Div(gradΦ): Solve 3y12+2y22-3y1y32

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Φ=3y12+2y22-3y1y32

Find: div(gradΦ).

I broke it down to find the partial derivative of all 3 coordinates y1,y2 and y3, so using the continuity equation:

y1=6y1-3y32
y2=4y2
y3=6y3y1

However, I'm not sure if this correct, would the first part give the gradient? Could someone confirm or solve this?

Regards
 
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kezzstar said:
Find: div(gradΦ).

I broke it down to find the partial derivative of all 3 coordinates y1,y2 and y3, so using the continuity equation:

y1=6y1-3y32
y2=4y2
y3=6y3y1

However, I'm not sure if this correct, would the first part give the gradient? Could someone confirm or solve this?

what is the gradient of a function ? its the slope of the curve representing the function/

divergence also has a meaning in calculus.
 
kezzstar said:
Φ=3y12+2y22-3y1y32

Find: div(gradΦ).

I broke it down to find the partial derivative of all 3 coordinates y1,y2 and y3, so using the continuity equation:

y1=6y1-3y32
y2=4y2
y3=6y3y1

However, I'm not sure if this correct, would the first part give the gradient? Could someone confirm or solve this?

Regards
The divergence of the gradient of a function is also known as the Laplacian of that function:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laplace_operator

What you have calculated so far is:

$$\frac{∂Φ}{∂y_1} = 6y_1-3y_3^2$$
$$\frac{∂Φ}{∂y_2}=4y_2$$
$$\frac{∂Φ}{∂y_3}=-6y_3y_1$$

or

##∇Φ = (\frac{∂Φ}{∂y_1},\frac{∂Φ}{∂y_2},\frac{∂Φ}{∂y_3}) = (6y_1-3y_3^2,4y_2,-6y_1y_3)##

The final step is

##div(grad Φ) = ∇ ⋅ ∇Φ = \frac{∂^2Φ}{∂y_1^2}+\frac{∂^2Φ}{∂y_2^2}+\frac{∂^2Φ}{∂y_3^2}##

(Note: edited to fix sign error in third term.)
 
Last edited:
Just to add, I believe you should get 10-6y1.

kezzstar said:
y3=6y3y1
I think you forgot a negative sign there.
 
You wrote
##y_1=6y_1-3y_3^2##
when you should have written
##\frac{\partial\Psi}{\partial y_1}=6y_1-3y_3^2##.
I don't know if you made a mistake in understanding or used a lazy abuse of notation, but you really need to avoid misuse of the equality expression. If you want to write it as a semantic pairing of the left and right, but not an equality, you are better off using a colon or comma, or making a table.