coordinate divergence
Mathematics
systems comes up
nabla
pretty often. While physics
there are tables for

converting between
common coordinate
systems, there seem
to be fewer
explanations of the
procedure for
deriving the
conversion, so here
goes!
What do we
actually want?
To convert the
Cartesian nabla
to the nabla for

another coordinate
system, say…
cylindrical
coordinates.
What we’ll need:
1. The Cartesian
Nabla:
2. A set of equations
relating the
Cartesian
coordinates to
cylindrical
coordinates:
3. A set of equations
relating the
Cartesian basis
vectors to the basis
vectors of the new
coordinate system:
How to do it:
Use the chain rule

for differentiation
to convert the
derivatives with
respect to the
Cartesian variables
to derivatives with
respect to the
cylindrical
variables.
The chain rule can

be used to convert a
differential
operator in terms of
one variable into a
series of differential
operators in terms
of other variables
that the rst
variable depends
on. This is exactly
what we need
because we want to
start out with a
differential
x,
in our Cartesian to
cylindrical example
and convert it to
differential
operators in terms
of the cylindrical
variables, . For x, the

chain rule gives us:
NOTE: More
generally, if you’re
given a differential
a variable, u, that
can be expressed in
terms of n other
variables, v, then to
convert the
differential
u to differential
operators in terms
of the v’s the chain

rule gives:
This is explained
very nicely and in
more detail here

and here.
OK, so let’s get to

work converting the
three differential
operators of the
Cartesian nabla into
differential
operators in terms
of cylindrical
coordinates. We
start with x,
using,
We can construct
the rst differential
term above as:
but, we really need

to get all the x’s and
y’s out of the mix

and just have
cylindrical
coordinates
remaining. So, using
a few substitutions
we get:
Now, follow the
same procedure for
the next differential

term in the chain
rule.
Remember though
that r depends on x
and y, so when we
differentiate, we
need to expand r
and use the simple
one-variable chain
rule. Using a table of
derivates for the

arccosine, we get:
The nal derivative

is taken using the
quotient rule:
We already know
from our work
above that
so
Now, we start the
lengthy process of
simplifying:
Because z is the
same z as in the
Cartesian system, it
doesn’t depend on
x, (exactly as in the
Cartesian system),
so we have
and our complete
conversion for the x
derivative term is:
Now use the same
techniques to
convert the
differential for y:
Starting in a similar
manner:
Then, evaluating the

second term of the
chain rule we get:
Remember again
that r depends on x
and y, so when we
differentiate, we
need to expand r
and use the one
variable chain rule.
The nal derivative
is taken using the

quotient rule:
We already know
from our work

above that
so
Now, we simplify
again:
So,
Finally, since z is not
transformed
between coordinate
systems:
Now that we have

each differential
converted, we can
write the nabla
operator as
Which is kind of a
mess! We know
that when we’re

nished we expect
to see nicely
grouped cylindrical
differential terms
with cylindrical unit
vectors, so let’s
group on the
cylindrical
differentials
Now remembering
our original
de nition of
cylindrical unit
vectors,
We can make two
more substitutions
and arrive at the
nal result for nabla
in cylindrical
coordinates!
LABELS:
CARTESIAN
COORDINATES,
COOL MATH TRICKS,
COVERSION, CURL,
CYLINDRICAL
COORDINATES,
DIVERGENCE,
MATHEMATICS,
NABLA, PHYSICS
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Name
Frew Cen
• a year ago
I love you.
△ ▽ • Reply •
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Anonymous
• 3 years ago
Thank you a lot
man!!!
△ ▽ • Reply •
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Anonymous
• 3 years ago
thanxs bro.. great
help
△ ▽ • Reply •
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Anonymous
• 3 years ago
Awesome stuff
man!
Your work saved
me a lot of time
Thanks a lot
△ ▽ • Reply •
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Alexandre
Santiago
• 3 years ago
Thanks a lot. I
was searching
for this material
and I found great
your explanation
!!
△ ▽ • Reply •
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Unknown
Unknown
• 3 years ago
Thanks a lot. I
was searching
for this material
and I found great
your explanation
!!
△ ▽ • Reply •
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Amal
Biswas
• 4 years ago
awesome
△ ▽ • Reply •
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Hamilton
• 6 years ago
Hi Doughboy,
Is the following
for spherical
coordinates
about what you
had in mind?
http://copaseticflow
intuitive-way-to-
spherical-
gradient.html
Thanks again!
You made my
homework this
week a lot easier
and much more
of a learning
experience, (in a
good way).
△ ▽ • Reply •
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Hamilton
• 6 years ago
This comment
has been
removed by the
author.
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Hamilton
a to
• 6 years ago
Thank you
Doughboy!
That's an
awesome
pointer! It took
me awhile to
work through all
the details of
what you said,
but in the end it's
far easier and left
me with a
physical
understanding of
the derivation
instead of just a
mechanical list of
steps. Expect to
see a post on
deriving the
spherical
laplacian in this
way soon.
Thanks again!
△ ▽ • Reply •
Share ›
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1/2/2019 Cool Math Tricks: Deriving the Divergence, (Del or Nabla) into New (Cylindrical) Coordinate Systems

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March 01, 2009

divergence, (nabla, coversion

there are tables for

to the nabla for

What we’ll need:

Use the chain rule

The chain rule can

variables, . For x, the

of the v’s the chain

more detail here

OK, so let’s get to

Cartesian nabla into

term above as:

but, we really need

y’s out of the mix

Now, follow the

same procedure for

the next differential

and use the simple

derivates for the

The nal derivative

from our work

Now, we start the

and our complete

conversion for the x

derivative term is:

Now use the same

Then, evaluating the

chain rule we get:

and use the one

variable chain rule.

The nal derivative

is taken using the

from our work

Finally, since z is not

Now that we have

write the nabla

that when we’re

with cylindrical unit

We can make two

and arrive at the

nal result for nabla

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