302-lect02.

tex Page 1

ECE 302 Lecture 2

Vector Math Review

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson

302-lect02.tex Page 2

Basic vector operations: addition

~+B
A ~

~
A
~
B Addition
“Walk” the first vector and then the second.
Addition is commutative
~
−B
~ −B
~ ~+B
A ~ =B
~ +A
~
A
. . . and associative
~
A    
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~a + B + C = A + B + C

Subtraction
“Walk” the other way.
 
~ ~ ~ ~
A − B = A + −B

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson

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Multiplication

By a scalar multiplies the magnitude of the vector by the scalar factor.

Scalar multiplication is distributive.
 
a A~ +B
~ = aA
~ + aB
~

Scalar (dot) product

 
~·B
A ~ = AB cos θ ~·B
A ~ =B
~ ·A
~ A~ +B
~ ·C~ =A
~·C
~ +B
~ ·C
~

Cross Product
 
 î ĵ k̂ 

~ ~
 
A × B = n̂AB sin θ =  Ax Ay Az 

 
 bx By Bz 

     
~× B
A ~ +C
~ = A
~×B
~ +A
~ ×C
~ but B
~ ×A
~=− A~×B
~

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson

302-lect02.tex Page 4

Application

Find the angle between a face diagonal and a body diagonal of a cube.

y
x

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson

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Scalar triple product

     
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A· B×C =B· C ×A =C · A×B~ ~

~
A
n̂
θ
~
B

~
C

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson

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Vector triple product

     
~× B
A ~ ×C
~ =B
~ A ~ ·C
~ −C~ A~·B
~

 
~ ~ ~
6= A × B × C

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson

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Transformations of vectors

A vector is any set of three components that transforms like a displacement when you change
coordinates.

How does the vector from the origin to the point (1, 2, 3) transform under inversion (x0 = −x,
y 0 = −y , z 0 = −z )?
How does the cross product of two vectors transform under inversion? [It’s a pseudovector.]

Is the cross product of two cross products a vector or a pseudovector?

How does the scalar triple product transform under inversion? [It’s a pseudoscalar.]

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson

302-lect02.tex Page 8

Derivatives

In one dimension  
df
df = dx
dx
so df /dx is the slope of f (x).

Gradient
~ = x̂ ∂T + ŷ ∂T + ẑ ∂T
∇T
∂x ∂y ∂z
  
~ = ∇T
~ · dl
dT = ∇T ~  cos θ
~  dl

~ at a point is the maximum value of dT and the direction of ∇T

so the magnitude of ∇T ~ is the
direction of the maximum increase in T at that point.

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson

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Divergence
is a measure of how much a vector function of position (a vector field) “spreads out” at a particular
point.
~ · ~v
∇

Curl
is a measure of how much a vector function of position “curls” (rotates) around a particular point.

~ × ~v
∇

Think of a water tank . . . .

A faucet has large positive divergence, a drain has large negative divergence. If you put a
small “paddle wheel” at a point and the paddle wheel turns, there is a curl.

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson

302-lect02.tex Page 10

Product rules

For gradients
~ g) = f ∇g
∇(f ~ + g ∇f
~
         
~ A
∇ ~·B
~ =A~× ∇~ ×B
~ +B~× ∇ ~ ×A
~ + A ~·∇
~ B~+ B~ ·∇
~ A~

For divergences
     
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
∇ · f A = f ∇ · A + A · ∇f~
     
~ · A
∇ ~×B~ =B ~· ∇~ ×A ~ −A ~· ∇~ ×B
~

For curls
     
~ × fA
∇ ~ =f ∇ ~ ×A ~ −A ~ × ∇f~
         
~ × A
∇ ~ ×B
~ = B ~ ·∇
~ A~− A ~ ·∇
~ B ~ +A~ ∇ ~ ·B
~ −B~ ∇~ ·A
~

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson

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Vector second derivatives

 
~ · ∇T
∇ ~ = ∇2 T the Laplacian

 
~ × ∇T
∇ ~ =0

 
~ ~
∇ ∇ · ~v is seldom needed

 
~ · ∇
∇ ~ ×V
~ =0

   
~ × ∇
∇ ~ ×V
~ ~ ∇
=∇ ~ · ~v − ∇2~v

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson

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Integration

Fundamental theorem for gradients

Along a particular path connecting the points a and b,
Z b 
~
∇T ~ = T (b) − T (a)
· dl
a

• independent of the path

• = 0 if the path is a closed loop

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson

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Fundamental theorem for divergences

Gauss’s theorem, Green’s theorem, or the divergence theorem
Z   I
~ · ~v
∇ dτ = ~v · d~a
volume surface

Griffiths’ version:
Z Z
(all faucets in the volume) = (flow out through the surface)

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson

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Fundamental theorem for curls

Stokes’ theorem Z  I

~ × ~v · dA
∇ ~= ~
~v · dl
surface boundary

• This integral depends only on the boundary, not on the surface.

• This integral = 0 for any closed surface, since the boundary becomes a point.

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson

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Useful relationships

I  
~ ~ =0
∇T · dl
line

I  
~ =0
~ × ~v · da
∇
surface

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson

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The Helmholtz theorem

~ be found if
Is a vector field completely determined by its divergence and curl? That is, can F

~ · F~ = D
∇ ~ × F~ = C
∇ ~ ~ ·C
∇ ~ =0

If D(~ ~ r) both go to zero faster that r−2 as r

r) and C(~ → ∞, and if |F~ (~r)| → 0 as r → ∞,
~ is uniquely determined by the above equations.
then F
~ whose magnitude goes to zero as r
So any differentiable vector field F → ∞ can be
expressed as the gradient of a scalar field plus the curl of a vector field.

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson

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~ × F~
If ∇ = 0 everywhere, F~ is called “irrotational.”
~ is independent of the path
F~ · dl
Rb
• a

~ = 0 for any closed loop

F~ · dl
H
•
• F~ = −∇U
~ for a scalar potential U

~ · F~
If ∇ = 0 everywhere, F~ is called “solenoidal.”
~ depends only on the boundary line.
F~ · da
R
• surface

~ = 0 for any closed surface.

F~ · da
H
• surface

• F~ = ∇
~ ×W
~ for a vector potential W
~.

ECE302 - Engineering Electromagnetics Phyllis R. Nelson