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Vector Identities

Triple Products
1. A · (B × C) = B · (C × A) = C · (A × B)

2. A × (B × C) = B(A · C) − C(A · B)

Product Rules
1. ∇( f g) = f (∇g) + g(∇ f )

2. ∇(A · B) = A × (∇ × B) + B × (∇ × A) + (A · ∇)B + (B · ∇)A

3. ∇ · ( f A) = f (∇ · A) + A · (∇ f )

4. ∇ · (A × B) = B · (∇ × A) − A · (∇ × B)

5. ∇ × ( f A) = f (∇ × A) − A × (∇ f )

Second Derivatives
1. ∇ · (∇ × A) = 0

2. ∇ × (∇ f ) = 0

3. ∇ × (∇ × A) = ∇(∇ · A) − ∇2 A

Other Vector Identities

2. ∇(V +W ) ≡ ∇V + ∇W

3. ∇ × (A + B) ≡ ∇ × A + ∇ × B

4. ∇(VW ) ≡ V ∇W +W ∇V

5. ∇ × (A × B) ≡ A∇ · B − B∇ · A + (B · ∇)A − (A · ∇)B

6. ∇ · ∇V ≡ ∇2V
Note: The actual realization of the identities is only possible after applications. It should
be left at initial stage. Once the application part will come then only it could be really
understood.

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Vector Differential Operations

Divergence
∂ Dx ∂ Dy ∂ Dz
Rectangular ∇·D = + +
∂x ∂y ∂z
1 ∂
1 ∂ Dφ ∂ Dz
Cylindrical ∇·D = ρDρ + +
ρ ∂ρ ρ ∂φ ∂z
1 ∂   1 ∂ 1 ∂ Dφ
Spherical ∇·D = 2 r2 Dr + (Dθ sin θ ) +
r ∂r r sin θ ∂ θ r sin θ ∂ φ

Gradient
∂V ∂V ∂V
Rectangular ∇V = ax + ay + az
∂x ∂y ∂z
∂V 1 ∂V ∂V
Cylindrical ∇V = aρ + aφ + az
∂ρ ρ ∂φ ∂z
∂V 1 ∂V 1 ∂V
Spherical ∇V = ar + aθ + aφ
∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂ φ

Curl
     
∂ Hz ∂ Hy ∂ Hx ∂ Hz ∂ Hy ∂ Hx
Rectangular ∇×H = − ax + − ay + − az
∂y ∂z ∂z ∂x ∂x ∂y
! ! "
#
1 ∂ Hz ∂ Hφ ∂ Hρ ∂ Hz 1 ∂ ρHφ ∂ Hρ
Cylindrical ∇×H = − aρ + − aφ + − az
ρ ∂φ ∂z ∂z ∂ρ ρ ∂ρ ∂φ
"
# "
#
1 ∂ Hφ sin θ ∂ Hθ 1 1 ∂ Hr ∂ rHφ
Spherical ∇×H = − ar + − aθ
r sin θ ∂θ ∂φ r sin θ ∂ φ ∂r
 
1 ∂ (rHθ ) ∂ Hr
+ − aφ
r ∂r ∂θ

Laplacian
∂ 2V ∂ 2V ∂ 2V
Rectangular ∇2V = + 2 + 2
∂ x2 ∂y ∂z
1 ∂ 2V ∂ 2V
 
1 ∂ ∂V
Cylindrical ∇2V = ρ + 2 +
ρ ∂ρ ∂ρ ρ ∂ φ 2 ∂ z2
∂ 2V
   
2 1 ∂ 2 ∂V 1 ∂ ∂V 1
Spherical ∇V= 2 r + 2 sin θ + 2 2
r ∂r ∂r r sin θ ∂ θ ∂θ r sin θ ∂ φ 2

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Vector Laplacian
     
Rectangular ∇2 A = ∇2 Ax ax + ∇2 Ay ay + ∇2 Az az
! !
2 2 2 ∂ Aφ 1 2 2 ∂ A ρ 1 
2

Cylindrical ∇ A = ∇ Aρ − 2 − 2 Aρ aρ + ∇ Aφ + 2 − 2 Aφ aφ + ∇ Az az
ρ ∂φ ρ ρ ∂φ ρ

 !
2 ∂ Aφ ∂ Aθ 
Spherical ∇2 A = ∇2 Ar − Ar + Aθ cot θ + csc θ + ar
r2 ∂φ ∂θ
 !
1 ∂ Aφ ∂ Ar 
+ ∇2 Aθ − Aθ csc2 θ + 2 cot θ csc θ −2 aθ
r2 ∂φ ∂θ
"  #
1 ∂ A ∂ Ar
+ ∇2 Aφ − 2 Aφ csc2 θ − 2 cot θ csc θ
θ
− 2 csc θ aφ
r ∂φ ∂φ

Vector Derivatives

Cartesian.
dl = dxx̂ + dyŷ + dzẑ; dτ = dxdydz

∂t ∂t ∂t
Gradient: ∇t = x̂ + ŷ + ẑ
∂x ∂y ∂z
∂ vx ∂ vy ∂ vz
Divergence: ∇·v = + +
∂x ∂y ∂z
     
∂ vz ∂ vy ∂ vz ∂ vz ∂ vy ∂ vz
Curl: ∇×v = − x̂ + − ŷ + − ẑ
∂y ∂z ∂z ∂x ∂x ∂y
∂ 2t ∂ 2t ∂ 2t
Laplacian: ∇2t = 2 + 2 + 2
∂x ∂y ∂z

Spherical.
dl = drr̂ + rdθ θ̂ + r sin θ dφ φ̂ ; dτ = r2 sin θ drdθ dφ

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∂t 1 ∂t 1 ∂t
Gradient: ∇t = r̂ + θ̂ + φ̂
∂r r ∂θ r sin θ ∂ φ
1 ∂  2  1 ∂ 1 ∂ vφ
Divergence: ∇·v = 2 r vr + (sin θ vθ ) +
r ∂r r sin θ ∂ θ r sin θ ∂ φ
 
1 ∂
∂ vθ
Curl: ∇×v = sin θ vφ − r̂
r sin θ ∂ θ ∂φ
   
1 1 ∂ vr ∂
1 ∂ ∂ vr
+ − rvφ θ̂ + (rvθ ) − φ̂
r sin θ ∂ φ ∂ r r ∂r ∂θ

∂ 2t
   
2 1 ∂ 2 ∂t 1 ∂ ∂t 1
Laplacian: ∇ t= 2 r + 2 sin θ + 2 2
r ∂r ∂r r sin θ ∂ θ ∂θ r sin θ ∂ φ 2

Cylindrical
dl = dsŝ + sdφ φ̂ + dzẑ; dτ = sdsdφ dz

∂t 1 ∂t ∂t
Gradient: ∇t = ŝ + φ̂ + ẑ
∂s s ∂φ ∂z
1∂ 1 ∂ vφ ∂ vz
Divergence: ∇·v = (svs ) + +
s ∂s s ∂φ ∂z
" #    
1 ∂ vz ∂ vφ ∂ vs ∂ vz 1 ∂
∂ vs
Curl: ∇×v = − ŝ + − φ̂ + svφ − ẑ
s ∂φ ∂z ∂z ∂s s ∂s ∂φ
1 ∂ 2t ∂ 2t
 
2 1∂ ∂t
Laplacian: ∇ t= s + 2 2+ 2
s ∂s ∂s s ∂φ ∂z

Fundamental Theorem
b R
Gradient Theorem: a (∇ f ) · ddl = f (b) − f (a)
R H
Divergence Theorem: (∇ · A)dτ = A · da
(∇ × A)da = ab A · dl
R R
Stoke’s Theorem:

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