Help with understanding inexact differential

In summary, In equation 145, the direction is given in terms of the gradient. In equation 147, the direction is given in terms of the slope.
  • #1
granzer
15
1
In

vRe9k.png


How is equation 145 giving a direction(ie gradient) and not a slope?.

Also here

rexHO.png


how is equation 147 arrived at?

Any help would be much appreciated.
 

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  • #2
Can someone please explain this to me. Haven't been able to find an answer .
 
  • #3
granzer said:
In

View attachment 214932

How is equation 145 giving a direction(ie gradient) and not a slope?.Also here

View attachment 214933

how is equation 147 arrived at?

Any help would be much appreciated.
I can just barely read the images you posted.
For your first question, in the US, we tend to call ##\frac {dy}{dx}## a slope; in Europe, people tend to call this a gradient. I prefer to reserve the term gradient to functions such as this: If z = f(x, y), then ##\nabla z = (\frac{\partial f}{\partial x}, \frac{\partial f}{\partial y})##

If y = 3x, then y' or (##\frac{dy}{dx}##) = 3. This gives a direction in the sense that from any point on the graph of this line, you can get to another point by going right 1 unit and then up 3 units.

Same idea for your second question.
 
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Likes granzer
  • #4
Mark44 said:
I can just barely read the images you posted.
For your first question, in the US, we tend to call ##\frac {dy}{dx}## a slope; in Europe, people tend to call this a gradient. I prefer to reserve the term gradient to functions such as this: If z = f(x, y), then ##\nabla z = (\frac{\partial f}{\partial x}, \frac{\partial f}{\partial y})##

If y = 3x, then y' or (##\frac{dy}{dx}##) = 3. This gives a direction in the sense that from any point on the graph of this line, you can get to another point by going right 1 unit and then up 3 units.

Same idea for your second question.
@Mark44 Hello Sir,

Thank you so much. The answers u gave have cleared my doubt about equation 147 and I completely agree with you. I was wondering if it should be given as a slope. And yes going right 1 step and going up 3 step gives a direction from the point. But it is also true going 3 step down and one step back we can get another point. So the direction is both front and back and not a particular direction that would be given by a gradient. But if we take gradient to mean slope here then my doubt is cleared.

But with regard to eq 147, it is given:

##∂σ/∂x=X'∂σ/∂y=X'Y'/τ##

I am not understanding how #X′Y′/τ# is got here.
Any clarification on this would be really helpful.
So sorry about the image quality. The image I uploaded was very good. Don't know how to upload the image with that resolution here. Here is the image I uploaded https://i.stack.imgur.com/APHR9.png

Also, the first image is https://i.stack.imgur.com/cj7YG.png
 

1. What is an inexact differential?

An inexact differential is a type of differential in mathematics that is not exact. It represents the change in a function that is dependent on multiple variables, but the order in which the variables are changed affects the outcome.

2. How is an inexact differential different from an exact differential?

An exact differential is a type of differential in mathematics where the order in which the variables are changed does not affect the outcome. It represents the change in a function that is dependent on multiple variables, but the variables are independent of each other.

3. What is the significance of understanding inexact differentials in science?

Inexact differentials are important in fields such as thermodynamics, where the change in a system depends on multiple variables, and the order in which the variables are changed can affect the outcome. Understanding inexact differentials allows scientists to accurately model and predict the behavior of complex systems.

4. How can inexact differentials be represented mathematically?

Inexact differentials are often represented using partial derivatives, denoted by ∂, to indicate that the variables are independent of each other. For example, a partial derivative of a function f(x,y) with respect to x would be denoted as ∂f/∂x.

5. Can you provide an example of an inexact differential in a real-life scenario?

One example of an inexact differential is work done on a gas in thermodynamic systems. The work done depends on both the pressure and volume of the gas, but the order in which these variables are changed can affect the outcome. Therefore, the work done is an inexact differential.

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