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Differentiation of Vector Functions Gradient

The document outlines the differentiation of vector functions and the concept of gradients in the context of Engineering Mathematics-II. It explains scalar and vector quantities, their representations, and operations such as dot and cross products, along with vector differentiation and its applications. Additionally, it covers the gradient of scalar fields, normal vectors, and practical applications in image processing and machine learning.

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Dr, Vishal Singh
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
4 views

Differentiation of Vector Functions Gradient

The document outlines the differentiation of vector functions and the concept of gradients in the context of Engineering Mathematics-II. It explains scalar and vector quantities, their representations, and operations such as dot and cross products, along with vector differentiation and its applications. Additionally, it covers the gradient of scalar fields, normal vectors, and practical applications in image processing and machine learning.

Uploaded by

Dr, Vishal Singh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Differentiation of Vector

Functions, Gradient
Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II
Course Code: C1UC222B
Session No. 1
Duration: 50 Minutes
Date of Conduction of Class: 03-03-2025
Instructor name:
Department of Mathematics
School of Basic Sciences
Galgotias University
Preliminaries
The physical quantities may be divided into two parts: (1)
Scalar (2) Vector.
• Scalar: A scalar is a quantity having magnitude but no
direction. Scalars are invariant under coordinate
transformations, meaning they remain unchanged
regardless of the chosen coordinate system.

Examples:
◦ Temperature (T) at a point in space.
◦ Pressure (P) in a fluid.
◦ Electric Potential (V ) at a location in an electric field.

A scalar field can be visualized as a contour map, where


different scalar values are represented using contour lines or
color gradients.
Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 2 of 29 pages
Figure: Here is a 3D visualization of a scalar field, where the surface
represents varying values of a scalar quantity. Warm colors (red,
orange) indicate high values, while cool colors (blue, green) indicate
low values.

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 3 of 29 pages
Vector
• Vector : A vector is a quantity having both magnitude and
direction. Unlike scalar quantities, vectors change when
the coordinate system is rotated or transformed.

Note : A vector is represented by a letter with an arrow


⃗ and its magnitude is denoted by | A
over it such as A ⃗ |.

Examples of Vector Quantities:


◦ Velocity (v) of a moving particle
◦ Force (F) acting on a body.
◦ Electric Field (E) at a point in space.

A vector field is often visualized using arrows that indicate the


direction and magnitude of the vector quantity at different
points.

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 4 of 29 pages
Figure: Here is a 3D visualization of a vector field, where arrows
indicate both the direction and magnitude of the vector quantity at
different points.

Unit Vector : Unit vector is that vector whose magnitude is


⃗ is denoted as Â.
Unity. Unit vector of A
Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 5 of 29 pages
Dot Product of Two Vectors

Scalar or Dot Product


If ⃗a = a1 î + a2 ĵ + a3 k̂ and ⃗b = b1 î + b2 ĵ + b3 k̂ are two vectors
then dot product of ⃗a and ⃗b are denoted and defined as
⃗a.⃗b = (a1 î + a2 ĵ + a3 k̂ ).(b1 î + b2 ĵ + b3 k̂) that is
⃗a.⃗b = a1 b1 + a2 b2 + a3 b3 .

Example
If ⃗a = 3î + 4ĵ + 5k̂ and ⃗b = 2î − ĵ + 3k̂ are two vectors then dot
product of ⃗a and ⃗b is given as
⃗a.⃗b = (3î + 4ĵ + 5k̂).(2î − ĵ + 3k̂) = 6 − 4 + 15 = 17
This means the dot product of A and B is 17, which is a scalar
quantity

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 6 of 29 pages
Cross Product of Two Vectors
Vector or Cross Product
If ⃗a = a1 î + a2 ĵ + a3 k̂ and ⃗b = b1 î + b2 ĵ + b3 k̂ are two vectors
then dot product of ⃗a and ⃗b are denoted and defined as
î ĵ k̂
⃗a × ⃗b = a1 a2 a3
b1 b2 b3

Example
If ⃗a = 3î + 4ĵ + 5k̂ and ⃗b = 2î − ĵ + 3k̂ are two vectors then the
î ĵ k̂
cross product of ⃗a and ⃗b is given as ⃗a × ⃗b = 3 4 5
2 −1 3

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 7 of 29 pages
Vector Differentiation:
• Vector differentiation extends differentiation to vector
functions.
Let r(t) is a vector function of a scalar parameter t. It is
also known as position vector of a moving object.
r(t) = x(t)î + y (t)ĵ + z(t)k̂ .
• Its derivative is:
dr dx dy dz
v= = î + ĵ + k̂
dt dt dt dt
This represents the velocity of a particle moving along a
path.
• Acceleration a is the first derivative of velocity (or second
d 2r
derivative of position): a = dv
dt = dt 2

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 8 of 29 pages
Example

Consider the position function: r(t) = t 4 î + 3t 3 ĵ + 2t 2 k̂

Example

• Step 1: Velocity:
v = dr 3 2
dt = 4t î + 9t ĵ + 4t k̂
• Step 2: Acceleration:
dv
a= dt = 12t 2 î + 18t ĵ + 4k̂

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 9 of 29 pages
Learning Activity

Problem Solving
Consider the position function:
r(t) = t 5 î + 2t 4 ĵ + 3t 3 k̂ then find the following
vectors.
• Velocity:
• Acceleration:
• Jerk: The first derivative of Acceleration.
• Snap: The first derivative of Jerk.

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 10 of 29 pages
Learning Outcomes:

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
• Compute the gradient of a function in Cartesian
coordinates.
• Determine the unit normal vector using gradient.

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 11 of 29 pages
Opening Question:

”If you are standing on a temperature map


where different points have different
temperatures, how would you find the
direction in which the temperature increases
the fastest?”

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 12 of 29 pages
Vector Differentiation

Differentiation Operator
Differentiation operator is the Del operator.
⃗ =
The del operator is denoted and defined as ∇ ∂ ∂ ∂
∂x i + ∂y j + ∂z k

Gradient of a scalar field


Let f (x, y , z) be a scalar function then gradient of f is denoted
by grad f or ∇f ⃗ and given by ∇f⃗ = ∂f i + ∂f j + ∂f k .
∂x ∂y ∂z

Here grad f is the vector quantity.

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 13 of 29 pages
Example:1
Consider the function:

f (x, y, z) = x 2 + y 2 + z 2

Step 1: Compute Partial Derivatives

∂f ∂f ∂f
= 2x, = 2y, = 2z
∂x ∂y ∂z

Step 2: Write the Gradient Vector

∇f = 2xi + 2yj + 2zk

Step 3: Evaluate at a Point (1, 2, 3):

∇f (1, 2, 3) = 2(1)i + 2(2)j + 2(3)k = 2i + 4j + 6k

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 14 of 29 pages
Example:2

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 15 of 29 pages
Think, Pair and Share

If the gradient of a temperature field T (x, y , z) in a room is zero


at a point then

• what does this imply about the temperature distribution in


that region?
• How does the gradient change when you move in different
directions from a given point?
• If two temperatures have the same gradient, what can you
conclude about them?

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 16 of 29 pages
Learning Activity

Problem Solving
• Find the gradient of the scalar field f (x, y) = y 2 − 4xy.
• Find the gradient
p of the scalar field
f (x, y , z) = x + y 2 + z 2 at the point (1, 1, 1).
2

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 17 of 29 pages
Answer
Answer of the opening Question:
• The direction in which the temperature increases the
fastest is given by the gradient of the temperature function.
• Mathematically, if the temperature at any point (x, y) is
given by a function T (x, y ), then the gradient of T , denoted
as
∇T , is: ∇T = ∂T ∂T
∂x i + ∂y j
• This gradient vector points in the direction of the steepest
increase in temperature, and its magnitude represents the
rate of increase.
• Therefore, to move in the direction where the temperature
rises the fastest, one should follow the gradient vector at
that point.

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 18 of 29 pages
Normal Vector

Let f be a differentiable scalar function that represents a


surface S such that f (x, y , z) = c. then if the gradient of f at a
point P of S is not the zero vector, then it is called a normal
vector of S at P.
Normal Vector is
⃗ = ∇ f,
N
Unit Normal Vector is
∇f
N̂ =
|∇ f |

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 19 of 29 pages
Example
Finding the Unit Normal Vector to a Surface Given as:
F (x, y, z) = x 2 + y 2 + z 2 − 9 = 0
Step 1: Compute the Gradient:
The normal vector to the surface is given by the gradient of
F (x, y , z) at the point (3, 0, 0):
∂F ∂F ∂F
∇F = i+ j+ k
∂x ∂y ∂z
Computing the partial derivatives:
∂F ∂F ∂F
= 2x, = 2y , = 2z
∂x ∂y ∂z
Thus, the normal vector is:
N = 2xi + 2yj + 2zk
Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 20 of 29 pages
Step 2: Normalize the Normal Vector:
The unit normal vector is obtained by dividing by its magnitude:
q q
|N| = (2x)2 + (2y)2 + (2z)2 = 4(x 2 + y 2 + z 2 )
Since the surface is a sphere of radius 3, we substitute
x 2 + y 2 + z2 = 9 :
p √
|N| = 4(9) = 36 = 6
Thus, the unit normal vector is:
2xi + 2yj + 2zk x y z
N̂ = = i+ j+ k
6 3 3 3
Step 3: Evaluate at a Specific Point at (3, 0, 0):
 
3 0 0
N̂ = i + j + k = 1i + 0j + 0k .
3 3 3
This unit normal vector 1i + 0j + 0k is perpendicular to the
surface at the point (3, 0, 0).

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 21 of 29 pages
Problem Solving

• Find a unit normal vector to the surface xy 2 + 2yz = 8 at


the point (3, −2, 1).
• Find a unit normal vector to the surface x 2 + 3y 2 + 2z 2 = 6
at the point P(2, 0, 1).

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 22 of 29 pages
Application of Gradient

• Image Processing and Computer Vision: The gradient


plays a crucial role in image processing and computer
vision, particularly in edge detection, feature extraction and
object recognition. In edge detection to find sharp changes
in pixel intensity.
• An image is represented as a 2D function f (x, y), where x
and y are pixel coordinates, and f (x, y ) represents
intensity (brightness) at that point.
∂f ∂f
• • The gradient of the image is given by: ∇f = ∂x i + ∂y j
∂f
• ∂x : Measures intensity change in the horizontal direction.
∂f
• ∂y : Measures intensity change in the vertical direction.

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 23 of 29 pages
Continued.....

• The magnitude of the gradient gives the strength of edges


that means higher the magnitude |∇f |, the stronger the
edge.
• If an image has a sharp boundary (e.g., between black and
white regions), the gradient magnitude will be high at the
edge.
• If an image has a smooth transition, the gradient
magnitude will be low (indicating no sharp edge).

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 24 of 29 pages
More Applications

• In Machine learning and Optimization problems, the


gradient is used in gradient descent and gradient ascent
algorithms to find the minimum or maximum of a function.
• Heat Transfer: Thermodynamics
• Robotics and Path Planning: Used in autonomous
navigation and AI-driven decision-making.
• Medical Imaging (MRI CT Scans): Helps in detecting
variations in tissue density and diagnosing diseases.
• Geophysics and Earth Sciences: Used in seismic wave
analysis to locate earthquakes.

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 25 of 29 pages
Assessment

Compute the Gradient for following functions:


• Given f (x, y) = x 2 + 4y 2 , compute ∇f at the point (2, 1).
• If the electricp
potential in a region is given by
V (x, y, z) = x 2 + y 2 + z 2 , compute the electric field
E = −∇V at (1, 1, 1)

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 26 of 29 pages
Home Work

Compute the Gradient for following functions:


• f (x, y ) = x 2 + y 2 , f (x, y ) = 3x 2 y − 2xy 3 + 5y,
f (x, y ) = ln(x 2 + y 2 ),
• f (x, y , z) = ex+y sin(z), f (x, y, z) = x 3 + y 3 + z 3 − 3xyz
• If f (x, y , z) = x 2 + y 2 + z 2 , evaluate ∇f at (1, −2, 3).
• Given the surface equation
F (x, y , z) = x 2 + y 2 + z 2 − 9 = 0, find the unit normal
vector at the point (2, 1, 2).

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 27 of 29 pages
Ensure Attainment of LOs in Alignment to
the Learning Activities:

Learning Outcomes:
• Compute the gradient of a function in Cartesian
coordinates.
• Determine the unit normal vector using gradient.

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 28 of 29 pages
Topic of next class:

• Directional Derivative and it’s Examples

Course name: Engineering Mathematics-II , Course Code: C1UC222B, February 28, 2025. 29 of 29 pages

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