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Div, Grad and Curl
Div, Grad and Curl
AP 8.11.04
mth20
It turns out that div v(r) =rate of change of volume per unit volume of a small drop at the point with position vector r. and curl v(r) =twice the (instantaneous) angular velocity of a small drop at the point with position vector r. (recall the angular velocity is a vector whose magnitude equals the angular speed and whose direction is the same as the axis of rotation as indicated in the diagram). [Thus if a uid is incompressible then the divergence is zero at all points. To say that the ow is irrotational means that the curl is zero at all points.] Since the quatities described above relate to intrinsic properties of the eld, the divergence and curl do not depend onour choice of axes. The operators div, grad and curl are essentially the only rst order partial dierential operators which are invariant under changes of Cartesian coordinates. [See Kreyszigs book for further information.]