Re: non-rectangular div/grad/curl (was: another math question)

["Floyd J. James" <fjames@UNICORN.NCAT.EDU>]

>         Depends on the course: for Jr level E&M it is absolutely
> essential.
>
>         I just ran into an interesting problem with this.  the students
> messed up two problems because their calc. course reversed the
> definitions of theta and phi in spherical coordinates (I always thought
> physics, and everyone else had theta from the z-axis, and phi as the
> azimuthal angle). They even showed me their calc. text with the angles
> reversed.  Sheesh...things you wouldn't even expect when teaching :)
>
>
>                                 Mike Monce
>                                 Connecticut College

I would not be so hard on the math people.
It is interesting to start with polar coordinates (r, theta), This is generally
assumed to be the x-y plane, and there are transformations from (r, theta)
to (x,y).  Go from there to cylindrical coordinates (polar coordinates + z), and
then spherical coordinates (r and two angles),
Where (or if) does theta change its definition?  Why is it changed?


--
________

FORTRAN is not the answer; FORTRAN is the question.  The answer is "No!"
________

Floyd James     North Carolina A & T State University
fjames@unicorn.ncat.edu