GRADIENT, DIVERGENCE AND CURL

  
The del operator  is defined as i  j k .
x y z

The gradient of f is denoted as f or gradf .

r   x, y, z  is a scalar field, ie a scalar function x, y, z 

in 3 dimensions, then its gradient at any point is defined
in Cartesian co-ordinates by
    
   i
 x  j  k 

 y z 

  
  i  j k
x y z

EXAMPLE
Given that   x yz . Find gradient of
2 3


Solution
  
  i  j k
x y z
  
  i
x
 
x 2 yz 3  j
y

x 2 yz 3  k 
z
x 2 yz 3  

  
  i 2 xyz3  j x 2 z 3  k 3x 2 yz 2   
EXERCISE

1
 i. Given that f ( x, y )  3 x 2 3
y  4 x 7
cos y  y sin xy find
gradient of f

ii. Given that   x yz  4 xz Find gradient of

2 2
 at
point 1, 2,1
iii. Given that   2x 3 2 4
y z find   at 1, 1,1
 

The divergence of a vector field

The divergence computes a scalar quantity from a
vector field by differentiation. If Ax, y, z  is a vector

function in 3 dimensions, that is A  A1i  A2 j  A3k then its
divergence at any point is defined in Cartesian
coordinates by
  A1 A2 A3
divA  . A   
x y z

EXAMPLE
 
If A  xzi  y j  x yk find divergence of A .
2 2

Solution
  A1 A2 A3
div A  . A   
x y z

   xz  y 2
divA  . A   
 
 x2 y  
x y z
 
div A  . A  z  2 y  0

2
 
div A  z  2 y
The curl of a vector field

The curl of a vector field A is given by

i j k
             
curlA    A   i y z  j x z  k x y
x y z A2 A3 A1 A3 A1 A2
A1 A2 A3

EXAMPLE

If A  x 2 2
z i  y 2
zj  x 2
yz 2
k find curl of 
A .
Solution
i j k    
      
  
curlA    A   i y z  j x z  k x y
x y z A2 A3 A1 A3 A1 A2
A1 A2 A3

i j k
    
curlA    A 
x y z
x2 z2 y2z x yz 2
2

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     
     
curlA    A  i y z  j x z  k x y
y2z x 2 yz 2 x2 z2 x 2 yz 2 x2 z2 y2z

   
   

curlA    A  i x 2 z 2  y 2  j 2 xyz 2  2 x 2 z  k 0  0
  
   

curlA    A  i x 2 z 2  y 2  j 2 xyz 2  2 x 2 z

EXERCISE

If B  xz 3
i  2 x 2
yzj  2 yz 4
k find curl of 
at point 1,1,1
i. B

f ( x, y, z)  x 3 i  x 2 yz k
ii. If ~ ~ find curl (F)
Some definitions involving div, curl and grad
• A vector field with zero divergence is said to be
solenoidal
. • A vector field with zero curl is said to be irrotational.
• A scalar field with zero gradients is said to be, a
constant.
EXERCISE

a) Show that A  2 x 2
yi  2  xy 2
 y 3
z  j  3 y 2 2
z k is a solenoid
vector

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 b) Determine the values of a, b and c for which the
   
vector r  ( x  2 y  az )i  (bx  3 y  z ) j  (4 x  cy  2 z )k is
irrotational.
c) If  is a constant vector, prove that   r  Aˆ   Aˆ

DIRECTIONAL DIRECTIVE
Suppose function f x, y, z  is defined at point x, y, z 
on a given space curve C .
Let x  x, y  y, z  z  be the value of the function at
the neighbouring point.
Let S denotes the length of the arc between these two
points then
lim f
s  0 S

lim f lim F x  x, y  y, zz   F x, y, z 


S  0 s S  0 S
If it exists it is called directional derivative of f x, y, z 
at point x, y, z  along the curve C and is given by

dF F dx F dy F dz
  
dS x ds y ds z ds

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In vector form it can be written as

dF F F F  dx dy dz 
 i j k  i  j k
dS x y z  ds ds ds 
dF 
 F .T
dS ……………………………A

Equation A gives Directional derivatives or rate of

change.
 AB
T Unit tangent
AB

Maximum directional derivatives is given by F

EXAMPLE
Find directional derivatives given the function

U  2 x3 y  3 y 2 z

At point P1,2,1 in the direction of Q3,1,5

SOLUTION
dU 
 U .T
dS
U U U
U  i j k
x y Z

     
U  6 x 2 y i  2 x 3  6 yz j   3 y 2 k

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U 1, 2 , 1  12i  14 j  12k

 PQ 2i  3 j  6k
T  
PQ 2 2  3 2  6 2

 PQ 2i  3 j  6k 2i  3 j  6k
T   
PQ 49 7

2 3 6
 i j  k
7 7 7

2 6 
 12i  14 j  12k    i 
dU 3
j  k
dS 7 7 7 

dU 24 42 72 90
   
dS 7 7 7 7

EXAMPLE
Find directional derivatives of the function
f x, y, z   x 2 z  y 3 z 2  xyz in the direction of

p 1,0,3 .
SOLUTION
df 
 f .T
dS

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 f f f
f  i j k
x y Z

  
f  2 xz  yz i  3 y 2 z 2  xz j  x 2  2 y 3 z  yx k

 P  i  0 j  3k  i  3k
T    
P 1  0  3
2 2 2
10

   
f .T  2 xz  yz i  3 y 2 z 2  xz j  x 2  2 y 3 z  yx k 
 1 
  i  0 j  3k 
 10 


f .T  
1 3 2

2 xz  yz   x  2 y 3 z  yx . 
10 10

EXERCISE

a) Find directional derivatives given of U  2 x y  3 y z
3 2


in the direction of v  2i  3 j  6k .

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b) Find directional derivatives given of
f x, y, z   sin  yz   Inx 2  at point 1,1,   in the

direction of v 1,1,1
c) Find the directional derivative of   x yz  4 xz at
2 2

1, 2, 1 in the direction i  2 j  2k

d) Find the directional derivative of
F ( x, y, z)  x 2 z  y 3 z 2  xyz at point P(1,2,1) in a direction

of u  i  3k
e) Determine the directional derivative of
f x, y, z   x 2 yz  xyz  4 xz2 1,1,1
at point in the direction
   
v  2i  j  k
.
f) Find the directional derivatives of
at (2, -1, 1)in the direction towards (3,1-1)

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 EQUATION OF A TANGENT PLANE

PPP

A vector normal to S at the point P is  f . If r and0

r are vectors drawn respectively from Px0 , y0 , z0  and

Qx, y, z  . The equation of the tangent plane is given by
(r  r0 )  f  0

The equation of the normal line to the surface is given

by

10
x  x0 y  y0 z  z0
  li  mj  nk is the
l m n where
dimensional vector of the normal line.
EXAMPLE
Find the equation of the tangent plane and normal line
of the function f x, y, z   x  y  z  9 at point 1,2,4 .
2 2 2

SOLUTION

Equation of tangent is given by (r  r0 )  f  0

r  r0  x  1i   y  2 j  z  4k

f  2 xi  2 yj  2 zk
f 1, 2 , 4   2i  4 j  8k

(r  r0 )  f   x  1i   y  2 j  z  4k 
2i  4 j  8k   0
2 x  2  4 y  8  8 z  32  0 0r

2 x  4 y  8 z  42  0

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EXERCISE
1. Find the equation of the tangent plane and normal
line of the following functions.

a. x 2
 y 2
 z 2
 30 at point 1
, 2,5
b. x 2
y  4 ze x y
 35 at point 3,3,2
 x 
In   z 2 x  2 y   3z  3
c.  2 y  at point 4,2,1

2. Find the equation of the tangent plane and the

normal line to the surface
f x, y, z   x 2  3 y 2  4 z 2  3xy  10 yz  4 x  5z  22 1,2,1
at point
3. Find the equation of the tangent plane and the
x 2  y 2  z 2  25
normal line to the surface at the point
 4,0,3
4. Find the equation of tangent plane to the
x2  4 y2
z
paraboloid, 10 at the point 2,2,2.
5. Determine the equation of tangent plane to the
surface z(1  x  y )  xy sin x  y  at the specific point
2 2

(1, 1, 0)

6. Find the equation of the tangent to the curve

y  x  2 x  4 at (2,4)
3 2

7. Lets: f ( x, y, z)  xy2  3 yz  xz  12  0 .
Find the equation of
11
the tangent plane to the plan S at (1,1, ) 4

12
LAGRANGE METHOD OF UNDETERMINED
MULTIPLIER.
Sometimes we need to find maximum/minimum values
of a function f x, y, z  where x , y and z are
connected to some relation say  x, y, z   0 . In such case
we have an alternative method of finding critical point
called Lagrange method of undetermined multiplier.
Suppose we want to find maximum/ minimum value of
the function U  f x, y, z  subjected to the condition
 x, y, z  then;

du  f x dx  f y dy  f z dz ………………………………i

d   x dx   y dy   z dz ……………………………….ii

Necessary condition for f x, y, z  to have

maximum/minimum,

f x  0, f y  0, f z  0
f x dx  f y dy  f z dz  0 …………………………..iii

 x dx   y dy   z dz  0 …………………………..iv

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Multiplying equation (iv ) by  then add it to equation
(iii ) .

( f x   x )dx  ( f y   y )dy  ( f z   z )dz  0 …….v

This is possible iff:

( f x  x )dx  0 …………………………………….vi

( f y   y )dy  0 …………………………………...vii

( f z  z )dz  0 ……………………………………viii

Solving equations vi, vii & viii  we have
fx fy fz
     
x y z

fx fy fz
   
x y z

SUMMARY
To find the extreme values of the function f x, y, z  subject
to the condition  x, y, z   0 and  x, y, z   0 ;
i. Form auxiliary equation
H x, y, z, ,    f ( x, y, z)   x, y, z    x, y, z 
14
 ii. Determine the extreme values.
EXAMPLE
The temperature T at any point x, y & z in space is
T  400xyz2 . Find the temperature at the surface of the
surface of the unit sphere.
SOLUTION
Form auxiliary equation

f x, y, z,    400 xyz 2   x 2  y 2  z 2  9 
f x  400 yz 2  2 x

f y  400 xz2  2 y

f z  800 xyz  2 z
At maximum/minimum temperature

f x  0, f y  0, f z  0
400 yz 2  2 x  0 ………………………i

400 xz 2  2 y  0 ……………………ii
800 xyz  2 z  0 ……………………iii

Solving equation (i), (ii) & (iii)

15
 200 yz 2 200 xz 2
    400 xy or
x y

200 yz 2 200 xz 2
    400 xy
x y

200 yz 2 200 xz 2
Either take first two terms 
x y
or
y x
  y2  x2  y  x
x y

Then take last two terms

200 xz 2
 400 xy
y or

z2  2y2
z   2y
For maximum temperature

y  x and z  2x plug in these values to

condition equation we have
x2  x2  2x2  9

 4x2  9
16
  x 
3
, y 
3
and z 2
3
2 2 2

2
 3  3  3
T  400   2   4050
 2  2  2

EXAMPLE
Find the maximum and minimum values of
f ( x, y, z )  4 y  2 z subject to the constrained conditions
2 x  y  z  2 and x 2  y 2  1 using Lagrange multiplier

SOLUTION
Form auxiliary equation
 
H x, y, z,  ,    4 y  2 z   2 x  y  z  2   x 2  y 2  1

H x  2  2 x

H y  4    2 y

H z  2  
At maximum/minimum

H x  0, H y  0, H z  0
2  2 x  0

4    2 y  0

2  0
17
Student to work out

EXERCISE
i. Given the temperature T x, y, z   100  x 2  y 2 ,
represent the temperature at each point on the
sphere x  y  z  50 . Find the maximum
2 2 2

temperature on the curve formed by intersection

of the sphere and the plane x  z  0
ii. Find the maximum and minimum values of
f ( x, y, z )  4 y  2 z subject to the constrained

conditions 2 x  y  z  2 and x 2
 y 2
 1 using Lagrange
multiplier
iii. Find the extrema of the function f  x, y   2x  y
subject to constraint x  y  5 using the Lagranges
2 2

multiplier.
iv. Find the turning points of the function
 ( x, y, z )  x  2 y  z subject to the constraint
2 2

( x, y, z )  x 2  z 2  2  0 using Lagrangian multipliers

18
 v. Find the maximum and minimum values of
x 2  y 2  z 2 subject to the constrained conditions
x2 y2 z 2
  1
4 5 25 and
z  x y

FOURIER SERIES
A function which satisfies functional equation
f x     f x is known as periodic function. E.g sine and
cosine have a period of 2 .
For a series corresponding to f x is defined as

a0  nx  nx
f x     a n cos   bn sin
2 n 1 L n 1 L
Where
nx
L
1
 
L L
an  f x cos dx
L

nx
L
1
 
L L
bn  f x sin dx
L
L
a0 
1
 f  x dx
L L

Fourier series corresponding to f x for period 2

19
i.e 2  2L  L  

20