Mathematical Physics

PRIYANKA
DAS TITHI
Faculty of
Physics
Quantity
Quantityisapropertythatcanexistasamagnitude
ormultitude.Quantitiescanbecomparedintermsof
"more,""less,"or"equal,"orbyassigninga
numericalvalueintermsofaunitofmeasurement.

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Basic Vector Algebra

Scalarsarequantitieshavingonlyamagnitude.
Length,mass,temperatureetc.

Vectorsarequantitieshavingbothamagnitudeanda
direction.
Force,velocity,accelerationetc.

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Coordinate System

Rectangular
or Cartesian
Coordinate

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Coordinate System

Cylindrical
Coordinate

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Coordinate System

Spherical
Coordinate

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Vectors in Cartesian Coordinate System

A = A1i + A2j + A3k = (A1, A2, A3)

i, j, andk areunitvectorspointingin
thepositive x, y, and z directions

A1, A2 and A3 arecalled x, y,and z

componentofvector A

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Vectors in Cartesian Coordinate System

MagnitudeofA:

DirectionofA:

Itisaunitdirectionalvector!

Equality:IfA=B,itmeansA=Bandalso

Doestheequalityoftwovectorsnecessarilyimplythatthey
areidentical?

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Addition of Vectors
Addingcorrespondingcomponents
A = (A1, A2, A3)
A + B = (A1 + B1)i+(A2 + B2)j+(A3 + B3)k
B = (B1, B2, B3)

Geometricalrepresentation
(a)ApairofvectorsAandB

(b)Addedbythehead-to-tailmethod

(c)Addedbyparallelogramlaw

(d)BissubtractedfromA

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 1.
1.
2. 2.
MultiplicationofaVectorbyaScalar

A = (A1, A2, A3), isarealnumber

If >0, multiplythelengthofthevectorby;
thedirectionunchanged

Whathappensif<0?

If <0, multiplythelengthofthevectorby;
thedirectionchangedby180

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Dot Product
IfA = A1i + A2j + A3k and B = B1i + B2j + B3k
A . B = A1B1 + A2B2 + A3B3

Anothername:scalarproduct.

Example:If A = (1, -3, 2)and B = (4, 5, -8),thedotproductof

A and B is -27.
Basicpropertiesofthedotproduct:
1. A . B = B . A
2. (A + B) . C = A . C + B . C
3. A . (0, 0, 0) = (0, 0, 0)
4. A . A = |A|2 = A2

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Geometric Interpretation of Dot Product

A . B = |A||B|cos = ABcos

Iftwononzerovectors cos = =
A . B = 0,then ? 0 90

Perpendicular

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Cross Product
IfA = A1i + A2j + A3k and B = B1i + B2j + B3k

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Geometric Interpretation of
Cross Product

sin = = 0or180
?

Iftwononzerovectors
0
A B = 0,then
Parallel

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Example:
LetA = (1, -3, 2) and B = (4, 5, -8),then

Basicpropertiesofcrossproduct:
1. A B = -(B A)
2. (A + B) C = (A C) + (B C)
3. A (B C) = (A . C)B (A . B)C

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Scalar and vector field
If we consider any area or field, we can say that each
point of that field has a physical property, that can be
scalar or vector.
If the physical property that is related to the field is
scalar, then the field is called as scalar field.
Similarly if the physical property (that is related to
the field) is vector, then the field is called as vector
field.
 Examples: Density, temperature, potential etc are the
examples of scalar field.
Particles velocity, electric intensity, gravitational
intensity are the examples of vector field or vector
function.
Mathematical expressions of scalar and vector
field ---
Differential geometry
(a) Suppose that, a particle is moving through a curve
of equation, , y=2sin4t and z=4cos2t,
then
i) calculate the velocity and acceleration for any time ;
ii) calculate the value of velocity and acceleration when
t=0.
 Vector operator:
Gradient:
Divergence:
Curl:
Gradient
Deloperator

Gradient

Gradientcharacterizesmaximumincrease.Ifatapoint P the
gradientof f isnotthezerovector,itrepresentsthedirectionof
maximumspacerateofincreasein f atP.

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 Example
Given potential function V = x2y + xy2 + xz2,
(a)findthe gradientof V,and(b)evaluateit
at (1, -1, 3).
Solution:
(a)

(b
)

Directionofmaximumincrease

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Divergence of a Vector Field
Inrectangularcoordinate,the
divergenceof A canbecalculatedas:

* It defines the nature of source of the vector field.

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Forinstance,if A = 3xzi + 2xyj yz2k,

then,div A = 3z + 2x 2yz

At(1, 2, 2),div A = 0;thereisnopointsource.

At (1, 1, 2),div A = 4,thereisasource,anditisexpanding;
at (1, 3, 1),div A = -1,thereisasink.
Curl of a Vector Field
If

Inrectangularcoordinate,curl canbecalculatedas

curl

*Itshows,whetherthevectorisrotationalornot.

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Curl of a Vector Field
Example:
IfA = yzi + 3zxj + zk,then

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MathematicalProblem:

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Thank you for your attention