ECE 134 Electromagnetic Fields and Waves Bob York

Vector Calculus for Electromagnetic Theory

Basic Concepts:
Maxwells equations are expressed in terms of two important vector eld concepts: ux and circulation. The
ux of a vector eld A through some surface S is dened as


ux of A through S A dS
S

and the circulation of A around some path C is dened as


circulation of A around C = A d
C
these concepts are expressed in dierential form as the divergence and curl
 
A dS A d
Divergence: A lim S
Curl: A lim C

V 0 S0
dV dS
V S
where we have dened the del operator, which in rectangular coordinates is

x + y + z
x y z
The concepts of ux & divergence, circulation & curl, are also related through the Divergence theorem and
the Stokes theorem:

Divergence Theorem: ( A) dV = A dS

V S

Stokes Theorem: ( A) dS = A d
S C

Another important operation involves the gradient of a vector eld, which is essentially the vector equivalent
of a derivative operation. The gradient only operates on scalar elds, , and is written as . The gradient
produces a vector which points in the direction of greatest change of the scalar eld.
The Helmholtz Theorem states that any arbitrary vector function A can be decomposed as A = E +F where
E = 0 and F = 0. An important corollary of this theorem is that a vector function is completely
determined only if both its divergence and curl are specied.

Important Vector Identities:

() = + = 0
(A) = A + A ( A) = 0
(A) = A A A = ( A) 2 A

(A B) = B ( A) A ( B)
(A B) = A( B) B( A) + (B )A (A )B
(A B) = A ( B) + B ( A) + (B )A + (A )B
Differential operations for some coordinate systems:
Rectangular Coordinates (x, y, z):

= x + y + z
x y z
Ax Ay Az
A= + +
x y z
     
Az Ay Ax Az Ay Ax
A = x + y + z
y z z x x y
2 2 2
2 = + +
x2 y2 z 2
2 A = x2 Ax + y2 Ay + z2 Az

Cylindrical Coordinates (r, , z):

1
= r + + z
r r z
1 (rAr ) 1 A Az
A = + +
r r r z
     
1 Az A Ar Az 1 (rA ) Ar
A = r + + z
r z z r r r
 
1 1 2 2
2 = r + 2 +
r r r r 2 z 2
   
2 A Ar 2 Ar A
2 A = r 2 Ar 2 2 + 2 A + 2 2 + z(2 Az )
r r r r

Spherical Coordinates (r, , ):

1 1
= r + +
r r r sin
1 (r 2 Ar ) 1 (A sin ) 1 A
A = 2
+ +
r r r sin r sin
     
r (A sin ) A 1 Ar (rA ) (rA ) Ar
A = + +
r sin r sin r r r
    2
1 1 1
2 = 2 r2 + 2 sin + 2 2
r r r r sin r sin 2
  
2 A A
2 A = r 2 Ar 2 Ar + A cot + csc +
r
  
1 Ar A
+ 2 A 2 A csc2 2 + 2 cot csc
r
  
2 1 2 Ar A
+ A 2 A csc 2 csc 2 cot csc
r