Elliptic Cylindrical Coordinates

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the existence of a cylindrical coordinate system specifically centered around the foci of an ellipse, referred to as elliptic cylindrical coordinates. The participants explore the implications of such a system, particularly regarding the Laplacian operator. It is established that while standard elliptic cylindrical coordinates do not center on the foci, an affine transformation can be applied to shift the origin to one of the foci, which will modify the form of the Laplacian accordingly.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of cylindrical coordinate systems
  • Familiarity with elliptic coordinates
  • Knowledge of the Laplacian operator in multivariable calculus
  • Basic concepts of affine transformations
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the properties of elliptic cylindrical coordinates
  • Study the derivation of the Laplacian in non-Cartesian coordinate systems
  • Learn about affine transformations and their applications in coordinate systems
  • Explore advanced topics in multivariable calculus, particularly in relation to coordinate transformations
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Mathematicians, physicists, and engineers interested in advanced coordinate systems and their applications in solving differential equations.

nassboy
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Is there a cylindrical coordinate system that is centered about the foci of an ellipse. It would include (r,theta,z) just like cylindrical coordinates only for an ellipse.

If this coordinate system exists, what is the laplacian?

Chris
 
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I wasn't sure if those coordinate systems were exactly what I wanted...they aren't focci centered.
 
Can't you just perform a simple affine transformation so that the origin is at one of the foci? Of course, using the chain rule to incorporate this shift would slightly alter the form of your Laplacian.
 

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