Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee

MAI-101(Mathematics-1)
Autumn Semester: 2024–25
Assignment-9: Vector Calculus I (Gradient, Divergence, Curl etc.)

Notation: i = ~i, j = ~j and k = ~k are the unit vectors along x, y and z-axes, respectively.
Boldface letters represent vectors.

1. Show that

(i) the necessary and sufficient condition for the vector function u(t) = u1 (t)i +
du
u2 (t)j + u3 (t)k to be a constant is that = 0.
dt
(ii) the necessary and sufficient condition for the vector function u(t) = u1 (t)i +
du
u2 (t)j + u3 (t)k to have constant magnitude is that u · = 0.
dt
(iii) the necessary and sufficient condition for the vector function u(t) = u1 (t)i +
du
u2 (t)j + u3 (t)k to have constant direction is u × = 0.
dt
d2 r
nt −nt
2. (i) If r = ae + be , where a and b are constant vectors, show that = n2 r.
dt
dr
(ii) If r = (cos nt)i + (sin nt)j, show that r × = nk.
dt
a1 a2 a3
3. Let [a b c] = a · (b × c) = b1 b2 b3 , for a = a1 i + a2 j + a3 k, b = b1 i + b2 j + b3 k
c1 c2 c3
and c = c1 i + c2 j + c3 k. Given r = a cos ti + a sin tj + btk, show that

(i) r2 = r · r = a2 + b2 t2 ,
(ii) |r0 × r00 |2 = a2 (a2 + b2 ),
(iii) [r0 r00 r000 ] = a2 b,
dr 00 d2 r d3 r
where r0 = , r = 2 and r000 = 3 .
dt dt dt
4. (i) If ϕ = 2xz 4 − x2 y, find ∇ϕ and |∇ϕ| at the point (2, −2, 1).
(ii) If ∇ϕ = (y + y 2 + z 2 )i + (x + z + 2xy)j + (y + 2zx)k, find ϕ such that ϕ(1, 1, 1) = 3.
√
2 2 2 − x2 +y 2 +z 2
(iii) If ϕ = (x + y + z )e , find ∇ϕ.

5. If r = xi + yj + zk and |r| = r, then show that

(i) ∇rn = nrn−2 r,

 
1 r
(ii) ∇ = − 3,
r r

1
 f 0 (r)
(iii) ∇f (r) = r, ∇f (r) × r = 0,
r
(iv) ∇[r a b] = a × b,

where a and b are constant vectors.

6. (i) Find the directional derivative of ϕ = x2 − 2y 2 + 4z 2 at (1, 1, −1) in the direction

of 2i + 2j + k.
(ii) Find the directional derivative of ϕ = x2 (y + z) at (1, 1, 0) in the direction of the
line joining the origin to the point (2, −1, 2).
(iii) Find the directional derivative of the function ϕ = x2 − y 2 + 2z 2 at the point
P (1, 2, 3) in the direction of the line P Q, where Q is the point (5, 0, 4).
(iv) Find the direction along which the directional derivative of the function ϕ =
xy + 2yz + 3xz is greatest at the point (1, 1, 1). Also find the greatest directional
derivative.
(v) Find the directional derivative of ϕ = 4xz 3 − 3xyz 2 at (2, −1, 1), along z-axis.

7. Prove that the gradient is a vector perpendicular to the level surface ϕ(x, y, z) = c,
here c is a constant.

8. (i) Find the unit vector normal to the level surface xy + y 2 − z 2 = 5 at (1, 2, 1).
(ii) Find the angle between the surfaces x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 9 and z = x2 + y 2 − 3 at the
point (2, −1, 2).

9. If a is a constant vector and r = xi + yj + zk with r = |r|, then show that

(i) div(r × a) = 0, i.e., r × a is solenoidal,

(ii) curl(r × a) = −2a or ∇ × (a × r) = 2a,
(iii) grad(a · r) = a,
(iv) ∇ · (r2 a) = 2a · r.

10. (i) Determine a so that the vector F = (z + 3y)i + (x − 2z)j + (x + az)k is soleniodal.
(ii) Find the value of a if F = (axy − z 2 )i + (x2 + 2yz)j + (y 2 − axz)k is irrotational.
(iii) A field F is of the form F = (6xy + z 3 )i + (3x2 − z)j + (3xz 2 − y)k. Show that F
is a conservative filed (i.e., F is irrotational) and find its scalar potential.

11. If F is a differentiable vector function and ϕ is a differentiable scalar function, then

prove that

(i) div(ϕF) = grad ϕ · F + ϕdiv F or ∇ · (ϕF) = ∇ϕ · F + ϕ∇ · F,

(ii) curl(ϕF) = ϕcurl F + grad ϕ × F or ∇ × (ϕF) = ϕ(∇ × F) + (∇ϕ) × F.

12. For r = xi + yj + zk, show that

r
(i) ∇ · 3 = 0,
r
2
 (ii) ∇ · (r3 r) = 6r3 ,

where r = |r| and a is a constant vector.

13. If a is a constant vector, then prove that

 
a×r a 3r
curl 3
= − 3 + 5 (a · r).
r r r

14. If F is a vector function, prove that curl(curl F) = grad(div F) − ∇2 F, where ∇2 =

∇ · ∇.

15. If F = 2yzi + x2 yj + xz 2 k, G = x2 i + yzj + xyk, and ϕ = 2x2 yz 3 , find

(i) (F · ∇)ϕ (ii) (F × ∇)ϕ (iii) (∇ × F) × G.

Answers.
√
4. (i) ∇ϕ (2,−2,1) = 10i − 4j + 16k, |∇ϕ| = 2 93. (ii) ϕ = xy + xy 2 + xz 2 + yz − 1.
√
− x2 +y 2 +z 2
p
(iii)e (2 − x2 + y 2 + z 2 )(xi + yj + zk).
√
6. (i) −4. (ii) 35 . (iii) √2821 . (iv) 4i + 3j + 5k, 5 2. (v) 36.
 
8. (i) 2i+5j−2k
√
33
. (ii) θ = cos −1 √8
3 21
.

10. (i) a = 0. (ii) a = 2. (iii) ϕ = 3x2 y + xz 3 − yz + C.

15. (i) 8xy 2 z 4 + 2x4 yz 3 + 6x3 yz 4 .

(ii) [6x4 y 2 z 4 − 2x3 z 5 ] i − [12x2 y 2 z 3 − 4x2 yz 5 ] j + [2x2 yz 4 − 4x3 y 2 z 3 ] k.
(iii)[2xy 2 − xyz 2 − 2xy 2 z + 2yz 2 ] i − [2x3 y − 2x2 z] j + [x2 z 2 − 2x2 y] k.