DIFFERENTIAL OPERATORS IN

CURVILINEAR COORDINATES5

Cylindrical Coordinates
Divergence
1 ∂ 1 ∂Aφ ∂Az
∇·A= (rAr ) + +
r ∂r r ∂φ ∂z

Gradient
∂f 1 ∂f ∂f
(∇f )r = ; (∇f )φ = ; (∇f )z =
∂r r ∂φ ∂z

Curl
1 ∂Az ∂Aφ
(∇ × A)r = −
r ∂φ ∂z

∂Ar ∂Az
(∇ × A)φ = −
∂z ∂r

1 ∂ 1 ∂Ar
(∇ × A)z = (rAφ ) −
r ∂r r ∂φ

Laplacian

1 ∂2f ∂2f
 
2 1 ∂ ∂f
∇ f = r + +
r ∂r ∂r r 2 ∂φ2 ∂z 2

6
Laplacian of a vector

2 2 2 ∂Aφ Ar
(∇ A)r = ∇ Ar − 2
− 2
r ∂φ r

2 2 2 ∂Ar Aφ
(∇ A)φ = ∇ Aφ + 2
− 2
r ∂φ r

2 2
(∇ A)z = ∇ Az

Components of (A · ∇)B
∂Br Aφ ∂Br ∂Br Aφ B φ
(A · ∇B)r = Ar + + Az −
∂r r ∂φ ∂z r

∂Bφ Aφ ∂Bφ ∂Bφ Aφ Br

(A · ∇B)φ = Ar + + Az +
∂r r ∂φ ∂z r

∂Bz Aφ ∂Bz ∂Bz

(A · ∇B)z = Ar + + Az
∂r r ∂φ ∂z

Divergence of a tensor
1 ∂ 1 ∂Tφr ∂Tzr Tφφ
(∇ · T )r = (rTrr ) + + −
r ∂r r ∂φ ∂z r

1 ∂ 1 ∂Tφφ ∂Tzφ Tφr

(∇ · T )φ = (rTrφ ) + + +
r ∂r r ∂φ ∂z r

1 ∂ 1 ∂Tφz ∂Tzz
(∇ · T )z = (rTrz ) + +
r ∂r r ∂φ ∂z

7
Spherical Coordinates
Divergence
1 ∂ 2 1 ∂ 1 ∂Aφ
∇·A= (r A r ) + (sin θA θ ) +
r 2 ∂r r sin θ ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ

Gradient
∂f 1 ∂f 1 ∂f
(∇f )r = ; (∇f )θ = ; (∇f )φ =
∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ

Curl
1 ∂ 1 ∂Aθ
(∇ × A)r = (sin θAφ ) −
r sin θ ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ

1 ∂Ar 1 ∂
(∇ × A)θ = − (rAφ )
r sin θ ∂φ r ∂r

1 ∂ 1 ∂Ar
(∇ × A)φ = (rAθ ) −
r ∂r r ∂θ

Laplacian

∂2f
   
2 1 ∂ 2 ∂f 1 ∂ ∂f 1
∇ f = 2 r + 2 sin θ +
r ∂r ∂r r sin θ ∂θ ∂θ r 2 sin2 θ ∂φ2

Laplacian of a vector

2 2 2Ar 2 ∂Aθ 2 cot θAθ 2 ∂Aφ

(∇ A)r = ∇ Ar − − − −
r2 r 2 ∂θ r2 r 2 sin θ ∂φ

2 2 2 ∂Ar Aθ 2 cos θ ∂Aφ

(∇ A)θ = ∇ Aθ + − −
r 2 ∂θ r 2 sin2 θ r 2 sin2 θ ∂φ

2 2 Aφ 2 ∂Ar 2 cos θ ∂Aθ

(∇ A)φ = ∇ Aφ − + +
r 2 sin2 θ r 2 sin θ ∂φ r 2 sin2 θ ∂φ

8
Components of (A · ∇)B
∂Br Aθ ∂Br Aφ ∂Br Aθ B θ + Aφ B φ
(A · ∇B)r = Ar + + −
∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ r

∂Bθ Aθ ∂Bθ Aφ ∂Bθ Aθ Br cot θAφ Bφ

(A · ∇B)θ = Ar + + + −
∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ r r

∂Bφ Aθ ∂Bφ Aφ ∂Bφ Aφ B r cot θAφ Bθ

(A · ∇B)φ = Ar + + + +
∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂φ r r

Divergence of a tensor
1 ∂ 2 1 ∂
(∇ · T )r = 2
(r Trr ) + (sin θTθr )
r ∂r r sin θ ∂θ

1 ∂Tφr Tθθ + Tφφ

+ −
r sin θ ∂φ r

1 ∂ 2 1 ∂
(∇ · T )θ = 2
(r Trθ ) + (sin θTθθ )
r ∂r r sin θ ∂θ

1 ∂Tφθ Tθr cot θTφφ

+ + −
r sin θ ∂φ r r

1 ∂ 2 1 ∂
(∇ · T )φ = 2
(r Trφ ) + (sin θTθφ )
r ∂r r sin θ ∂θ

1 ∂Tφφ Tφr cot θTφθ

+ + +
r sin θ ∂φ r r