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Physics Department, Yarmouk University, Irbid Jordan
Phys. 201 Methods of Theoretical Physics 1
Phys. 201 Methods of Theoretical Physics 1
Supplements
Dr. Nidal M. Ershaidat
Table of Contents
Vector Space ............................................................................................................ 1
Vector Identities...................................................................................................... 2
The Curl ................................................................................................................... 3
Complex Numbers ................................................................................................. 7
Complex Logarithms ........................................................................................... 10
Determinants......................................................................................................... 11
Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs) ......................................................... 16
ODE An Example .............................................................................................. 19
Exact Differential .................................................................................................. 20
Method of Undetermined Coefficient or Guessing Method.......................... 21
Method of Variation of Parameters ................................................................... 24
Fourier Series......................................................................................................... 27
Curvilinear Coordinates...................................................................................... 35
Physics Department, Yarmouk University, Irbid Jordan
Phys. 201 Methods of Theoretical Physics 1
Dr. Nidal M. Ershaidat Doc. 1
1
Vector Space
A. The Concept
One of the fundamental concepts of linear algebra is the concept of vector
space. For example, many function sets studied in mathematical analysis are
with respect to their algebraic properties vector spaces. In analysis the
notion linear space is used instead of the notion vector space.
B. Definition
A set X is called a vector space over the number field KKKK if to every pair (x,y)
of elements of X there corresponds a sum x + y X, and to every pair (,x)
where KKKK and x X, there corresponds an element x X, with the
properties 1-8:
1) x + y = y + x (commutability of addition);
2) x + (y + z) = (x + y) + z (associativity of addition);
3) 0 X such that 0 + x = x X (existence of null element);
4) x X - x X: x + (-x) = 0 (existence of the inverse element);
5) 1 . x = x (unitarism);
6) (x) = () x (associativity with respect to number multiplication);
7) (x + y) = x + y (distributivity with respect to vector addition);
8) ( + ) x = x + x (distributivity with respect to number addition).
The properties 1-8 are called the vector space axioms. Axioms 1-4 show that
X is a commutative group or an Abelian group with respect to vector
addition. The second correspondence is called multiplication of the vector by
a number, and it satisfies axioms 5-8. Elements of a vector space are
called vectors. If KKKK = RRRR, then one speaks of a real vector space, and if KKKK =
CCCC, then of a complex vector space. Instead of the notion vector space we
shall use the abbreviative space.
Physics Department, Yarmouk University,
Irbid Jordan
Phys. 201 Mathematical Physics 1
Dr. Nidal M. Ershaidat Doc. A1
2
Vector Identities
In the following and are scalar functions, A and
B are vectors.
++++====
++++ BABA (1)
++++====
++++ BABA (2)
++++====
AAA (3)
====
BAABBA (4)
++++
====
ABBABAABBA (5)
0====
A (6)
====
2 (Laplacian) (7)
0====
(8)
====
AAA 2 (9)
Physics Department, Yarmouk University, Irbid Jordan
Phys. 201 Methods of Theoretical Physics 1 Dr. Nidal M. Ershaidat Doc. 3
3
The Curl
A) Geometrical significance of the Curl
The divergence and curl of a vector field are two vector operators whose
basic properties can be understood geometrically by viewing a vector field as
the flow of a fluid or gas. Here we give an overview of basic properties of
curl than can be intuited from fluid flow. The curl of a vector field captures
the idea of how a fluid may rotate. Imagine that the below vector field F
represents fluid flow (See Fig. 1). The vector field indicates that the fluid is
circulating around a central axis.
B) Measuring the Curl
In order to measure the density of some matter at a point, we measure the
mass (dm) of a small volume (dV) around the point, and then divide by the
volume. Mathematically, this can be expressed by:
dV
dm= (1)
The smaller the volume, the better the approximation. Actually we define
the density as being the limit:
dV
dm
dV 0lim
= (2)
A similar procedure is used to measure the strength of the rotation of a fluid.
If the vector field is interpreted as velocity of fluid flow, the fluid appears to
flow in circles.
This macroscopic circulation of fluid around circles actually is not what curl
measures. But, it turns out that this vector field also has curl, which we
might think of as microscopic circulation.
To test for curl, imagine that you immerse a small sphere into the fluid flow,
and you fix the center of the sphere at some point so that the sphere cannot
follow the fluid around (See Fig. 2).
4
(a) Time t (b) Time t
Figure 1: The rotating vector field F
at two different times.
Although you fix the center of the sphere, you allow the sphere to rotate in
any direction around its center point. The rotation of the sphere measures
the curl of the vector field F
at the point in the center of the sphere. (The
sphere should actually be really really small, because, remember, the curl is
microscopic circulation.)
(a) Time t (b) Time t
Figure 2: A small sphere immersed into the fluid flow.
The vector field F
determines both in what direction the sphere rotates, and
the speed at which it rotates. We define the curl of F
, denoted curl F
, by a
vector that points along the axis of the rotation and whose length
corresponds to the speed of the rotation.
We can draw the vector corresponding to curl F
as follows. We make the
length of the vector curl F
proportional to the speed of the sphere's
rotation. The direction of curl F
points along the axis of rotation, but we
need to specify in which direction along this axis the vector should point. We
will (arbitrarily?) set the direction of the curl vector by using the following
5
right hand rule. To see where curl F
should point, curl the fingers of your
right hand in the direction the sphere is rotating; your thumb will point in
the direction of curl F
. For our example, curl F
is shown by the green
arrow.
Figure 3: The direction of curl F
is conventionally chosen using a right-hand rule.
The curl is a three-dimensional vector, and each of its three components
turns out to be a combination of derivatives of the vector field F
. Once you
have the formula, calculating the curl of a vector field is a simple matter.
The curl is sometimes called the rotation, or "rot".
C) The Curl in different system of coordinates
The curl of a vector function is the vector product of the del operator with
this vector function:
The Curl in Cartesian coordinates
ky
F
x
Fj
x
F
z
Fi
z
F
y
FF x
yzxyz
+
+
=
(3)
where kji ,, are unit vectors in the x, y, z directions. It can also be
expressed in determinant form:
zyx FFF
zyx
kji
(4)
The Curl in cylindrical polar coordinates
6
The curl in cylindrical polar coordinates, expressed in determinant form is:
zr
r
FFrF
zr
r
k
r
1
1
(5)
The Curl in spherical polar coordinates
The curl in spherical polar coordinates, expressed in determinant form is:
r FrFrF
r
rrr
F
sin
1
sin
1
sin
12
=
(6)
Reference:
- http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/curl.html
- (See the applets in) http://mathinsight.org/curl_idea
Physics Department, Yarmouk University, Irbid Jordan
Phys. 201 Methods for Theoretical Physics 1
Dr. Nidal M. Ershaidat Doc. 4
7
Complex Numbers
A. Definition of a complex number
A complex number z is defined by z = x + i y
where x and y are real numbers and 1====i .
x is called the real part of z and denoted x = Re(z)
y is called the imaginary part of z and denoted y = Im(z)
The form z = x + i y is called the rectangular form of the complex number z.
Note: In this document the letter z refers to a complex number and any
other letter, in particular, x and y, ref
