List_of_vector_identities

List of vector identities

This article lists a few helpful mathematical identities which are useful in vector algebra.

Triple products

  • vec{A} times (vec{B} times vec{C}) = (vec{C} times vec{B}) times vec{A} = vec{B}(vec{A} cdot vec{C}) - vec{C}(vec{A} cdot vec{B})
  • vec{A}cdot(vec{B}times vec{C}) = vec{B}cdot(vec{C}times vec{A}) = vec{C}cdot(vec{A}times vec{B})

these can be proved by giving arbitrary components to A, B, and C,

vec{A} = (a_x, a_y, a_z)

vec{B} = (b_x, b_y, b_z)

vec{C} = (c_x, c_y, c_z)

then finding the values of each statement, such as vec{B}times vec{C}, in terms of the generic components will show that both sides of the equation are equal.

Other products

  • (vec{A} times vec{B}) cdot (vec{A} times vec{B}) = A^2 B^2 - (vec{A} cdot vec{B})^2 = vec{B} cdot vec{A} times (vec{B} times vec{A}) (note: this is another form of Lagrange's formula).

Product rules

  • vec{nabla} (fg) = f(vec{nabla}g) + g(vec{nabla} f)
  • vec{nabla}(vec{A} cdot vec{B}) = vec{A} times (vec{nabla} times vec{B})+vec{B} times (vec{nabla} times vec{A})+(vec{A} cdot vec{nabla})vec{B}+(vec{B} cdot vec{nabla})vec{A}
  • vec{nabla} cdot (fvec{A})=f(vec{nabla} cdot vec{A})+vec{A} cdot (vec{nabla} f)
  • vec{nabla} cdot (vec{A} times vec{B})=vec{B} cdot (vec{nabla} times vec{A})-vec{A} cdot (vec{nabla} times vec{B})
  • nablatimes (vec{A}timesvec{B})= (vec{B}cdotnabla) vec{A}-(vec{A}cdotnabla)vec{B} + vec{A} (nablacdotvec{B}) - vec{B}(nablacdotvec{A})
  • nablatimes (vec{A}timesvec{B})= vec{A} times (nablatimesvec{B}) - vec{B} times (nablatimesvec{A}) - (vec{A}timesnabla) times vec{B} + (vec{B}timesnabla) times vec{A}
  • nablatimes (fvec{A})=f(nablatimesvec{A})+(nabla f)timesvec{A}

Green's first identity

  • vec{nabla} cdot left(f vec{nabla} f right) = f vec{nabla} cdot left(vec{nabla} f right) + left(vec{nabla} f cdot vec{nabla} f right) = f nabla^2 f + left(vec{nabla} f cdot vec{nabla} f right)
    therefore
    f nabla^2 f = vec{nabla} cdot left(f vec{nabla} f right) - left(vec{nabla} f cdot vec{nabla} f right)

Fundamental theorems

Divergence theorem

  • int_{V} (vec{nabla} cdot vec{A}) ,dv = oint_{S} vec{A} cdot dvec{a}

Stokes' theorem

  • int_{S} (nabla times vec{A}) cdot dvec{a} = oint_{C} vec{A} cdot dvec{l}

See also

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