Vector Functions Searching Video Lecture

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the understanding of vector functions within the context of differential geometry. Participants share resources, including video lectures and textbooks, while exploring the foundational concepts and challenges associated with learning vector functions and differential geometry.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant seeks video lectures and additional resources for understanding vector functions, mentioning specific links to MIT and other educational platforms.
  • Another participant provides examples of vector functions, such as force in Newton's second law and the trajectory of a cannonball, to illustrate the concept.
  • A different participant explains that a vector function describes curves and provides a mathematical representation of a vector function.
  • Some participants emphasize the importance of understanding foundational concepts in calculus and functions, including domain, codomain, and the nature of functions.
  • Concerns are raised about the difficulty of the differential geometry textbook for a high school student, with suggestions to focus on foundational calculus concepts before progressing.
  • There is a discussion about the challenges of understanding topology-related proofs in differential geometry, with some suggesting that skipping certain sections may be necessary for the participant's current level.
  • One participant notes that the textbook may present concepts in a way that assumes prior knowledge, which could be challenging for someone at a high school level.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying levels of agreement on the challenges faced by the original poster in understanding the material. While some provide supportive advice, others highlight the potential difficulties of the textbook's content for a high school student. There is no consensus on the best approach to take or the adequacy of the resources suggested.

Contextual Notes

Participants note limitations in the original poster's understanding of foundational concepts, which may affect their ability to grasp more advanced topics in differential geometry. The discussion also reflects uncertainty regarding the appropriateness of the recommended resources for the participant's level of study.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for students studying differential geometry, particularly those seeking resources and guidance on vector functions, as well as those at a high school level considering advanced mathematics.

RyanH42
Messages
398
Reaction score
16
Hi I am studying Differantial Geometry.My textbook is Lipschultz Differantia Geometry and I am in chapter two.I undersand the basic idea of Vector function but I wanI to gain more information.Is there any video lectures about vector functions.I found this http://ocw.mit.edu/resources/res-18...ture-1-vector-functions-of-a-scalar-variable/ but its look like old.Is this MIT lecture is enough to understand vector functions.If you know book which one is best for me.
Thanks
Edit :I found these thing too
http://cosmolearning.org/courses/unsw-vector-calculus-546/video-lectures/
https://math.berkeley.edu/~hutching/teach/53videos.html
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
Well I think a calculus book might help, I don't know exactly what are you looking for.
A vector function is a function that is also a vector :-p (tautology).
An example is the force in the 2nd Newton's law:
\vec{F}(t) = m \vec{a}(t)= m a_x(t) \hat{x} + m a_y(t) \hat{y} + m a_z(t) \hat{z}

Or another example is the ballistic trajectory of a cannon ball that moves into the gravitational field (which is a parabola), when thrown at an angle \theta with respect to the horizontal axis with some initial velocity u_0:
\vec{x}(t) = t u_0 \cos \theta \hat{x} + \big(t u_0 \sin \theta - \frac{1}{2} gt^2\big) \hat{y}.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: RyanH42
If you have an opportunity look pdf page 22 Neighborhoods and then vector functions.Vector function is a tye of function describes curves.Let ##a,b,c## be a vectors then vector function is ##f(t)=f_1(t)e_1+f_2(t)e_2+f_3(t)e_3## this is called vector function .It defines curves
 
did you read my editted x(t) example? for the curve that describes the trajectory of a cannon ball?
u_0, \theta are just numbers, and the parametrization of the curve is done by the parameter t (the time here)
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: RyanH42
You parametrize the trajectory curve (blue dots) with the elapsed time t (for different t your vector function \vec{x}(t) will point to some point along the curve as I show some examples for different values of t).PS. Sorry for the ugly sketch, but I am not an artist when it comes to using the paint with a touchpad.
 

Attachments

  • a1.jpg
    a1.jpg
    19 KB · Views: 497
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: RyanH42
Yeah,I unerstand the idea thanks:wink::smile:.I finished the chapter two.I am in now solved problems section.I will going to do that tomorrow.
 
I'm not clear on what exactly you need to learn, so I can only say that this will be a good time to wipe the dust off your old calculus books. Some general advice:

Make sure that you understand the concept of "function" (="map") and associated concepts perfectly. I'm talking about concepts such as domain, codomain and range, and also injective, surjective, bijective, preimage, etc., as well as notations such as ##f:X\to Y##.

Never refer to f(x) as a function (unless it really is). Typically f is the function, and f(x) is an element of its codomain. (When you're doing physics, you can usually ignore this advice without causing too much confusion. But if you ignore this advice when you're doing differential geometry, you will confuse the hell out of yourself).

Make sure that you understand the difference between "x is a function of t" and "x is a function". (The former statement is typically used when the symbols x and t both represent real numbers, or when x represents a vector and t a real number. It means that the value of x, i.e. the number or vector represented by the symbol x, is completely determined by the value of t. If that's the case, then there's a function f such that x=f(t). That function is sometimes denoted by x, especially in physics books. This contributes to students not understanding the difference between the two phrases).

Make sure that you understand partial derivatives.

Make sure that you understand the definitions of kf, f+g and fg, when k is a real number and f,g are real-valued functions on some set S. Make sure that you understand that the first two of these definitions turn the set of real-valued functions on S into a vector space.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: RyanH42
Actually This differantial geometry book is really though.I don't know I can understand the next chapters.The book designed for graduate students but I am in high school.
Fredrik said:
I'm not clear on what exactly you need to learn, so I can only say that this will be a good time to wipe the dust off your old calculus books. Some general advice:

Make sure that you understand the concept of "function" (="map") and associated concepts perfectly. I'm talking about concepts such as domain, codomain and range, and also injective, surjective, bijective, preimage, etc., as well as notations such as ##f:X\to Y##.

Never refer to f(x) as a function (unless it really is). Typically f is the function, and f(x) is an element of its codomain. (When you're doing physics, you can usually ignore this advice without causing too much confusion. But if you ignore this advice when you're doing differential geometry, you will confuse the hell out of yourself).

Make sure that you understand the difference between "x is a function of t" and "x is a function". (The former statement is typically used when the symbols x and t both represent real numbers, or when x represents a vector and t a real number. It means that the value of x, i.e. the number or vector represented by the symbol x, is completely determined by the value of t. If that's the case, then there's a function f such that x=f(t). That function is sometimes denoted by x, especially in physics books. This contributes to students not understanding the difference between the two phrases).

Make sure that you understand partial derivatives.

Make sure that you understand the definitions of kf, f+g and fg, when k is a real number and f,g are real-valued functions on some set S. Make sure that you understand that the first two of these definitions turn the set of real-valued functions on S into a vector space.
I understand I guess.I made examples and I can solve them.I don't want to give up but Is there any chance to me understand further chapters (considering my situation )
 
RyanH42 said:
Actually This differantial geometry book is really though.I don't know I can understand the next chapters.The book designed for graduate students but I am in high school.
I see. I think it will be impossible for you to understand the proofs and definitions that involve topology (open sets, limits of sequences, continuity, etc.) I'm not familiar with this particular book, but books on differential geometry usually contain a lot of proofs of that sort. If you insist on trying to study differential geometry now, you will have to skip the parts that involve topology and then be prepared to study differential geometry again a few years from now, when you're better prepared. But if you have a solid understanding of the concepts I mentioned (this would make you a very unusual high school student), then you may still be able to understand the big picture and learn enough to do many different types of problems and enough to be able to read books on general relativity.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: RyanH42
  • #10
It depends on what you define as "tough" ...
The + (for your level) of this book is that it explains things through examples and illustrations rather than definitions and proofs (that can be a - for someone who wants to get deeper into the maths).
The - (I think for you) is that it explains some things in a very simple way (thinking that the reader understands what is going on) while for your level some of those things may not appear so "natural". It's a matter of practice for many people...you should spend more time thinking/working over the things that appear "non-trivial" to you.
Calculus may help, however I don't know of a good book for you. I never had a good book in calculus o0)
Well, I still have a feeling you are going too fast...maybe you were in a hurry to reach chapters 8+...spend more time in understanding how to work with the first chapters (which can also help you prepare for the first year of your uni studies).
That's because differential geometry can help you work with things that are not only associated with General Relativity, but also classical mechanics (as the ballistic trajectory I mentioned in previous post). Especially when studying curves (associated with trajectories), and getting the positions (those "vector functions"), velocities (which will be the "vector functions" derivatives/tangent to the curves) etc, things that he starts building in chapter 4 and things like TNB frames:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frenet–Serret_formulas
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: RyanH42
  • #11
I will going to spend more time on thinking.I will going to look again chapter 1 and chapter 2.
ChrisVer said:
Well, I still have a feeling you are going too fast...maybe you were in a hurry to reach chapters 8+...spend more time in understanding how to work with the first chapters (which can also help you prepare for the first year of your uni studies).
This is also good for me.

Fredrik said:
But if you have a solid understanding of the concepts I mentioned (this would make you a very unusual high school student), then you may still be able to understand the big picture and learn enough to do many different types of problems and enough to be able to read books on general relativity.
This is %90 true for chapter one and chapter two.I can see the big picture.But I didnt understand the concepts nearly and of chapter two.I will going to look them again
I will going to finish this book.
The book ask sometimes "proof this thing" I can do half of them in chapter one.I work 5-6 hours to come this chapter.In high school we learned chapter one so it didnt took me a so much time to work on.In second chapter again.I know plane equation and other stuff.The textbook is very very good. I understand the basic concept.Example there says let's take a four point on a plane and let's ask us the equation of plane.This will be [(x-a)(b-a)(c-a)]=0 why, cause If we make (b-a)x(c-a) We will find a vector which its both perpendicular to b-a and c-a vectors and dot product of x-a and (b-a)x(c-a) will give us zero cause they are perpendicular.I don't know why but I felt that I need to proof myself.But you are right ChrisVer I am hurrying this my curse.I can be patient in my life but I can't be patient when te thing comes "learning".I want to know everything without effort.I know this is not possible.
In next chapters I need to work so hard cause they look like so tough.But again I will going to look again firt two chapters to understand concept better.Maybe I am a smart guy who knows ? (I don't thing that's true )
Thanks for advice.:smile::smile:
Later In homework section I will going to mention the questions which I couldnt.I will give you a total number of wrong answers or empty questions so you can coonsider my situation.I won't be lie to you guys.
 
Last edited:
  • #12


This is Schaums outline Chapter 2 video lecture.I found it and its really helpfull.Vector Calculus
 

Similar threads

  • Sticky
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
13K
  • · Replies 90 ·
4
Replies
90
Views
121K