PHY 3330I NTERMEDIATE E LECTRICITY AND M AGNETISM Kyle Busse

Chapter 1 Mathematical Review

kyle_busse@baylor.edu

Vector Algebra
During this course, we deal predominantly with the vector space R3 , so it is worthwhile reviewing some applications
of mathematics therein. Vectors in R3 take the form of 3tuples and are denoted in boldface, while scalars in R3
(elements in R) are denoted in italics. Further, the 3norm of vectors in R3 is given by the nonbold italic of the
vector, i.e. ||a||3 = a, and vectors of norm 1 are given a hat. The zero vector in R3 is (0, 0, 0). As a vector space,
vectors in R3 add commutatively and associatively, scalars distribute over vector addition, and vectors distribute over
scalar addition.
Recall that the inner product with which we endow R3 is the dot product, and is defined as

ha, bi = a b = ab cos ( ),
where denotes the smallest angle between a and b, in the plane containing them both. As an inner product, the
dot product is commutative, as well as distributive over vector addition. Recall that the dot product can be defined
componentwise: for a = (a1 , a2 , a3 ) and b = (b1 , b2 , b3 ), we have that

a b = a1 b1 + a2 b2 + a3 b3 .
A unique multiplication defined on R3 is the socalled cross product, which behaves quite differently from an inner
product, foremost in that it is anticommutative: a b = b a. We define the cross product between a and b as

a b = ab sin ( )n,

where n is a unit vector orthogonal to a and b, with direction given by the righthand rule, and is as in the def-
inition of the dot product. A convenient way to compute cross products componentwise, for a = (a1 , a2 , a3 ) and
b = (b1 , b2 , b3 ), is by taking the following determinant:
 
 e1 e2 e3 
 
a b =  a1 a2 a3  ,
 b1 b2 b3 
where ei represent the standard unit basis vectors. The cross product is distributive over vector addition. The socalled
scalar triple product, which geometrically represents the volume of the parallelepiped generated by a, b, and c, is
given by

a (b c) = b (c a) = c (a b).
Another special product, called the vector triple product, is given by

a (b c) = b(a c) c(a b).

We denote an infinitesimal displacement vector by

d` = dxe1 + dye2 + dze3 .

For a point P in 3space at the cartesian point (x, y, z), we give the points position vector by r = xe1 + ye2 + ze3 . If a
point P has position vector r and another point, Q has position vector q, the displacement vector from Q to P is given
by

r = p q.

A DAPTED FROM Introduction to Electrodynamics BY DAVID J. G RIFFITHS S PRING 2017

PHY 3330I NTERMEDIATE E LECTRICITY AND M AGNETISM Kyle Busse

Vector Calculus
Consider a function T : R3 R given by T := T (x, y, z). Recall that the total differential of T is given by
 
T T T T T T
dT = dx + dy + dz = e1 + e2 + e3 d` = (T ) (d`),
x y z x y z
where

e1 + e2 + e3
x y z
denotes the del operator. Acting on T , this operator (the gradient) can be interpreted geometrically as indicating the
direction of maximum change of T in 3space, and indicating in magnitude the actual value of this change. As usual,
we have that if T has a maximum, minimum, or saddle point on the interior of its domain, then T will give the zero
vector at that point.
Now consider a function v : R3 R3 given by v(x, y, z) := v1 (x, y, z)e1 + v2 (x, y, z)e2 + v3 (x, y, z)e3 . We apply the del
operator in two ways to such a function. The first is the divergence, given by

v1 v2 v3
v = + + .
x y z
The next is called the curl, which is given by
 
 e1 e2 e3 
 
v =  / x / y / z .

 v1 v2 v3 
The following represent convenient formulae related to vector products and the del operator:

( f + g) = f + g
(a + b) = a + b
(a + b) = a + b
(k f ) = k f
(ka) = k a
(ka) = k a
( f g) = f g + g f
(a b) = a ( b) + b ( a) + (a )b + (b )a
( f a) = f ( a) a ( f )
(a b) = (b )a (a )b + a( b) b( a).

A DAPTED FROM Introduction to Electrodynamics BY DAVID J. G RIFFITHS S PRING 2017