Useful Identities for Electrodynamics

Vector Identities Volume: dV = dx dy dz

Triple Products ~ = ∂f x̂ + ∂f ŷ + ∂f ẑ
Gradient: ∇f
∂x ∂y ∂z
~ · (B
~ × C)
~ =B
~ · (C
~ × A)
~ =C
~ · (A
~ × B)
~
A ~ = ∂Ax + ∂Ay + ∂Az
~ ·A
Divergence: ∇
∂x ∂y ∂z
~ × (B
A ~ × C)
~ = B(
~ A~ · C)
~ − C(
~ A~ · B)
~
∂Az ∂Ay ∂Ax ∂Az
   
~ ×A
Curl: ∇ ~= − x̂ + − ŷ
First Order Differential Product Rules ∂y ∂z ∂z ∂x
∂Ay ∂Ax
 
~ g) = f (∇g)
~ + g(∇f
~ ) + − ẑ
∇(f ∂x ∂y
~ A·
∇( ~ B)
~ = A×(
~ ∇×~ B)+
~ B ~ ×(∇×
~ A)+(
~ ~ ∇)
A· ~ B~ +(B
~ · ∇)
~ A~ ∂2f ∂2f ∂2f
Laplacian: ∇2 f = + +
∂x2 ∂y 2 ∂z 2
~ = Ax ∂ + Ay ∂ + Az ∂
~ · ∇)
Note: (A
∂x ∂y ∂z
~ · (f A)
∇ ~ = f (∇
~ · A)
~ +A
~ · (∇f
~ ) Spherical Coordinates
~ · (A
∇ ~ × B)
~ =B
~ · (∇
~ × A)
~ −A
~ · (∇
~ × B)
~
r = rr̂ + rθ θ̂ + r sin(θ)φφ̂
~
~ × (f A)
∇ ~ = f (∇
~ × A)
~ −A
~ × (∇f
~ )
~ × (A
~ × B)
~ = (B
~ · ∇)
~ A~ − (A
~ · ∇)
~ B~ + A(
~ ∇~ · B)
~ − B(
~ ∇~ · A)
~ ~ = Ar r̂ + Aθ θ̂ + Aφ φ̂
A
∇
r̂ = sin(θ) cos(φ)x̂ + sin(θ) sin(φ)ŷ + cos(θ)ẑ
Second Order Differential Product Rules
θ̂ = cos(θ) cos(φ)x̂ + cos(θ) sin(φ)ŷ − sin(θ)ẑ
~ · (∇f
∇ ~ ) = ∇2 f (definition)
φ̂ = − sin(φ)x̂ + cos(φ)ŷ
~ × (∇f
∇ ~ )=0 x = r sin(θ) cos(φ)
~ · (∇
∇ ~ × A)
~ =0 y = r sin(θ) sin(φ)
~ × (∇
∇ ~ × A)
~ = ∇(
~ ∇~ · A) ~
~ −∇ A 2
z = r cos(θ)
1
Fundamental Theorems of Calculus r = +(x2 + y 2 + z 2 ) 2
z
θ = cos−1 ( )
Z~
b r
Gradient: ~ ) · d~
(∇f ℓ = f (~b) − f (~
a) y
~
a φ = tan−1 ( )
Z I x
Divergence Theorem: ~ · A)
(∇ ~ dV = ~ · d~
A a Line: d~
ℓ = dr r̂ + rdθ θ̂ + r sin(θ)dφ φ̂
V /S S
Z I Area: dA = r 2 sin(θ)dθ dφ
Curl/Stokes Theorem: ~ × A)
(∇ ~ · d~
a= ~ · d~
A ℓ
S/C C Volume: dV = r 2 sin(θ)dr dθ dφ

Cartesian Coordinates
~ = ∂f r̂ + 1 ∂f θ̂ +
Gradient: ∇f
1 ∂f
φ̂
∂r r ∂θ r sin(θ) ∂φ
r = xx̂ + y ŷ + z ẑ
~
Divergence:
~ = Ax x̂ + Ay ŷ + Az ẑ
A
Line: d~
ℓ = dxx̂ + dy ŷ + dz ẑ ~ = 1 ∂ (r 2 Ar ) +
~ ·A
∇
1 ∂
(sin(θ)Aθ ) +
1 ∂Aφ
r 2 ∂r r sin(θ) ∂θ r sin(θ) ∂φ
Area: dA = dx dy (e.g.)
Curl:
1 ∂ ∂Aθ
 
~ ×A
∇ ~= (sin(θ)Aφ ) − r̂
r sin(θ) ∂θ ∂φ

1 1 ∂Ar ∂
 
+ − (rAφ ) θ̂
r sin(θ) ∂φ ∂r
1 ∂ ∂Ar
 
+ (rAθ ) − φ̂
r ∂r ∂θ

Laplacian:

1 ∂ 2 ∂f 1 ∂ ∂f 1 ∂2f
∇2 f = (r ) + (sin(θ) ) +
r 2 ∂r ∂r r 2 sin(θ) ∂θ ∂θ r 2 sin( θ) ∂φ2
 Integration by Parts (examples)

~ · (f A)
∇ ~ = f (∇
~ · A)
~ + (A
~ · ∇)f
~
Z Z Z
~ · (f A)dV
∇ ~ = ~ · A)
f (∇ ~ + ~ · ∇)f
(A ~
V /S V /S V /S
I Z Z
~ · d~
(f A) a= ~ · A)
f (∇ ~ + ~ · ∇)f
(A ~ (divergence theorem)
S V /S V /S
Z I Z
~ · A)
f (∇ ~ = ~ · d~
(f A) a− ~ · ∇)f
(A ~ (integration by parts, or:)
V /S S V /S
Z I Z
~ · ∇)f
(A ~ = ~ · d~
(f A) a− ~ · A)
f (∇ ~ (integration by parts)
V /S S V /S

~ × (f A)
∇ ~ = f (∇
~ × A)
~ − (A
~ × ∇)f
~
Z Z Z
~ × (f A)
∇ ~ · d~
a= ~ × A)
f (∇ ~ · d~
a− ~ × ∇)f
(A ~ · d~
a
S/C S/C S/C
I Z Z
~ · d~
fA ℓ= ~ × A)
f (∇ ~ · d~
a− ~ × ∇)f
(A ~ · d~
a (Stokes’ theorem)
C S/C S/C
Z I Z
~ × A)
f (∇ ~ · d~
a= ~ · d~
fA ℓ+ ~ × ∇)f
(A ~ · d~
a (integration by parts)
S/C C S/C