Physics I / Gradient, Divergence, and Curl
Practice question · Sort into groups

Sort each identity as Always True or Not Always True.

Groups: Always true · Not always true

Hints
  1. Two of these identities follow from mixed partials commuting.
  2. Check whether the composition even type-checks before judging it.
Show the answer

Always true: ∇ × (∇f\nabla f) = 0 (curl of gradient is zero), ∇ · (∇×F\nabla \times F) = 0 (divergence of curl is zero), ∇(fg)=f∇g\nabla(fg) = f \nabla g + g∇f\nabla f (product rule), ∇2f\nabla^{2}f = ∇ · (∇f\nabla f)

Not always true: ∇×F\nabla \times F = 0 for any F, ∇⋅F\nabla \cdot F = 0 for any F

Why

The curl of a gradient and divergence of a curl are always zero by Clairaut's theorem.

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