UNIT – 5

ORTHOGONAL CURVILINEAR COORDINATES

Introduction
In this UNIT we introduce a general system of coordinates called the orthogonal
curvilinear coordinates of a point, as a particular case cylindrical and spherical
polar coordinate systems. Both cylindrical and spherical polar coordinate systems
are orthogonal curvilinear coordinate systems. The expressions for gradient,
divergence, curl and Laplacian are also derived in orthogonal curvilinear
coordinate system.
Curvilinear Coordinates
(1) Definition
Consider a point P in the three dimensional space. Let (x,y,z) be the coordinates of
this point P with reference to a rectangular coordinate system with O as the origin.
Suppose x,y,z are expressed in terms of three independent variables u,v,w
i.e., x = x(u,v,w), y = y (u,v,w), z =z (u,v,w) .....(1)
  x, y , z 
If the Jocobian  0 then the above equations are invertible.
  u , v, w 

Hence we can express u,v,w in terms of x,y,z.

i.e., u = u(x,y,z), v = v (x,y,z), w =w (x,y,z) .....(2)
If (x,y,z) are given then (u,v,w) can be determined from the relations (2) and if
(u,v,w) are given then (x,y,z) can be computed from the relations (1). Thus there
exists a one-to-one correspondence between the sets of points (x,y,z) and (u,v,w).
Thus any point P in space can be defined not only by rectangular coordinates
(x,y,z) but also by the coordinates (u,v,w). Here (u,v,w) are called bye (x,y,z)
curvilinear coordinates of the point P.

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(2) Coordinate curves and Coordinate surfaces

If r is the position vector of the point P (x,y,z) then

r  OP  xiˆ  yjˆ  zkˆ .....(3)

Since x,y,z are functions of u,v,w we can regard r as a function of u,v,w.

Thus r  r  u, v, w .....(4)

If v and w are kept constant and u is allowed to vary then r  r  u  describes a curve
in space. We call this as u coordinate curve.
Figure.1
Similarly we define v and w coordinate curves. On the other hand if w is kept
constant say c3 and u and v are allowed to vary then r  r  u, v  describes a surface
which we call uv-surface. Thus w=c3 represents uv-surface. Similarly we define
vw-surface and wu-surface. Thus u=c1 represents vw=surface and v=c2
represents wu-surface. Therefore there exist three coordinate surfaces at the point
P and the intersection of two coordinate surfaces is a coordinate curve.
For example the intersection of uv and wu surfaces is the u-coordinate curve.

(3) Tangent vectors to coordinate curves, base vectors and scale factors
On the u-curve, v and w are constants and only u varies. Hence the tangent to the
r
u-curve at the point P( r ) is given by .
u

Similarly the tangents to the v-curve and w-curve at P(r) are respectively
r r
and .
v w
r r r
Let t eˆ1 , eˆ2 , eˆ3 be the unit vectors is the directions of , , respectively.
u v w

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 r r r
Now  eˆ1  h1eˆ1 where h1 
u u u
r r r
 eˆ2  h2 eˆ2 where h2 
v v v
r r r
and  eˆ3  h3eˆ3 where h3 
w w w
r r r
Thus  h1eˆ1 ,  h2 eˆ2 ,  h3eˆ3 .....  5 
u v w
r r r
Where h1  , h2  , h3  .....(6)
u v w

The unit vectors eˆ1 , eˆ2 , eˆ3 are called the base vectors and the positive numbers
h1 , h2 , h3 are called the scale factors.

(4) Orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system at the point P.

From (4), we have,
r r r
dr  du  dv  dw
u v w
 h1eˆ1du  h2eˆ2 dv  h3eˆ3dw .....(7)

Suppose that the coordinate curves u,v,w are mutually perpendicular.

r r r r r r
Then  =0,   0,  0 .....(8)
u v v w w u

and hence eˆ1  eˆ2  0, eˆ2  eˆ3  0, eˆ3  eˆ1  0 …..(9)

This shows that eˆ1 , eˆ2 , eˆ3 are mutually perpendicular.

Further, eˆ1  eˆ2  eˆ1 eˆ2 since 90 eˆ3  eˆ3 .

Similarly, we get eˆ2  eˆ3  eˆ1 , eˆ3  eˆ1  eˆ2 .

Thus eˆ1  eˆ2  eˆ3 , eˆ2  eˆ3  eˆ1 , eˆ3  eˆ1  eˆ2 .....(10)

Also eˆ1 , eˆ2 , eˆ3   eˆ1   eˆ2  eˆ3   eˆ1  eˆ1  1 .....(11)

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In such a case the coordinate system (u,v,w) is said to be orthogonal curvilinear
coordinate system at the point P.
From the relations (9) and (10) it follows that eˆ1 , eˆ2 , eˆ3 from a right handed system
of vectors.

(5) Representation of a vector in orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system

If f is any vector in the orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system then
f  f1eˆ1  f 2eˆ2  f 3eˆ3 Where f1, f 2 , f 3 are scalar functions.

Form (9), we have, f  eˆ1  f1, f  eˆ2  f 2 , f  eˆ3  f 3

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