KENYATTA UNIVERSITY

PHYSICS DEPARTMENT
SPH 205/308: MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS
CAT II SOLUTIONS
Q1. Given the scalar function x 2 yz 2xz 3 :
(a) Determine the gradient of the function. (2 marks)

i
j
k
x
y
z

2
dx2
dx

x yz 2 xz 3 yz
2z 3
2 xyz 2 z 3
x x
dx
dx

2
dy
d1

x yz 2 xz 3 x 2 z 2 xz 3
x2 z
y y
dy
dy

2
dz
dz3

x yz 2 xz 3 x 2 y 2 x
x 2 y 6 xz 2
z z
dz
dz

i 2 xyz 2 z 3 jx 2 z k x 2 y 6 xz 2

(b) Determine the Laplacian of the function. (2 marks)

2
x

z 2

x 2

2
y 2

2
z 2

dx
d1
2 yz 2 z 0 2 yz

2 xyz 2 z 2 yz 2 z
x x x
dx
dx
2

2
d1

x z x2 z
x2 z 0 0
y y y
dy

2
dz 2
2
2 d1

x
y

6
xz

x
y

6
x
x 2 y 0 12xz 12xz

z z z
dz
dz

2 yz 0 12xz 2 yz 12xz

KENYATTA UNIVERSITY
PHYSICS DEPARTMENT
SPH 205/308: MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS
CAT II SOLUTIONS
Q2. Given the vector function A 3xzi 5zj xy 3k :
(a) Determine the divergence A of the function. (2 marks)
A

Ax Ax Ax

x
y
z

Ax 3xz
dx

3z
3z
x
x
dx

Ay
y

5 z
d1
5z
5 z 0 0
y
dy

Az xy 3
d1

xy 3
xy 3 0 0
z
z
dz

A 3z 0 0 3z

(b) Determine the curl A of the function. (2 marks)

A
x
Ax

y
Ay

xy 3 5 z

k
i

z
x
Az 3xz

y
5z

z
xy 3

j 3xz xy k 5 z 3xz
z
x x
y

dy3
dz
dz
dx d1
d1
i x
5 j 3x y 3 k 5 z 3xz
dy
dz
dz
dx dx
dy

i 3xy 2 5 j 3x y 3 k5z 0 3xz 0

i 3xy 2 5 j 3x y 3 k0

i 3xy 2 5 j 3x y 3

KENYATTA UNIVERSITY
PHYSICS DEPARTMENT
SPH 205/308: MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS
CAT II SOLUTIONS
Q3. Evaluate the line integral I C ydx from point A0,1 to point B1,0 where C is the
curve
y

1 x
2

shown in figure 1 below. (3 marks)

1

I ydx 1 x 2
C

12

dx

To evaluate this integral we us cylindrical polar coordinates in place of Cartesian coordinates

and write, since the semicircle has a radius of one unit (i.e. 1 )
x cos

dx
sin
d

Differentiating with respect to we have

dx sin d

which implies
While the integrand becomes

1 x 1 cos sin
2 12

12

I 1 x2

Making these substitutions the integral becomes

12

12

sin

dx

sin 2 d

since the point Ax 0, y 1 in Cartesian coordinates is equivalent to A 1, 2 in

cylindrical polar coordinates and Bx 1, y 0 in Cartesian coordinates is B 1, 0 in
cylindrical polar coordinates. Using the trigonometric identity
1
1 cos 2
2

sin 2

I 1 x2

we have

1 0
I
2

12

dx

1
sin 2
2
4

1 0
1 cos 2 d
2 2

1
0 2 1 sin 0 sin
2
4

which happens to be the area of the quarter circle with radius 1 .

KENYATTA UNIVERSITY
PHYSICS DEPARTMENT
SPH 205/308: MATHEMATICAL PHYSICS
CAT II SOLUTIONS
Q4. The Cartesian coordinates x, y, z may be expressed in terms of cylindrical polar
coordinate , , z where
x cos

y sin
zz

(a) Express the position vector r in terms of the Cartesian coordinate system unit
vectors i, j , k and the cylindrical polar coordinates , , z . (1 mark)
r i cos j sin kz

(b) Using the expression obtained in 4(a) above evaluate

r
e i cos j sin

r
e i sin j cos

r
e z k
z

r
r r
,
and . (3 marks)

z