Vectors differentiation formulas for Dot and Box Product how?

In summary, the dot product formula for vector differentiation is d/dx (a · b) = a · d/dx(b) + b · d/dx(a), which can be extended to any number of dimensions. The box product formula, d/dx (a × b) = a × d/dx(b) + b × d/dx(a), is similar to the dot product formula but involves taking the cross product instead. Both formulas are commonly used in physics, engineering, and computer graphics to calculate rates of change and solve optimization problems, especially in problems involving motion, forces, and work. They can be applied to both planar and non-planar vectors.
  • #1
abrowaqas
114
0
Let A ,B and C represent vectors.
we have

1) d/dt (A . B) = A. dB/dt + dA/dt .B

2) d/dt [ A . (BxC) ] = A . (Bx dC/dt) + A . ( dB/dt x C) + dA/dt . (B xC)

now the problem in these formulas is that
we know that Dot product between two vectors and Scalar triple product of vectors is always a scalar. now if we find their derivative it results always Zero.

then how these formulas has been defined since the derivative remains zero always for constant hence it always yield zero result.

please explain
 
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  • #2
hi abrowaqas! :smile:
abrowaqas said:
we know that Dot product between two vectors and Scalar triple product of vectors is always a scalar. now if we find their derivative it results always Zero.

no … the derivative of a scalar is zero only if the scalar is constant :confused:
 
  • #3
abrowaqas said:
Let A ,B and C represent vectors.
we have

1) d/dt (A . B) = A. dB/dt + dA/dt .B

2) d/dt [ A . (BxC) ] = A . (Bx dC/dt) + A . ( dB/dt x C) + dA/dt . (B xC)

now the problem in these formulas is that
we know that Dot product between two vectors and Scalar triple product of vectors is always a scalar. now if we find their derivative it results always Zero.

then how these formulas has been defined since the derivative remains zero always for constant hence it always yield zero result.

please explain

A vector doesn't have to be constant.
 
  • #4
I think you are just confused ( or I'm confused about what you are asking ):

if f is a function that is a "constant" function , so that f ( x ) = a fixed c for all x's, then Df = 0

You can see that the dot product of two vectors v( t ) , w( t ) can be a non constant function, even though the result is a scalar. Since the dot product of two different pairs of vectors can give you different results
 
  • #5
Thanks Wisvuse..
I got it but can you explain it by giving one example..
 
  • #6
Let u be the vector <t, 0, 3t>, v be the vector <t^2, t- 1, 2t>. Then the dot product of u and v is t^3+ 6t^2 and the derivative of that is 3t^2+ 12t.

The derivative of u is <1, 0, 3> and the derivative of v is <2t, 1, 2>. The "product rule gives the derivative of u dot v as u'v+ uv'= <1, 0, 3>.<t^2, t-1, 2t>+ <t, 0, 3t>.<2t, 1, 2>= (t^2+ 6t)+ (2t^2+ 6t)= 3t^2+ 12t as before.
 

1. What is the dot product formula for vector differentiation?

The dot product formula for vector differentiation is d/dx (a · b) = a · d/dx(b) + b · d/dx(a), where a and b are vectors. This means that when differentiating the dot product of two vectors with respect to x, we can simply differentiate each vector separately and add them together.

2. Can I use the dot product formula for higher dimensions?

Yes, the dot product formula for vector differentiation can be extended to any number of dimensions. The formula remains the same, but the vectors involved will have more components.

3. What is the box product formula for vector differentiation?

The box product formula for vector differentiation is d/dx (a × b) = a × d/dx(b) + b × d/dx(a), where a and b are vectors. This formula is similar to the dot product formula, but instead of taking the dot product, we take the cross product.

4. Can I use the box product formula for non-planar vectors?

Yes, the box product formula for vector differentiation can be used for both planar and non-planar vectors. The cross product is defined for any number of dimensions, so the formula remains the same regardless of the orientation of the vectors.

5. How do I apply these formulas in real-world applications?

The dot and box product formulas for vector differentiation are commonly used in physics and engineering to calculate rates of change and solve optimization problems. They are especially useful in problems involving motion, forces, and work. Additionally, these formulas are used in computer graphics to calculate lighting and shading effects in 3D environments.

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