Conservative Vector Fields

Path Independence

If a vector field F is the gradient of a scalar field G (i.e. if F is conservative), that is,

$\mathbf {F} =\nabla G,$

then by the multivariable chain rule, the derivative of the composition of G and r(t) is

${\frac {dG(\mathbf {r} (t))}{dt}}=\nabla G(\mathbf {r} (t))\cdot \mathbf {r} '(t)=\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {r} (t))\cdot \mathbf {r} '(t)$

which happens to be the integrand for the line integral of F on r(t). It follows, given a path C , that

$\int _{C}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {r} )\cdot \,d\mathbf {r} =\int _{a}^{b}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {r} (t))\cdot \mathbf {r} '(t)\,dt=\int _{a}^{b}{\frac {dG(\mathbf {r} (t))}{dt}}\,dt=G(\mathbf {r} (b))-G(\mathbf {r} (a)).$

In other words, the integral of F over C depends solely on the values of G at the points r(b) and r(a), and is thus independent of the path between them. For this reason, a line integral of a conservative vector field is called path independent.

Stokes' Theorem

Stokes' Theorem is effectively a generalization of Green's theorem to 3 dimensions, and the "curl" is a generalization of the quantity ${\frac {\partial F_{y}}{\partial x}}-{\frac {\partial F_{x}}{\partial y}}$ to 3 dimensions. An arbitrary oriented surface $\sigma$ can be articulated into a family of infinitesimal surfaces, some parallel to the xy-plane, others parallel to the zx-plane, and the remainder parallel to the yz-plane. Let $\mathbf {F}$ denote an arbitrary vector field.

Let $\sigma$ be a surface that is parallel to the yz-plane with counter-clockwise oriented boundary $C$. Green's theorem gives:

$\int _{\mathbf {q} \in C}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {q} )\cdot d\mathbf {q} =\iint _{\mathbf {q} \in \sigma }\left({\frac {\partial F_{z}}{\partial y}}-{\frac {\partial F_{y}}{\partial z}}\right)(\mathbf {dS} \cdot \mathbf {i} )=\iint _{\mathbf {q} \in \sigma }\left(\left({\frac {\partial F_{z}}{\partial y}}-{\frac {\partial F_{y}}{\partial z}}\right)\mathbf {i} \right)\cdot \mathbf {dS}$

$\mathbf {dS} \cdot \mathbf {i}$ is positive if the normal direction to $\sigma$ points in the positive x direction and is negative if otherwise. If the normal direction to $\sigma$ points in the negative x direction, then $C$ is oriented clockwise instead of counter-clockwise in the yz-plane.

Decomposing a 3D loop into an ensemble of infinitesimal loops that are parallel to the yz, zx, or xy planes.

Repeating this argument for $\sigma$ being parallel to the zx-plane and xy-plane respectively gives:

$\int _{\mathbf {q} \in C}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {q} )\cdot d\mathbf {q} =\iint _{\mathbf {q} \in \sigma }\left({\frac {\partial F_{x}}{\partial z}}-{\frac {\partial F_{z}}{\partial x}}\right)(\mathbf {dS} \cdot \mathbf {j} )=\iint _{\mathbf {q} \in \sigma }\left(\left({\frac {\partial F_{x}}{\partial z}}-{\frac {\partial F_{z}}{\partial x}}\right)\mathbf {j} \right)\cdot \mathbf {dS}$

and

$\int _{\mathbf {q} \in C}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {q} )\cdot d\mathbf {q} =\iint _{\mathbf {q} \in \sigma }\left({\frac {\partial F_{y}}{\partial x}}-{\frac {\partial F_{x}}{\partial y}}\right)(\mathbf {dS} \cdot \mathbf {k} )=\iint _{\mathbf {q} \in \sigma }\left(\left({\frac {\partial F_{y}}{\partial x}}-{\frac {\partial F_{x}}{\partial y}}\right)\mathbf {k} \right)\cdot \mathbf {dS}$

Treating $\sigma$ as an ensemble of infinitesimal surfaces parallel to the yz-plane, zx-plane, or xy-plane gives:

$\int _{\mathbf {q} \in C}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {q} )\cdot d\mathbf {q} =\iint _{\mathbf {q} \in \sigma }\left(\left({\frac {\partial F_{z}}{\partial y}}-{\frac {\partial F_{y}}{\partial z}}\right)\mathbf {i} +\left({\frac {\partial F_{x}}{\partial z}}-{\frac {\partial F_{z}}{\partial x}}\right)\mathbf {j} +\left({\frac {\partial F_{y}}{\partial x}}-{\frac {\partial F_{x}}{\partial y}}\right)\mathbf {k} \right)\cdot \mathbf {dS}$

This is Stokes' theorem, and $\nabla \times \mathbf {F} =\left({\frac {\partial F_{z}}{\partial y}}-{\frac {\partial F_{y}}{\partial z}}\right)\mathbf {i} +\left({\frac {\partial F_{x}}{\partial z}}-{\frac {\partial F_{z}}{\partial x}}\right)\mathbf {j} +\left({\frac {\partial F_{y}}{\partial x}}-{\frac {\partial F_{x}}{\partial y}}\right)\mathbf {k}$ is the "curl" of $\mathbf {F}$ which generalizes the "circulation density" to 3 dimensions.

The direction of $\nabla \times \mathbf {F}$ at $\mathbf {q}$ is effectively an "axis of rotation" around which the counterclockwise circulation density in a plane whose normal is parallel to $\nabla \times \mathbf {F}$ is $|\nabla \times \mathbf {F} |$. Out of all planes that pass through $\mathbf {q}$, the plane whose normal is parallel to $\nabla \times \mathbf {F}$ has the largest counterclockwise circulation density at $\mathbf {q}$ which is $|\nabla \times \mathbf {F} |$.

An arbitrary vector field $\mathbf {F}$ that is differentiable everywhere is considered to be "irrotational" or "conservative" if $\nabla \times \mathbf {F} =\mathbf {0}$ everywhere, or equivalently that $\int _{\mathbf {q} \in C}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {q} )\cdot d\mathbf {q} =0$ for all continuous closed curves $C$

Conservative vector fields

A vector field $\mathbf {F}$ for which $\nabla \times \mathbf {F} =\mathbf {0}$ at all points is an "conservative" vector field. $\mathbf {F}$ can also be referred to as being "irrotational" since the gain around any closed curve is always 0.

A key property of a conservative vector field $\mathbf {F}$ is that the gain of $\mathbf {F}$ along a continuous curve is purely a function of the curve's end points. If $C_{1}$ and $C_{2}$ are two continuous curves which share the same starting point $\mathbf {q} _{0}$ and end point $\mathbf {q} _{1}$, then $\int _{\mathbf {q} \in C_{1}}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {q} )\cdot d\mathbf {q} =\int _{\mathbf {q} \in C_{2}}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {q} )\cdot d\mathbf {q}$. In other words, the gain is purely a function of $\mathbf {q} _{0}$ and $\mathbf {q} _{1}$. This property can be derived from Stokes' theorem as follows:

Invert the orientation of $C_{2}$ to get $-C_{2}$ and combine $C_{1}$ and $-C_{2}$ to get a continuous closed curve $C_{3}=C_{1}-C_{2}$, linking the curves together at the endpoints $\mathbf {q} _{0}$ and $\mathbf {q} _{1}$. Let $\sigma$ denote a surface for which $C_{3}$ is the counterclockwise oriented boundary.

Stokes' theorem states that $\int _{\mathbf {q} \in C_{3}}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {q} )\cdot d\mathbf {q} =\iint _{\mathbf {q} \in \sigma }(\nabla \times \mathbf {F} )|_{\mathbf {q} }\cdot \mathbf {dS} =0$. The gain around $C_{3}$ is the gain along $C_{1}$ minus the gain along $C_{2}$: $\int _{\mathbf {q} \in C_{3}}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {q} )\cdot d\mathbf {q} =\int _{\mathbf {q} \in C_{1}}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {q} )\cdot d\mathbf {q} +\int _{\mathbf {q} \in -C_{2}}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {q} )\cdot d\mathbf {q}$ $=\int _{\mathbf {q} \in C_{1}}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {q} )\cdot d\mathbf {q} -\int _{\mathbf {q} \in C_{2}}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {q} )\cdot d\mathbf {q}$. Therefore:

$\int _{\mathbf {q} \in C_{3}}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {q} )\cdot d\mathbf {q} =0$ $\implies \int _{\mathbf {q} \in C_{1}}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {q} )\cdot d\mathbf {q} =\int _{\mathbf {q} \in C_{2}}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {q} )\cdot d\mathbf {q}$

Scalar Potential Function

If F is a conservative vector field (also called irrotational, curl-free, or potential), and its components have continuous partial derivatives, the potential of F with respect to a reference point $\mathbf {r} _{0}$ is defined in terms of the line integral:

$V(\mathbf {r} )=-\int _{C}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {r} )\cdot \,d\mathbf {r} =-\int _{a}^{b}\mathbf {F} (\mathbf {r} (t))\cdot \mathbf {r} '(t)\,dt,$

where C is a parametrized path from $\mathbf {r} _{0}$ to $\mathbf {r} ,$

$\mathbf {r} (t),a\leq t\leq b,\mathbf {r} (a)=\mathbf {r_{0}} ,\mathbf {r} (b)=\mathbf {r} .$

The fact that the line integral depends on the path C only through its terminal points $\mathbf {r} _{0}$ and $\mathbf {r}$ is, in essence, the path independence property of a conservative vector field. The fundamental theorem of line integrals implies that if V is defined in this way, then $\mathbf {F} =-\nabla V,$ so that V is a scalar potential of the conservative vector field F. Scalar potential is not determined by the vector field alone: indeed, the gradient of a function is unaffected if a constant is added to it. If V is defined in terms of the line integral, the ambiguity of V reflects the freedom in the choice of the reference point $\mathbf {r} _{0}.$

Resources

• Vector Calculus, Wikibooks: Calculus

Conservative Vector Fields

• Conservative Vector Fields Video by James Sousa, Math is Power 4U
• Conservative Vector Fields - The Definition and a Few Remarks Video by Patrick JMT
• Showing a Vector Field on R^2 is Conservative Video by Patrick JMT

Finding a Potential Function of a Conservative Vector Field

• Determining the Potential Function of a Conservative Vector Field Video by James Sousa, Math is Power 4U
• Finding a Potential for a Conservative Vector Field Video by Patrick JMT
• Finding a Potential for a Conservative Vector Field Ex 2 Video by Patrick JMT
• Potential Function of a Conservative Vector Field Video by Krista King
• Potential Function of a Conservative Vector Field in 3D Video by Krista King

The Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals

• The Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals Part 1 Video by James Sousa, Math is Power 4U
• The Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals Part 2 Video by James Sousa, Math is Power 4U
• The Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals on a Closed Path Video by James Sousa, Math is Power 4U
• Ex 1: Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals in the Plane Video by James Sousa, Math is Power 4U
• Ex 2: Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals in the Plane Video by James Sousa, Math is Power 4U
• Ex 3: Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals in the Plane Video by James Sousa, Math is Power 4U
• Ex 4: Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals in Space Video by James Sousa, Math is Power 4U
• The Fundamental Theorem for Line Integrals Video by Patrick JMT
• Potential Function of a Conservative Vector Field to Evaluate a Line Integral Video by Krista King

Licensing

Content obtained and/or adapted from:

• Vector calculus, Wikibooks: Calculus under a CC BY-SA license
• Scalar potential, Wikipedia under a CC BY-SA license