Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee

MAI-101(Mathematics-1):
Autumn Semester: 2023–24
Assignment-9: Vector Calculus I (Gradient, Divergence, Curl)

Notation: i = ~i, j = ~j and k = ~k are the unit vectors along x, y and z axis respectively.
Boldface letters represent vectors.

1. Show that

(i) the necessary and sufficient condition for the vector function u(t) = u1 (t)i +
du
u2 (t)j + u3 (t)k to be a constant is that = 0.
dt
(ii) the necessary and sufficient condition for the vector function u(t) = u1 (t)i +
du
u2 (t)j + u3 (t)k to have constant magnitude is that u · = 0.
dt
(iii) the necessary and sufficient condition for the vector function u(t) = u1 (t)i +
du
u2 (t)j + u3 (t)k to have constant direction is u × = 0.
dt
d2 r
2. (i) If r = (sinh t)a+(cosh t)b, where a and b are constant vectors, show that = r.
dt
d2 r
(ii) If r = aent + be−nt , where a and b are constant vectors, show that = n2 r.
dt
dr
(iii) If r = (cos nt)i + (sin nt)j, show that r × = nk.
dt
3. The position vector of a particle at time t is r = cos(t − 1)i + sinh(t − 1)j + αt3 k. Find
the condition imposed on α by requiring that at time t = 1, the acceleration is normal
to the position vector.
a1 a2 a3
4. Let [a b c] = a · (b × c) = b1 b2 b3 , for a = a1 i + a2 j + a3 k, b = b1 i + b2 j + b3 k
c1 c2 c3
and c = c1 i + c2 j + c3 k. Given r = a cos ti + a sin tj + btk, show that

(i) r2 = r · r = a2 + b2 t2 ,
(ii) (r0 × r00 )2 = a2 (a2 + b2 ),
(iii) [r0 r00 r000 ] = a2 b,
dr 00 d2 r d3 r
where r0 = , r = 2 and r000 = 3 .
dt dt dt
5. If f is a vector function of the scalar variable t, show that
d
[f f 0 f 00 ] = [f f 00 f 000 ].
dt

1
 6. (i) If ϕ = 2xz 4 − x2 y, find ∇ϕ and |∇ϕ| at the point (2, −2, 1).
(ii) If ∇ϕ = (y + y 2 + z 2 )i + (x + z + 2xy)j + (y + 2zx)k, find ϕ such that ϕ(1, 1, 1) = 3.
√
2 2 2
(iii) If ϕ = (x2 + y 2 + z 2 )e− x +y +z , find ∇ϕ.

7. If r = xi + yj + zk and |r| = r, then show that

(i) ∇rn = nrn−2 r,

 
1 r
(ii) ∇ = − 3,
r r
r
(iii) ∇ ln r = 2 ,
r
f 0 (r)
(iv) ∇f (r) = r, ∇f (r) × r = 0,
r
(v) ∇[r a b] = a × b,

where a and b are constant vectors.

8. (i) Find the directional derivative of ϕ = x2 − 2y 2 + 4z 2 at (1, 1, −1) in the direction

of 2i + 2j + k.
(ii) Find the directional derivative of ϕ = x2 (y + z) at (1, 1, 0) in the direction of the
line joining the origin to the point (2, −1, 2).
(iii) Find the directional derivative of the function ϕ = x2 − y 2 + 2z 2 at the point
P (1, 2, 3) in the direction of the line P Q, where Q is the point (5, 0, 4).
(iv) Find the direction along which the directional derivative of the function ϕ =
xy + 2yz + 3xz is greatest at the point (1, 1, 1). Also find the greatest directional
derivative.
(v) Find the directional derivative of ϕ = 4xz 3 − 3xyz 2 at (2, −1, 1), along z-axis.

9. Prove that the gradient is a vector perpendicular to the level surface ϕ(x, y, z) = c,
here c is a constant.

10. (i) Find the unit vector normal to the level surface xy + y 2 − z 2 = 5 at (1, 2, 1).
(ii) Find the angle between the surfaces x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 9 and z = x2 + y 2 − 3 at the
point (2, −1, 2).

11. If a is a constant vector and r = xi + yj + zk with r = |r|, then show that

(i) div(r × a) = 0, i.e., r × a is solenoidal,

(ii) curl(r × a) = −2a or ∇ × (a × r) = 2a,
(iii) grad(a · r) = a,
(iv) ∇ · (r2 a) = 2a · r.

12. (i) Determine a so that the vector F = (z + 3y)i + (x − 2z)j + (x + az)k is soleniodal.

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 (ii) Find the value of a if F = (axy − z 2 )i + (x2 + 2yz)j + (y 2 − axz)k is irrotational.
(iii) A field F is of the form F = (6xy + z 3 )i + (3x2 − z)j + (3xz 2 − y)k. Show that F
is a conservative filed (i.e., F is irrotational) and find its scalar potential.

13. If F is a differentiable vector function and ϕ is a differentiable scalar function, then

prove that

(i) div(ϕF) = grad ϕ · F + ϕdiv F or ∇ · (ϕF) = ∇ϕ · F + ϕ∇ · F,

(ii) curl(ϕF) = ϕcurl F + grad ϕ × F or ∇ × (ϕF) = ϕ(∇ × F) + (∇ϕ) × F.

14. For r = xi + yj + zk, show that

r
(i) ∇ · 3 = 0,
r
(ii) ∇ · (r3 r) = 6r3 ,
  
1
(iii) ∇ · r∇ 3 = 3r−4 ,
r
(iv) ∇ · {rn (a × r)} = 0,

where r = |r| and a is a constant vector.

15. If r is the position vector of a variable point (x, y, z) and |r| = r, then show that

∇ · {f (r)r} = rf 0 (r) + 3f (r).

C
Also, if ∇ · {f (r)r} = 0, then show that f (r) = , where C is a constant.
r3
16. (i) Show that rn r is an irrotational vector for any value of n, but is solenoidal only
if n = −3.
(ii) Prove that the vector f (r)r is irrotational.
(iii) Find m, so that the vector r = (mxy − z 3 )i + (m − 2)x2 j + (1 − m)xz 2 k has its
curl equal to zero.

17. If a is a constant vector, then prove that

 
a×r a 3r
curl 3
= − 3 + 5 (a · r).
r r r

18. (i) If F is a vector function, prove that curl(curl F) = grad(div F) − ∇2 F, where

∇2 = ∇ · ∇.
(ii) Use the above result to establish that curl curl curl curl F = 0 if F is solenoidal.

19. If F = 2yzi + x2 yj + xz 2 k, G = x2 i + yzj + xyk, and ϕ = 2x2 yz 3 , find

(i) (F · ∇)ϕ (ii) (F × ∇)ϕ (iii) (∇ × F) × G.

3
 r
20. Show that F = is an irrotational vector. Also find ϕ, when F = −∇ϕ such that
r2
ϕ(a) = 0.(a > 0)

21. Prove that

 
2 1
(i) ∇ = 0,
r
(ii) ∇2 (rn r) = n(n + 3)rn−2 r,
2
(iii) ∇2 f (r) = f 00 (r) + f 0 (r),
r
where r = |r|.
b
22. If ∇2 f (r) = 0, then show that f (r) = a + , where r2 = x2 + y 2 + z 2 and a and b are
r
constants.

23. Show that

(i) ϕ = x2 − y 2 satisfies the Laplace equation ∇2 ϕ = 0.

n  r o 2
2
(ii) ∇ ∇ · 2 = 4,
r r
x 2
(iii) if ϕ = 3 , then ∇ ϕ = 0.
r
Answers.

3. α = ± √16 .
√
6. (i) ∇ϕ (2,−2,1) = 10i − 4j + 16k, |∇ϕ| = 2 93. (ii) ϕ = xy + xy 2 + xz 2 + yz − 1.
√
2 2 2
p
(iii)e− x +y +z (2 − x2 + y 2 + z 2 )(xi + yj + zk).
√
8. (i) −4. (ii) 35 . (iii) √2821 . (iv) 4i + 3j + 5k, 5 2. (v) 36.
 
2i+5j−2k −1 8
10. (i) √
33
. (ii) θ = cos √
3 21
.

12. (i) a = 0. (ii) a = 2. (iii) ϕ = 3x2 y + xz 3 − yz + C.

16. (iii) m = 4.

19. (i) 8xy 2 z 4 + 2x4 yz 3 + 6x3 yz 4 .

(ii) [6x4 y 2 z 4 − 2x3 z 5 ] i − [12x2 y 2 z 3 − 4x2 yz 5 ] j + [2x2 yz 4 − 4x3 y 2 z 3 ] k.
(iii)[2xy 2 − xyz 2 − 2xy 2 z + 2yz 2 ] i − [2x3 y − 2x2 z] j + [x2 z 2 − 2x2 y] k.
a
20. ϕ(r) = ln .
r