Andriy Petrashyk

Homework 1

October 18, 2015

Problem 1.
Part (a)
For all of these vectors, we have:
r
kuk = kvk = kwk =

22 + 32 + 32
= 1.
72

We also have
6236+23
= 0;
49
6 3 + 3 2 + 2 6
~u w
~=
= 0;
49
2 3 6 2 + 6 3
~v w
~=
= 0.
49
~u ~v =

Finally, if the vectors form a right-handed triple, their triple product must be positive:


3 2 6

1 
6 3 2 = 1.
(~u ~v ) w
~=

49 7 
2
6 3

Part (b)
The matrix that takes (
u, v, w)
into (
x, y, z) has (
u, v, w)
as its columns, the one that takes
(
x, y, z) into (
u, v, w)
is the transpose of this and has (
u, v, w)
as its rows. So the matrix in
question is


 6 3 2

1
6 3 .
R =  2
7
3 2 6
We can verify this new matrix is the right one by checking that the ith basis vector has
coordinates ji :

6 3 2
6
1
1
1

2
6 3
3 = 0 .
R~u =
7
7
3 2 6
2
0

Andriy Petrashyk

Homework 1

October 18, 2015

Part (c)
This is simple matrix-vector multiplication:

6 3
1
0
~
2
6
a = R~a =
7
3 2

6 3
~c0 = R~c = 1 2
6
7
3 2

2
5
0
1

3
24 ;
3 =
7
6
6
2

2
2
2

3
2 = 2 .
6
2
2

The fact that ~c doesnt change its coordinates means that it lies along the axis of rotation
of the change-of-basis matrix R.

Problem 2.
Part (a)
Using the definition of the triple product and the properties of the determinant, namely
that it changes sign under the interchange of any two rows, and that the determinant of
the transpose is the same as that of the original matrix, we have:

 
 



w1 w2 w3   u1 u2 u3  u1 v1 w1 
w1 w2 w3 

 
 



(~u ~v ) w
~ =  u1 u2 u3  =  v1 v2 v3  =  v1 v2 v3  = u2 v2 w2  .
 u1 u2 u3  w1 w2 w3  u3 v3 w3 
 v1 v2 v3 

Part (b)
Orthogonal matrix columns [u|v|w] form an orthogonal basis (~u ~v ) w
~ = 1. But
as we showed in Part (a), det[u|v|w] = (~u ~v ) w.
~

Problem 3.
This is straightforward:
~ (
~ V~ ) = i (
~ V~ )i = i ijk j Vk = (ijk i j )Vk

1
= (ijk i j + jik j i ) Vk
2
1
= (ijk i j ijk j i ) Vk
2
1
= (ijk i j ijk i j ) Vk
2
=0

Andriy Petrashyk

Homework 1

October 18, 2015

Problem 4.
Part (a)
Stokes theorem:
Z

~ V~ d~ =

V~ d~l.

Then for any curve C in the x-y

~ V~ = 2k.
Look at V~ = xj yi. For this vector field,
plane, the area enclosed is
Z
Z
1
A = dxdy =
2k k dxdy
2
Z
I
1
1

~
~
V k dxdy =
V~ d~l
=
2
2
C
I
I
1
1
=
(xj yi) d~l =
(x dy y dx).
2
2
C

Part (b)
We apply the above formula to an ellipse, namely, the curve x = a cos , y = b sin , where
0 2:
1
A=
2

1
(x dy y dx) =
2

Z2
[a cos d(b sin ) b sin d(a cos )]
0

ab
=
2

Z2

ab
(cos d + sin d) =
2
2

Z2
d = ab.
0

Problem 5.
We use divergence theorem:
Z

~ V~ d =

V~ n
d,

~ ().
~
and notice that 2 + =
Then,
Z
Z
I
2
~
~
~
( + ) d = () d = ()
n
d.
~ ( )
~
The second part is straightforward simply subtract 2 + =
from
the above.
3