1

VECTOR OPERATOR IDENTITIES

A and B denote vector fields, denotes a scalar field, and f is any differentiable
function of a single variable.

1.
1 2 2 1 2 1
) ( + = ; 2. + = . A A . A . ) (
3. A A A + = ) ( ; 4.

=
d
df
f ) ( [

=
d
dp
p ) ( ]
5. 0 = [Curl (grad) 0] 6. 0 ) ( = A . [Div (curl) 0]
7. =
2
) ( . [Scalar Laplacian]
8. ) ( ) ( ) (
2
2
1
A A A A . A =
9. ) ( ) ( ) ( B . A A B. B A . =
10. B A . A B . B . A A . B B A ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( + =
11. A A . A
2
) ( ) ( = [Vector Laplacian]
12. ) ( ) ) ( ) ( ) ( A B + B ( A A . B B . A B . A + + =
13.
n

= . n ;
s

= . t

14. d d = . r (differential) [ = d d . r ]
GAUSS DIVERGENCE THEOREM STOKES' THEOREM

V S
dS dV = n . A A .


S C
d dS r . A n . A = ) ( .


=
V S
dS dV o o n

=
S
j j i
V
j j i
dS n v u dV v u ), ( .

GREEN'S IDENTITIES
1. dS
n
dV
V S
= ) (
2



+ . .

2. dS
n n
= dV
V S
) ( ) (
2 2

. [Symmetric Form]

VECTOR TRIPLE PRODUCTS

A B . C B A . C C B A C B . A B A . C C B A ) ( ) ( ) ( ; ) ( ) ( ) ( = = .


2
VECTOR DIFFERENTIAL OPERATORS
CARTESIAN COORDINATES
k j i u

w v u + + =

) , , , ( ); , , , ( ); , , , ( t z y x w w t z y x v v t z y x u u = = = .

Grad f k j i

z
f
y
f
x
f
f

= =
Div u
z
w
y
v
x
u

= = u .
Curl
w v u
z y x = = / / /

k j i
u u
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
z
f
y
f
x
f
f

= [ Scalar Laplacian]

= u
2
k j i

2 2 2
w v u + + [Vector Laplacian]
CYLINDRICAL POLAR COORDINATES
k r u

w v u + + = or k r u

z r
u u u + + =


) , , , ( ); , , , ( ); , , , ( t z r w w t z r v v t z r u u = = = .

Grad k r

1

z
f f
r r
f
f f

= = .

Div
z
w v
r
ru
r r

= =
1
) (
1
.u u .

Curl
w rv u
z r
r
r
= = / / /

1
k r
u u

.

2
2
2
2
2 2
2
2
1 1
) (
z r r r r

+

= = . .

k r u

2

2
2
2 2
2
2 2
2 2
w
u
r r
v
v
v
r r
u
u +

+ +

= .

3
SPHERICAL POLAR COORDINATES

w v u + + = r u or

+ + = u u u
r
r u

) , , , ( ); , , , ( ); , , , ( t r w w t r v v t r u u = = = .

Grad
sin
1

=
f
r
f
r r
f
f r

Div

=
w
r
v
r
u r
r r sin
1
) sin (
sin
1
) (
1
2
2
u

Curl
w r rv u
r
r r
r

=
sin
/ /
sin

sin
1
2
/
r
u

.


2
2
2 2 2
2
2
2
sin
1
) (sin
sin
1
) (
1

=
f
r
f
r r
f
r
r r
f .


Grad u

Cartesian Cylindrical Polars

=
z
w
y
w
x
w
z
v
y
v
x
v
z
u
y
u
x
u
u

=
z
w w
r r
w
z
v
u
v
r r
v
z
u
v
u
r r
u
1
1
1
u


Rate of Strain Tensor : E ) (
2
1
T
u u + = , or

=
i
j
j
i
ij
x
u
x
u
e
2
1
.



4
FLUID DYNAMICS FORMULAE

Material Derivative

D
Dt t
= +

q.
]

[ k j i q w v u
z
w
y
v
x
u
t
+ + =

=
]

[ k r q
z r z r
q q q
z
q
r
q
r
q
t
+ + =

[
sin

+ + =

= q q q
r
q
r
q
r
q
t
r r
r q
q
x
=
Dt
D

Acceleration : ) ( ) (
2
2
1
q q q
q
q q.
q q
+

=
t t Dt
D


Continuity Equation


D
Dt

+ . q = 0, or
D
Dt
(ln )
+ . q = 0, or
D
Dt
( / ) 1 = . q.

1-D Continuity Eqn. : ( ) ( ) 0 A Aq
t s

+ =

.

Velocity Potential & Stream Function

= u Irrotational flow. k k u

( = = . 0 = . .
Irrotational & incompressible flow : 0
2
= .
2-D Incomp,Irrotl flow :
x y
v
y x
u

= ; . 0
2
= .

=
r r
q
r
1
;
r r
q

1
. [ and satisfy Cauchy-Riemann ]

sin
1
r
q (spherical polars).
Stokes Stream function [Axisymmetric Flows]
)

/ ( u r =

) = sin / ( r u .


=


= =

B A
B A
, 0 .

5
Streamlines Vortex lines
0 r q = d 0 r = d

dx
u
dy
v
dz
w
= = ]

[ k j i q w v u + + =

dz dy dx
, ) , , ( =

dr
q
r
d
q
dz
q
r z
= =

]

[ k r q
z r
q q q + + =

Pathlines
q r = dt d / .

=
q
d
r
q
d
r
q
dr
r
sin ]

[

+ + = q q q
r
r q

Euler's Equation

p
Dt
D

=
1
F
q
; or, p
t

= +

1
F q q.
q
; or, p
t

= +

1
) ( ) (
2
2
1
F q q q
q

Kinematic Boundary Condition: n . U n . q =
Momentum Integral Theorem :

= +
S
dS P 0 ) ( n u. u n [ + = p P ]
Bernoulli's Equation
] [ ), (
2
2
1
= = +

+ +

F t C
t
q
dp


Vorticity Equation
Vorticity : = = q 2 [ : angular velocity, r q = ]
) ( ) ( F q . + =

Dt
D
; [In 2-D: 0 q . = ) ( ; =
2
.]

Eulerian / Lagrangian Forms
X

=
t Dt
D

Jacobian
j
i
X
x
J

= ;
0
dV J dV =
Eulers Identity : u . = J
Dt
DJ


Reynolds Transport Theorem


+

+ =
S V V V
dS H dV
t
H
dV H
Dt
DH
dV H
dt
d
n . u u .


6
Circulation


= =
S
C
dS d n . r . q , where

+ +
+ +
+ +
=

sin

d r rd dr
dz rd dr
dz dy dx
d
r
k r
k j i
r
Kinetic Energy
dS
n
dV T
S V

= =
2
1
2
1
q.q [ n : normal out of fluid]

= d d dr r dV sin
2
; = d d a dS sin
2
(a is radius of sphere)

=
C
w d w i T
4
1
;

= d T .


COMPLEX VELOCITY POTENTIAL
+ = i w
dt
z d
y i x iv u
x
i
x dz
dw
=

= & & [ j i q

v u + = ]

=
i i
r
e r i r e u i u
dz
dw
) ( ) (
&
& [In plane polars]
dz
dw
v u q = + =
2 / 1 2 2
) ( [Speed]
Circulation

=
C
dw


FLOWS
w (Re w) (Im w)
Uniform Stream at
angle to x-axis
i
e Uz
) sin cos ( + y x U ) sin cos ( x y U
Line Source

z mlog r mlog m
Line Doublet

z / r / cos r / sin
(Free) Vortex
[strength ]

z i log ) 2 / ( 2 / r log ) 2 / (





7
Milne-Thomson Circle Theorem

) / ( ) (
2
z a f z f W + = . [ z and Z are inverse pts w.r.t.
2
a Z z a z = = ]

The Blasius Theorem

= +

dz
dz
dw
z M dz
dz
dw
iX Y
C C
2 2

2
Re ;
2
.



Cauchys Integral Formulae

=
=

C
n
n
n i
a z
dz
1 0
1 2
) (
; ) ( 2
) (
a g i dz
a z
z g
C
=

; ) (
!
2
) (
) (
) (
1
a g
n
i
dz
a z
z g
n
C
n

+
.


Plotting Velocity fields & Streamlines in MATHEMATICA 7

If j i q

v u + = , the velocity field & streamlines can be plotted using
VectorPlot[ } , , { }, , , { }, , {
max min max min
y y y x x x v u ]
StreamPlot[ } , , { }, , , { }, , {
max min max min
y y y x x x v u ]

Given the stream function ) , ( y x f = , streamlines can be plotted by

ContourPlot[ 20, Contours 1000, PlotPoints }, , , { }, , , { ,
max min max min
y y y x x x
ContourShading False]
For specific contours, use e.g., Contours } 1 , 8 . , 6 . , 4 . , 2 . , 0 , 2 . , 4 . , 6 . , 8 . , 1 {
If is in polars, use ]} / [ ArcTan , .{ /
2 2
x y y x r + .
Note if eqn. of streamlines is ) 2 / ( sin 3
2
= r , then put 2 ]^ 2 / [ Sin 3 = r .

8

UNIT VECTORS

Cylindrical Polars

j i r

sin

cos + =

sin cos

= r i

=
&
r
dt
d

j i

cos

sin

+ =

cos sin

+ = r j r

=
&

dt
d

k k

= k k

=

The unit vectors do not change with r and z , but

0
k
r
r
=

.


Spherical Polars

k j i r

cos

sin sin

cos sin + + =

sin

cos cos cos sin

+ = r i

k j i

sin

sin cos

cos cos

+ =

cos

sin cos sin sin

+ + = r j

j i

cos

sin

+ =

sin cos

= r k

sin

+ =
& &
r
dt
d

cos

+ =
& &
r
dt
d

cos sin

=
& &
r
dt
d


The unit vectors do not change with r , but

0 r
r
=

cos sin

cos

sin

r
r
.