Coordinate systems/Derivation of formulas

The purpose of this resource is to carefully examine the Wikipedia article Del in cylindrical and spherical coordinates for accuracy.

The identities are reproduced below, and contributors are encouraged to either:

  1. Verify the identity and place its reference using a five em padding after the equation: {{pad|5em}}verified<ref>reference</ref>
  2. Contribute to Wikiveristy by linking the title to a discussion and/or proof. Just click the redlink and start the page.

If you just came in from Wikipedia, the rules about treating each other with respect and obeying copyright laws remain more or less the same as on Wikipedia, but the definition of what constitutes an acceptable article is a lot looser. Here we call them "resources". Welcome to the wacky world of Wikiversity, where anything goes.

Transformations between coordinates edit

  1. w:Cartesian coordinates (x, y, z)
  2. w:Cylindrical coordinates (ρ, ϕ, z)
  3. w:Spherical coordinates (r, θ, ϕ)
  4. w:Parabolic cylindrical coordinates (σ, τ, z)

Coordinate variable transformations* edit

*Asterisk indicates that the title is a link to more discussion

Cylindrical from Cartesian variable transformation edit

    ,         ,       verified using mathworld[1]

Cartesian from cylindrical variable transformation edit

    ,         ,        verified using mathworld[2]

Cartesian from spherical variable transformation edit

    ,         ,       verified using mathworld[3]

Cartesian from parabolic cylindrical variable transformation edit

    ,         ,       --no reference

Spherical from Cartesian variable transformation edit

    ,         ,       verified using mathworld[4]

Spherical from cylindrical variable transformation edit

    ,         ,       no reference

Cylindrical from spherical variable transformation edit

    ,         ,       no reference

Cylindrical from parabolic cylindrical variable transformation edit

    ,         ,       no reference

Unit vectors edit

Cylindrical from Cartesian unit vectors edit

   Verified, see page linked in title

Cartesian from cylindrical unit vectors edit

   Verified, see page linked in title

Cartesian from spherical unit vectors edit

   Verified, see page linked in title

Parabolic cylindrical from Cartesian unit vectors edit

 

Spherical from Cartesian unit vectors edit

  Verified, see page linked in title

Spherical from cylindrical unit vectors edit

 

Cylindrical from spherical unit vectors edit

 

Vector and scalar fields edit

  is vector field and f is a scalar field. The vector field can be expressed as:

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  
  4.  

Gradient of a scalar field edit

  is the w:gradient of a scalar field.

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  
  4.  

Divergence of a vector field* edit

  is the w:divergence of a vector field

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  
  4.  

Curl of a vector field edit

  is the w:curl (mathematics) of A

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  
  4.   

Laplacian of a scalar field edit

  is the w:Laplace operator on a scalar field

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  
  4.  

Laplacian of a vector field edit

  is the w:Vector Laplacian of  

  1.  
  2.    
  3.    

Material derivative of a vector field edit

  might be called the "convective derivative of B along A" (appropriate description if A' is a unit vector) [5]

  1.    
  2.    
  3.    

Differential displacement edit

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  
  4.  

Differential normal areas edit

Differential normal area  

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  
  4.  

Differential volume edit

  1.   verified[6]
  2.   verified[7]
  3.   verified[8]
  4.  

nabla's on nabla's edit

Non-trivial calculation rules:

  1.  
  2.  
  3.  
  4.   (Lagrange's formula for del)
  5.  

References edit


  1. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/CylindricalCoordinates.html
  2. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/CylindricalCoordinates.html
  3. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/SphericalCoordinates.html
  4. http://mathworld.wolfram.com/SphericalCoordinates.html
  5. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Mathworld
  6. James Stewart, Calculus: Concepts and Contexts, fourth edition, Brooks Cole 2005 pp. 884-5
  7. James Stewart, Calculus: Concepts and Contexts, fourth edition, Brooks Cole 2005 pp. 884-5
  8. James Stewart, Calculus: Concepts and Contexts, fourth edition, Brooks Cole 2005 pp. 884-5

[1]

[2]



  1. Weisstein, Eric W. "Convective Operator". Mathworld. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  2. Huba J.D. (1994). "NRL Plasma Formulary revised" (PDF). Office of Naval Research. Retrieved 11 June 2014.


Backup copy from Wikipedia edit

Copy or read but never change Original Copy from Wikipedia