1

4.3 & 4.4 Course Notes

Vector forms of Greens
Theorem
Divergence of a Vector Field
VECTOR CALCULUS CURL FORM OF GREENS THEOREM
Recall Greens Theorem.
If F = P i + Q j is a vector field with third
component 0, then:
dxdy
y
P
x
Q
Qdy Pdx
R
C
}} } |
|
.
|

\
|
c
c

c
c
= +
CURL FORM OF GREENS THEOREM
Now calculate the curl F:
( ) ( )
curl
, , 0
x y z
P x y Q x y
Q P
x y
c c c
=
c c c
c c | |
=
|
c c
\ .
i j k
F
k
CURL FORM OF GREENS THEOREM
Therefore,
( ) curl
Q P
x y
Q P
x y
c c | |
=
|
c c
\ .
c c
=
c c
F k k k
CURL FORM OF GREENS THEOREM
Hence, we can now rewrite the equation
in Greens Theorem in the vector form
( ) dxdy Qdy Pdx
R
C
}} }
V = + k F
CURL FORM OF GREENS THEOREM
INTERPRETATION:
Particles near (x, y, z) in a fluid tend
to rotate about the axis that points in
the direction of curl F(x, y, z)
The line integral
is called the
Circulation
around C.
2
DIVERGENCE
The divergence of a vector field
F = P i + Q j + R k
is the scalar function of three variables
defined by:
div
P Q R
x y z
c c c
= + +
c c c
F
DIVERGENCE
In terms of the gradient operator
the divergence of F can be written
symbolically as the dot product of and F:
V
x y z
c c c | |
| | | |
V = + +
| |
|
c c c \ . \ .
\ .
i j k
div = V F F
DIVERGENCE Example
If F(x, y, z) = xz i + xyz j y
2
k
find div F.
By the definition of divergence we have:
( ) ( ) ( )
2
div
xz xyz y
x y z
z xz
= V
c c c
= + +
c c c
= +
F F
DIVERGENCE
If F = P i + Q j + R k is a vector field
and P, Q, and R have continuous second-order
partial derivatives, then div(curl F) = 0
Or
Theorem
0 F = V V ) (
DIVERGENCE
By the definitions of divergence and curl,
The terms cancel in pairs by Clairauts Theorem.
Proof - See Page 61 of Notes
( )
2 2 2 2 2 2
div curl
0
R Q P R Q P
x y z y z x z x y
R Q P R Q P
x y x z y z y x z x z y
= V V
c c c c c c c c c | | | |
| |
= + +
|
| |
c c c c c c c c c \ .
\ . \ .
c c c c c c
= + + =
c c c c c c c c c c c c
F
F
DIVERGENCE Example Page 60 Course notes
). ( and calculate
2 Given
2 2 2
F F
k j i F
V V V
+ = z y xyz z x
3
DIVERGENCE FORM of GREENS THEOREM
See Page 63 of the Course Notes:
This is Greens theorem in Divergence form
To prove this:
Start with the LHS and use the standard form of
Greens theorem.
(*) ) ( ) ( div j i j i F dx dy Q P dxdy
C
R
+ =
} }}
DIVERGENCE FORM of GREENS THEOREM
Next, what is ?
We know that a tangent vector to the curve is
given by:
Since their dot product is zero,
is an outward normal vector to C.
j i r dy dx d + =
j i dx dy
ds
dx dy
dy dx
dx dy
j i
j i
n

=
+

=
2 2
) ( ) (
: is normal unit The
j i dx dy
DIVERGENCE FORM of GREENS THEOREM
Therefore, substituting
into (*) gives:
ie.,
the divergence form of Greens Theorem
becomes:
(*) ) ( ) ( div j i j i F dx dy Q P dxdy
C
R
+ =
} }}
ds dxdy
R
n F F
} }}
=
C
div
ds dx dy n j i =
FLUX ACROSS A CURVE
If F represents the velocity of a fluid flow, then
is the component of F in the direction of the
normal n to the curve.
Therefore
is called the FLUX of F across C
Can be interpreted as the total amount of fluid
flowing in (or out) across C
n F
ds n F
}

C
FLUX ACROSS A CURVE
Hence, we can restate Greens theorem in
divergence form as follows:
FLUX of F across C =
ds dxdy
R
n F F
} }}
=
C
div
FLUX ACROSS A CURVE
Example 3 - Page 65 Course Notes
Find the flux of outwards
across the ellipse
dxdy ds
R
F n F div
C
}} }
=
j i F y x 2 + =
1
9 16
2 2
= +
y x