Mathematical Physics

PRIYANKA DAS TITHI

Faculty of Physics
Quantity
Quantity is a property that can exist as a magnitude
or multitude.Quantities can be compared in terms of
"more," "less," or "equal," or by assigning a
numerical value in terms of a unit of measurement.

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Basic Vector Algebra

Scalars are quantities having only a magnitude.

Length, mass, temperature etc.

Vectors are quantities having both a magnitude and a

direction.
Force, velocity, acceleration etc.

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Coordinate System

Rectangular
or Cartesian
Coordinate

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Coordinate System

Cylindrical
Coordinate

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Coordinate System

Spherical
Coordinate

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Vectors in Cartesian Coordinate System

A = A1i + A2j + A3k = (A1, A2, A3)

i, j, and k are unit vectors pointing in

the positive x, y, and z directions

A1, A2 and A3 are called x, y, and z

component of vector A

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Vectors in Cartesian Coordinate System

Magnitude of A:

Direction of A:

It is a unit directional vector !

Equality: If A = B, it means A = B and also

Does the equality of two vectors necessarily imply that they

are identical?

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Addition of Vectors
Adding corresponding components
A = (A1, A2, A3)
A + B = (A1 + B1)i+(A2 + B2)j+(A3 + B3)k
B = (B1, B2, B3)

Geometrical representation
(a) A pair of vectors A and B

(b) Added by the head-to-tail method

(c) Added by parallelogram law

(d) B is subtracted from A

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 1.
1.
2. 2.
Multiplication of a Vector by a Scalar

A = (A1, A2, A3), is a real number

If > 0, multiply the length of the vector by ;

the direction unchanged

What happens if < 0?

If < 0, multiply the length of the vector by ;

the direction changed by 180

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Dot Product
If A = A1i + A2j + A3k and B = B1i + B2j + B3k
A . B = A1B1 + A2B2 + A3B3

Another name: scalar product.

Example: If A = (1, -3, 2) and B = (4, 5, -8), the dot product of

A and B is -27.
Basic properties of the dot product:
1. A . B = B . A
2. (A + B) . C = A . C + B .
C
3. A . (0, 0, 0) = (0, 0, 0)
4. A . A = |A|2 = A2
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Geometric Interpretation of Dot Product

A . B = |A||B|cos = ABcos

If two nonzero vectors cos = 0 = 90

A . B = 0, then

Perpendicular

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Cross Product
If A = A1i + A2j + A3k and B = B1i + B2j + B3k

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Geometric Interpretation of Cross Product

sin = 0 = 0or 180

If two nonzero vectors
A B = 0, then
Parallel

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Example:
Let A = (1, -3, 2) and B = (4, 5, -8), then

Basic properties of cross product:

1. A B = -(B A)
2. (A + B) C = (A C) + (B C)
3. A (B C) = (A . C)B (A . B)C

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Scalar and vector field
If we consider any area or field, we can say that each
point of that field has a physical property, that can be
scalar or vector.
If the physical property that is related to the field is
scalar, then the field is called as scalar field.
Similarly if the physical property (that is related to
the field) is vector, then the field is called as vector
field.
 Examples: Density, temperature, potential etc are the
examples of scalar field.
Particles velocity, electric intensity, gravitational
intensity are the examples of vector field or vector
function.
Mathematical expressions of scalar and vector
field ---
Differential geometry
(a) Suppose that, a particle is moving through a curve
of equation, , y=2sin4t and z=4cos2t,
then
i) calculate the velocity and acceleration for any time ;
ii) calculate the value of velocity and acceleration when
t=0.
 Vector operator:
Gradient:
Divergence:
Curl:
Gradient
Del operator

Gradient

Gradient characterizes maximum increase. If at a point P the

gradient of f is not the zero vector, it represents the direction of
maximum space rate of increase in f at P.

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 Example
Given potential function V = x2y + xy2 + xz2,
(a) find the gradient of V, and (b) evaluate it
at (1, -1, 3).
Solution:
(a)

(b
)

Direction of maximum increase

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Divergence of a Vector Field
In rectangular coordinate, the
divergence of A can be calculated as:

* It defines the nature of source of the vector field.

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For instance, if A = 3xzi + 2xyj yz2k,

then, div A = 3z + 2x 2yz

At (1, 2, 2), div A = 0; there is no point source.

At (1, 1, 2), div A = 4, there is a source, and it is expanding;
at (1, 3, 1), div A = -1, there is a sink.
Curl of a Vector Field
If
In rectangular coordinate, curl can be calculated as

curl

*It shows, whether the vector is rotational or not.

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Curl of a Vector Field
Example:
If A = yzi + 3zxj + zk, then

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Mathematical Problem:

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Thank you for your attention