Assignment 3 Solutions

February 2015
Exercise 11. Laplacian
Express the Laplacian 2 in both the cylindrical coordinates and the spherical
coordinates. What is the general expression for the Laplacian in an orthogonal
curvilinear coordinate system?
Solution
The scale factors for cylindrical coordinates are {1, s, 1} and that of spherical
coordinates are {1, r, rsin}.
The Laplacian for curvilinear coordinates can be expressed as

= 2 =

1
h1 h2 h3

q1

h2 h3
h1 q1


+

q2

h1 h3
h2 q2


+

q3

h1 h2
h3 q3

By inserting the scale factors into the general equation, we arrive at the
expression for the Laplacian in the respective coordinate systems.
Cylindrical
1
=
s s
2

s
s

1
+ 2
s


+

2
z 2

Spherical
1
= 2
r r
2


r

+ 2
r sin




1
2
sin
+ 2 2

r sin 2

Exercise 12
(a) For an arbitrary vector field V, verify the relation
( V) = ( V) V
by direct expansion in Cartesian coordinates. The vector Laplacian V
(sometimes written as 2 V), is a vector whose i-component is 2 Vi .



Solution




i
j
k





( V) = 

x
y
z



 y Vz z
Vy z
Vx x
Vz x
Vy y
Vx 

2
2

y x Vy y 2 Vx z 2 Vx + z x Vz

2
2

=
x
y Vz z 2 Vy x2 Vy + x y Vx
2
2


z y Vx x2 Vz y 2 Vz + y z Vy


x
x
x Vx

V=
y
( Vx +
Vy +
Vz ) y
y Vy
x
y
z

z
z
z Vz
2

2
2

2
x2 Vx + x y Vy + x z Vz x2 Vx y 2 Vx z 2 Vx

2

2
2
2
= y
x Vx + y 2 Vy + y z Vz x2 Vy y 2 Vy z 2 Vy

2
2
2

z x Vx + z y Vy + z 2 Vz x2 Vz y 2 Vz z 2 Vz

( V)

x Vy

y Vz

y Vx

2
2

y
2 Vx z 2 Vx + z x Vz

2
2

z
2 Vy x2 Vy + x y Vx
2
2

x
2 Vz y 2 Vz + y z Vy

= ( V)
(b) Show that any solution of the equation ( A) k 2 A = 0 automatically satisfies the vector Helmholtz solution
2 A + k 2 A = 0
and the solenoidal condition
A = 0.

Solution
( A) = k 2 A
[ ( A)] = k 2 A
Since the divergence of the curl of a vector field = 0 (i.e. ( V) = 0),
k2 A = 0
( A)k 2 = 0
A=0

To prove the Helmholtz solution,

0 = ( A) k 2 A = ( A) A k 2 A
(0) + A + k 2 A = 0
2 A + k 2 A = 0
Exercise 13. Curvilinear coordinates
A certain set of coordinates , , with 0, 0 and 0 2 is defined
by

x = cos
y = sin
1
z = ( 2 2 )
2
, e
, e
, and verify that they are pairwise
Determine the local unit vectors e
orthogonal. What are the two-dimensional surfaces of constant , of constant
, and of constant ?
Solution

cos
r=
sin
1 2
2
2 ( )
We know that

r
qi

i . Therefore,
= hi e

=
h e

cos

sin
=
1 2
(
2)
2

cos
= sin

We can determine what h is in the following manner:



cos
p

 p
h = sin = 2 cos2 + 2 sin2 + 2 = 2 + 2
 
Therefore,

cos
1
sin
= p
e
2
+ 2

is the unit vector for coordinate .

and e
are as follows,
Similarly e

cos

=
sin
h e

1 2
( 2 )
2
cos
= sin

p
2
h = + 2

cos
1
sin
=
e
p
2 + 2

cos

=
sin
h e

1 2
(
2)
2

sin
= cos
0
h =

sin
sin
1
=
cos = cos
e

0
0
To determine if the unit vectors are pairwise orthogonal, we can either cross
two vectors to obtain the other vector, or check that their dot products are 0.
The solution here uses the cross product method.

cos
cos
1
sin p
sin
e
=
e
p
2 + 2
2 + 2

2
2
( sin + sin)
1
2 cos + 2 cos
= 2
+ 2
0

( 2 + 2 )sin
1
( 2 + 2 )cos
= 2
+ 2
0
1

=e
, e
} is a right-handed system of pair-wise orthogonal unit vecThus, {
e , e
tors.
4

Finally, to obtain the equation of the surfaces, we work with the cartesian coordinates. First, to determine the surface equation for constant , observe that
x2 + y 2 = 2 2
We can rewrite this as
2 =

x2 + y 2
2

Substituting this into z, we get

2z =

x2 + y 2
2
2

This leads us to the surface equation

2z + 2 =

x2 + y 2
2

In fact, this equation gives us a graph that is similar to this:

Using the same method, for constant , we will arrive at the surface equation
2z 2 =

x2 + y 2
2

For constant , observe that xy = tan. This is therefore the equation of

the surface for constant , that is the half-plane perpendicular to the x-y plane
with the z-axis as its boundary.
Exercise 14
For the coordinate system given in Exercise 13,
(a)
find the infinitesimal vector displacement dr, the element of arc length |dr| =
dr dr, the vector surface element d, and the volume element dV .
(b) in these coordinates, what is the gradient of the scalar field (, , ) = ,
and what is the divergence (), and the curl ()?

Solution
(a)
r
r
r
d +
d +
d

p
p
d + 2 + 2 e
d +
= 2 + 2 e
e d

|dr| = dr dr
p
= ( 2 + 2 )(d 2 + d 2 ) + 2 2 d2
p
p
+ (d)(d)( 2 + 2 )
d = 2 + 2 (d)(d)
e + 2 + 2 (d)(d)de
e
dr =

dV = ( 2 + 2 )(d)(d)(d)
(b) To find the gradient of ,
1

1
1

+p
e
+ e
2
2

+
+
1

=p
e
2 + 2
1

=p
e
2
+ 2

= p

The divergence is as follows

1
= 2
( + 2 )

= 2
( + 2 )
1
=
2
( + 2 )

1
p

2 + 2

!
p
2 + 2

Finally, the curl can be obtained in the following manner



h e

h e
h e 


1


=




h h h  h 0 h 1
h
0



2 + 2
Since h

1
2 + 2

= 1 is a constant,
= 0

Exercise 15. Line Integral

H
In Cartesian coordinates, evaluate the line integral c K dr for vector field
K = (x 2y)i + (y + z)j
6

along the line segments AB, BC, CD and DA separately where the (x, y, z) coordinates of A, B, C and D are (0, 0, 0), (1, 1, 0), (0, 1, 1), and (1, 1, 1). What is
the result of the integral along the closed path from A back to A following the
four segments?
Solution
Along the line segment AB, z = 0, x = y, dx = dy. Therefore, integrating along
the line segment AB gives
Z
Z 1
dx(x + x) = 0
(x 2y)dx + (y + z)dy =
0

AB

For line segment BC, y = 1, z = 1 x, dy = 0. This gives us

Z
Z 0
3
(x 2y)dx + (y + z)dy =
(x 2)dx =
2
BC
1
For line segment CD, y = z = 1, dy = 0. Hence,
Z
Z 1
3
(x 2y)dx + (y + z)dy =
(x 2)dx =
2
CD
0
Finally, for line segment DA, dx = dy, x = y = z. Therefore,
Z
Z 0
1
(x 2y)dx + (y + z)dy =
xdx = .
2
DA
1
Summing all the integrals gives us the result 12 .
I
1
K dr =
2
ABCD
H
Here ABCD K dr 6= 0 for closed loop because
K 6= 0. K is not a
R
conservative vector field and the line integral K dr depends on the path.