Green's, Gauss divergence and Stoke's theorems

In summary, Green's theorem is used for evaluating surface area in a 2D plane bounded by a simple closed curve, while Gauss divergence theorem is used for evaluating flux in 3D of a surface bounded by a closed curve. Stoke's theorem is a generalization of these two theorems and can be used for evaluating surface area in 3D bounded by a simple closed curve. It may be helpful to refer to an introductory book on manifolds for a better understanding of these theorems.
  • #1
DryRun
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Homework Statement
What's the difference between Green's theorem, Gauss divergence theorem and Stoke's theorem?

The attempt at a solution
I'm struggling to understand when i should apply each of those theorems.

Here is what i understand. Please correct my statements below, if needed.

Green's theorem is for evaluating the surface area of a region in a 2D plane, bounded by a simple closed curve.

Gauss divergence theorem is for evaluating the flux in 3D of a surface bounded by a closed curve.

Stoke's theorem is for evaluating the surface area in 3D bounded by a simple closed curve.

It's all a bit mixed in my mind, so I'm not sure which theorem to use, but I've been trying to distinguish between those 3 theorems.
 
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  • #2
I think it might help to get an intriductory book on manifolds, for instance the one by Tu. You'll find out that these theorems are in fact all examples of stokes' theorem.

For now:
the divergence theorem says that everything escaping a certain volume goes through the surface. So is you're integrating the divergence you might as well integrate the field itself over the (2-D) boundary.

Green's theorem says basically the same thing but one dimension lower

and Stokes' theorem is a generalization of these
 

1. What are Green's, Gauss divergence, and Stoke's theorems?

Green's, Gauss divergence, and Stoke's theorems are mathematical theorems commonly used in vector calculus to relate a line integral over a curve to a double integral over a region, a surface integral over a closed surface to a triple integral over the region inside the surface, and a surface integral over a closed surface to a line integral along the boundary of the surface, respectively.

2. What is the significance of these theorems in science?

These theorems have wide applications in various fields of science, including physics, engineering, and mathematics. They provide powerful tools for solving problems involving vector fields, such as electric and magnetic fields, fluid flow, and gravitational fields.

3. How are Green's, Gauss divergence, and Stoke's theorems related?

Green's theorem is a special case of the Gauss divergence theorem, which is itself a special case of Stoke's theorem. In other words, Green's theorem is a two-dimensional version of the three-dimensional Gauss divergence theorem, which is a special case of the three-dimensional Stoke's theorem.

4. Are there any practical applications of these theorems?

Yes, these theorems have numerous practical applications in science and engineering. For example, they are used to calculate the work done by a force on an object, the flow of fluids through a surface, and the flux of a vector field through a surface, among others.

5. What are the conditions for these theorems to be applicable?

The conditions for these theorems to be applicable vary, but in general, they require that the vector fields involved are continuous and differentiable within the region of integration. In addition, the curves, surfaces, and regions involved must also satisfy certain conditions, such as being smooth and simply connected.

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