Divergence operator in cylindrical & sherical

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the divergence operator in cylindrical and spherical coordinates, specifically the formula for the "Del" operator in orthogonal curvilinear coordinates. The formula is expressed as \widetilde{\bigtriangledown} =\left ( \frac{1}{h_{1}}\frac{\partial }{\partial u_{1}}, \frac{1}{h_{2}}\frac{\partial }{\partial u_{2}},\frac{1}{h_{3}}\frac{\partial }{\partial u_{3}} \right ), where h_{1}, h_{2}, h_{3} are scaling factors and u_{1}, u_{2}, u_{3} are parametrization variables. Specific examples in spherical coordinates are provided, including the divergence operator expressed as \widetilde{\bigtriangledown} =\left ( \frac{1}{1}\frac{\partial }{\partial r}, \frac{1}{r}\frac{\partial }{\partial \theta },\frac{1}{r \sin(\theta)}\frac{\partial }{\partial \varphi } \right ). Resources such as HyperPhysics and MathWorld are recommended for further exploration of these formulas.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of vector calculus concepts, specifically divergence.
  • Familiarity with cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems.
  • Knowledge of partial derivatives and scaling factors in curvilinear coordinates.
  • Basic proficiency in mathematical notation and expressions.
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation of the divergence operator in cylindrical coordinates.
  • Explore the application of the divergence operator in fluid dynamics.
  • Learn about the gradient and curl operators in spherical coordinates.
  • Review resources on vector calculus, such as "Div, Grad, Curl, and All That" by H.M. Schey.
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Students and professionals in mathematics, physics, and engineering, particularly those focusing on vector calculus and its applications in fields like fluid dynamics and electromagnetism.

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The "Del" operator in any orthogonal curvilinear coordinates is:

<br /> \widetilde{\bigtriangledown} =\left ( \frac{1}{h_{1}}\frac{\partial }{\partial u_{1}}, \frac{1}{h_{2}}\frac{\partial }{\partial u_{2}},\frac{1}{h_{3}}\frac{\partial }{\partial u_{3}} \right )<br />

where:

<br /> h_{1},h_{2},h_{3}<br />

are the "scaling factors"

and

<br /> u_{1},u_{2},u_{3}<br />

are the parametrization variables.Example in Spherical Coordinates:

<br /> h_{r}=\left \| \frac{\partial \vec{r}}{\partial r} \right \|=\left \| \frac{1}{\bigtriangledown r} \right \|=<br /> \left \| \frac{1}{\left ( \frac{\partial r}{\partial x}, \frac{\partial r}{\partial y},\frac{\partial r}{\partial z} \right )} \right \|<br />
*same idea for Theta and Phi...

<br /> \widetilde{\bigtriangledown} =\left ( \frac{1}{1}\frac{\partial }{\partial r}, \frac{1}{r}\frac{\partial }{\partial \theta },\frac{1}{r sin(\theta) }\frac{\partial }{\partial \varphi } \right )<br />

makes sense? :)
 
thank you !
 
Wikipedia also usually a good resource to find these kinds of formulas collected in one place.
 

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