Differential Operators for Vector Fields

Q

What are correct ways to represent differential operations related to vector fields?

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A

"ISO 80000-2 Quantities and Units - Mathematics" specifies that differential operations should be represented as described below:

Del (Nabla) Operator - The nabla operator is a vector operator and should be identified by the Nabla symbol ∇ (U+2207, ∇ and ∇). It can be defined as a vector:

<math><mo>∇</mo> <mo>≔</mo> <mo>(</mo> 
  <mfrac> <mo>∂</mo> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <mi>x</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> <mo>,</mo>
  <mfrac> <mo>∂</mo> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <mi>y</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> <mo>,</mo>
  <mfrac> <mo>∂</mo> <mrow> <mo>∂</mo> <mi>y</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> <mo>)</mo>
  </math>
    ∇ ≔ ( 
       ∂  ∂ x   ,
       ∂  ∂ y   ,
       ∂  ∂ y   )
      

Gradient Operation - The gradient operation measures the rate and direction of change of a scalar field at a given point. It should be identified as the grad(f) function or the multiplication of the Nabla operator ∇:

<math> <mi>grad</mi> <mi>f</mi> <mo>=</mo>
  <mo>&#x2207;</mo> <mi>f</mi> <mo>=</mo> <mo>(</mo> 
  <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <mi>f</mi> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <mi>x</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> <mo>,</mo>
  <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <mi>f</mi> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <mi>y</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> <mo>,</mo>
  <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <mi>f</mi> </mrow> <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <mi>y</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> <mo>)</mo>
  </math>
     grad f =
      ∇ f = ( 
        ∂ f   ∂ x   ,
        ∂ f   ∂ y   ,
        ∂ f   ∂ y   )
      

Divergence Operation - The divergence operation measures the rate at which a vector field flows out of a give point. It should be identified as the div(F) function or the dot product of the Nabla operator ∇:

<math> <mi>div</mi> <mi mathvariant="bold-italic">F</mi> <mo>=</mo>
  <mo>&#x2207;</mo> <mo>&#x22C5;</mo> <mi mathvariant="bold-italic">F</mi> <mo>=</mo>
  <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <msub> <mi>F</mi> <mi>x</mi> </msub> </mrow> 
    <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <mi>x</mi> </mrow></mfrac> <mo>+</mo>
  <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <msub> <mi>F</mi> <mi>y</mi> </msub> </mrow> 
    <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <mi>y</mi> </mrow></mfrac> <mo>+</mo>
  <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <msub> <mi>F</mi> <mi>z</mi> </msub> </mrow> 
    <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <mi>z</mi> </mrow></mfrac>&/math>
     div F =
      ∇ ⋅ F =
        ∂  F x   
         ∂ x  +
        ∂  F y   
         ∂ y  +
        ∂  F z   
         ∂ z 

Rotation Operation - The rotation (or curl) operation measures the tendency of rotation of a vector field at a give point. It should be identified as the rot(F) function or the cross product of the Nabla operator ∇:

<math> <mi>rot</mi> <mi mathvariant="bold-italic">F</mi> <mo>=</mo>
  <mo>&#x2207;</mo> <mo>&#x00D7;</mo> <mi mathvariant="bold-italic">F</mi> <mo>=</mo>
  <mo>(</mo>
    <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <msub> <mi>F</mi> <mi>z</mi> </msub> </mrow>
      <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <mi>y</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> <mo>-</mo>
    <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <msub> <mi>F</mi> <mi>y</mi> </msub> </mrow>
      <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <mi>z</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> <mo>,</mo>
    <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <msub> <mi>F</mi> <mi>x</mi> </msub> </mrow>
      <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <mi>z</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> <mo>-</mo>
    <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <msub> <mi>F</mi> <mi>z</mi> </msub> </mrow>
      <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <mi>x</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> <mo>,</mo>
    <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <msub> <mi>F</mi> <mi>y</mi> </msub> </mrow>
      <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <mi>x</mi> </mrow> </mfrac> <mo>-</mo>
    <mfrac> <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <msub> <mi>F</mi> <mi>x</mi> </msub> </mrow>
      <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <mi>y</mi> </mrow> </mfrac>
  <mo>)</mo></math>
     rot F =
      ∇ × F =
      (
          ∂  F z  
           ∂ y   -
          ∂  F y  
           ∂ z   ,
          ∂  F x  
           ∂ z   -
          ∂  F z  
           ∂ x   ,
          ∂  F y  
           ∂ x   -
          ∂  F x  
           ∂ y  
      )
 

Laplacian Operation - The Laplacian operation measures the difference between the value of the scalar field with its average on infinitesimal balls at a given point. It should be identified as ∇2:

<math> 
  <msup><mo>&#x2207;</mo><mn>2</mn></msup><mi>f</mi><mo>=</mo>
  <mo>&#x2207;</mo><mo>&#x22C5;</mo> <mo>&#x2207;</mo> <mi>f</mi> <mo>=</mo>
  <mfrac> <mrow> <msup><mo>&#x2202;</mo><mn>2</mn></msup> <mi>f</mi> </mrow> 
    <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <msup><mi>x</mi><mn>2</mn></msup> </mrow></mfrac> <mo>+</mo>
  <mfrac> <mrow> <msup><mo>&#x2202;</mo><mn>2</mn></msup> <mi>f</mi> </mrow> 
    <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <msup><mi>y</mi><mn>2</mn></msup> </mrow></mfrac> <mo>+</mo>
  <mfrac> <mrow> <msup><mo>&#x2202;</mo><mn>2</mn></msup> <mi>f</mi> </mrow> 
    <mrow> <mo>&#x2202;</mo> <msup><mi>z</mi><mn>2</mn></msup> </mrow></mfrac></math>
     
      ∇2f=
      ∇⋅ ∇ f =
        ∂2 f  
         ∂ x2  +
        ∂2 f  
         ∂ y2  +
        ∂2 f  
         ∂ z2 

 

⇒ Integrals over Curve, Surface and Volume

⇐ Vectors and Vector Operators"

⇑ ISO 80000-2 Quantities and Units - Mathematics

⇑⇑ MathML (Mathematical Markup Language)

2026-10-29, ∼2015🔥, 0💬