Green's, Gauss divergence and Stoke's theorems

  • Thread starter Thread starter DryRun
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Divergence Gauss
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

Green's theorem, Gauss divergence theorem, and Stokes' theorem are fundamental theorems in vector calculus that relate surface integrals to line integrals. Green's theorem applies to a 2D plane, evaluating the surface area bounded by a simple closed curve. The Gauss divergence theorem is utilized in 3D to evaluate the flux through a surface enclosed by a closed curve. Stokes' theorem generalizes these concepts, applying to surfaces in 3D and relating the surface integral of a vector field to the line integral around its boundary.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of vector calculus concepts
  • Familiarity with surface and line integrals
  • Knowledge of 2D and 3D geometric interpretations
  • Basic understanding of manifolds and differential forms
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the applications of Green's theorem in 2D vector fields
  • Explore the Gauss divergence theorem in the context of fluid dynamics
  • Learn about Stokes' theorem and its proofs in higher dimensions
  • Read "Differential Forms and Applications" by Tu for a deeper understanding of these theorems
USEFUL FOR

Students and professionals in mathematics, physics, and engineering who require a solid understanding of vector calculus theorems for applications in fields such as fluid dynamics, electromagnetism, and differential geometry.

DryRun
Gold Member
Messages
837
Reaction score
4
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.
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
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
 

Similar threads

Replies
28
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 30 ·
2
Replies
30
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K