Need Good book on Vector Calculus

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the search for a good book on vector calculus or advanced vector calculus, with a focus on resources that provide step-by-step proofs of vector identities rather than just presenting equations. Participants express a desire for accessible materials, including free resources.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks recommendations for books or websites that offer detailed proofs of vector calculus identities, expressing dissatisfaction with their current resource.
  • Another participant suggests that the identities can be proven component-wise and mentions the use of Cartesian tensors for simplification.
  • A request for proof of the identities is made by the original poster, indicating a need for clarification.
  • One participant challenges the correctness of an identity presented by the original poster and provides a detailed derivation of the correct form using tensor notation.
  • Further proofs of vector identities are provided by the same participant, demonstrating various vector calculus operations and their results.
  • Another participant expresses gratitude for the detailed explanations and acknowledges the complexity of the material.
  • A suggestion is made to explore more complex vector identities once the original poster becomes comfortable with the foundational concepts.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus on a specific book recommendation. While some participants agree on the methods of proving vector identities, there is disagreement regarding the correctness of the identities presented initially.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes various mathematical notations and assumptions related to vector calculus, which may not be universally understood without prior knowledge of the subject. The proofs rely on specific definitions and properties of tensors and vector operations.

newbie101
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Hi All,

I need some suggestion on a good book for vector calculus/advanced vector calculus.
current book I am reading just give equations like

del x ( A x B ) = A del.B - Bdel.A + (B.del)A - (A.del)B

A x ( B x C ) = B(del.A) - C(A.B)

del x (f A) = f del x A + del f x A

etc

however they don't show the proof
Is there any book or maybe a website which gives the proof step by step

thanks
newbie101

* if there is a free book i could download .. it would be fantastic :smile:
 
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They can be proven on components.All three of them are vector identities,so it suffices to prove only for one scalar component.The second one is really easy if u use cartesian tensors...The same goes for the 3-rd.

Daniel.
 
dextercioby,

please show me how they are proven...

thanks
newbie
 
The first u've written there is incorrect...

Come up with the correct form.

1

[tex]\vec{A}\times\left(\vec{B}\times\vec{C}\right)=...?[/tex]

[tex]\vec{B}\times\vec{C}=\epsilon_{ijk}B_{i}C_{j}\vec{e}_{k}[/tex]

[tex]\vec{A}\times\left(\vec{B}\times\vec{C}\right)=\epsilon_{lkn}A_{l}\left(\vec{B}\times\vec{C}\right)_{k}\vec{e}_{n}=\epsilon_{lkn}\epsilon_{ijk}A_{l}B_{i}C_{j}\vec{e}_{n}[/tex]

[tex]\epsilon_{lkn}\epsilon_{ijk}=-\epsilon_{lnk}\epsilon_{ijk}=-\left(\delta_{li}\delta_{nj}-\delta_{ni}\delta_{lj}\right)=\delta_{ni}\delta_{lj}-\delta_{li}\delta_{nj}[/tex]

Therefore,making the summations with the delta Kronecker

[tex]\vec{A}\times\left(\vec{B}\times\vec{C}\right)=B_{i}A_{l}C_{l}\vec{e}_{i}-A_{l}B_{l}C_{j}\vec{e}_{j}=\left(\vec{A}\cdot\vec{C}\right)\vec{B}-\left(\vec{A}\cdot\vec{B}\right)\vec{C}[/tex]

Q.e.d.




Daniel.
 
2

[tex]\nabla\times\left(A\vec{B}\right)=\epsilon_{ijk}\partial_{i}\left(AB_{j}\right)\vec{e}_{k}=\epsilon_{ijk}\left(\partial_{i}A\right)B_{j}\vec{e}_{k}+\epsilon_{ijk}A\left(\partial_{i}B_{j}\right)\vec{e}_{k}=\left(\nabla A\right)\times\vec{B}+A\left(\nabla\times\vec{B}\right)[/tex]

Q.e.d.




Daniel.
 
Okay.I'll make reference to post #4 in which the simply contracted tensor product of Levi-Civita tensor appears.

3

[tex]\nabla\times\left(\vec{A}\times\vec{B}\right)=\epsilon_{ijk}\partial_{i}\left(\epsilon_{lmj}A_{l}B_{m}\right)\vec{e}_{k}=\epsilon_{ijk}\epsilon_{lmj}\left[\left(\partial_{i}A_{l}\right)B_{m}+A_{l}\left(\partial_{i}B_{m}\right)\right]\vec{e}_{k}[/tex]

[tex]=-\epsilon_{ikj}\epsilon_{lmj}\left[\left(\partial_{i}A_{l}\right)B_{m}+A_{l}\left(\partial_{i}B_{m}\right)\right]\vec{e}_{k} =\left(\delta_{im}\delta_{kl}-\delta_{il}\delta_{km}\right)\left[\left(\partial_{i}A_{l}\right)B_{m}+A_{l}\left(\partial_{i}B_{m}\right)\right]\vec{e}_{k}[/tex]

[tex]=\left(\partial_{m}A_{k}\right)B_{m}\vec{e}_{k}+A_{k}\left(\partial_{m}B_{m}\right)\vec{e}_{k}-\left(\partial_{l}A_{l}\right)B_{k}\vec{e}_{k}-A_{i}\left(\partial_{i}B_{k}\right)\vec{e}_{k}[/tex]

[tex]=\left(\vec{B}\cdot\nabla\right)\vec{A}+\vec{A}\left(\nabla\cdot\vec{B}\right)-\vec{B}\left(\nabla\cdot\vec{A}\right)-\left(\vec{A}\cdot\nabla\right)\vec{B}[/tex]

Q.e.d.

Daniel.
 
4

[tex]\vec{A}\times\left(\nabla\times\vec{B}\right)+\vec{B}\times\left(\nabla\times\vec{A}\right)+\left(\vec{B}\cdot\nabla\right)\vec{A}+\left(\vec{A}\cdot\nabla\right)\vec{B}[/tex]

[tex]=\epsilon_{ijk}A_{i}\left(\nabla\times\vec{B}\right)_{j}\vec{e}_{k}+\epsilon_{ijk}B_{i}\left(\nabla\times\vec{A}\right)_{j}\vec{e}_{k}+B_{m}\left(\partial_{m}A_{l}\right)\vec{e}_{l}+A_{m}\left(\partial_{m}B_{l}\right)\vec{e}_{l}[/tex]

[tex]=\epsilon_{ijk}A_{i}\left(\epsilon_{lmj}\partial_{l}B_{m}\right)\vec{e}_{k}+<br /> \epsilon_{ijk}B_{i}\left(\epsilon_{lmj}\partial_{l}A_{m}\right)\vec{e}_{k}+B_{m}\left(\partial_{m}A_{l}\right)\vec{e}_{l}+A_{m}\left(\partial_{m}B_{l}\right)\vec{e}_{l}[/tex]

[tex]=\left(\delta_{im}\delta_{kl}-\delta_{il}\delta_{km}\right)A_{i}\left(\partial_{l}B_{m}\right)\vec{e}_{k}+\left(\delta_{im}\delta_{kl}-\delta_{il}\delta_{km}\right)B_{i}\left(\partial_{l}A_{m}\right)\vec{e}_{k}+B_{m}\left(\partial_{m}A_{l}\right)\vec{e}_{l}+A_{m}\left(\partial_{m}B_{l}\right)\vec{e}_{l}[/tex]

[tex]=A_{m}\left(\partial_{l}B_{m}\right)\vec{e}_{l}-A_{l}\left(\partial_{l}B_{m}\right)\vec{e}_{m}+B_{m}\left(\partial_{l}A_{m}\right)\vec{e}_{l}-B_{l}\left(\partial_{l}A_{m}\right)\vec{e}_{m}+B_{m}\left(\partial_{m}A_{l}\right)\vec{e}_{l}+A_{m}\left(\partial_{m}B_{l}\right)\vec{e}_{l}[/tex]

[tex]=B_{m}\left(\partial_{l}A_{m}\right)\vec{e}_{l}+A_{m}\left(\partial_{l}B_{m}\right)\vec{e}_{l}=\partial_{l}\left(\vec{A}\cdot\vec{B}\right)\vec{e}_{l}[/tex]

[tex]=\nabla\left(\vec{A}\cdot\vec{B}\right)[/tex]

Q.e.d.


Daniel.
 
Last edited:
Thanks dextercioby :smile:

It will take a while for me to go through this... but you've been a great help!
 
After that "while",if u become at ease with euclidean tensor calculus & its application to proving nasty vector identities,then u can deal with this one

[tex]\left(\vec{A}\times\vec{B}\right)\times\left(\vec{C}\times\vec{D}\right)=\left(\vec{A},\vec{C},\vec{D}\right)\vec{B}-\left(\vec{B},\vec{C},\vec{D}\right)\vec{A}[/tex]

,where the (...,...,...) stands for mixed vector product.

Daniel.
 

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