 Generalized Stokes theorem

If $X$ is an oriented $n$-manifold with boundary, $F:\partial X\hookrightarrow X$ is the inclusion, and $\omega$ is a compactly supported $(n-1)$-form, thenwhere the boundary has the outward-normal-first boundary orientation. A subordinate partition of unity reduces the theorem to the fundamental theorem of calculus in oriented coordinate half-spaces; local finiteness and compact support ensure that only finitely many terms contribute.

For the counterclockwise unit-square boundary and $\omega =xdy$, the right-hand side is $1$, while the left-hand side is ${\int }_{[0,1{]}^2}dx\wedge dy=1$. The equation says that the boundary integral measures the total local circulation in the region. Reversing the orientation of a smooth manifold reverses both sides together.

In dimension one, the boundary of an interval consists of its endpoint with a plus sign and its starting point with a minus sign; the identity becomes ${\int }_a^{b}df=f(b)-f(a)$. In the plane it gives Green theorem. Applied to appropriate differential forms in three dimensions it gives both Stokes theorem and the divergence theorem. The boundary and the differential being integrated must belong to the stated domain: removing a singular point can make a spanning disc unavailable.

The Generalized Stokes' Theorem is a fundamental result in differential geometry and vector calculus that extends the classical Stokes' theorem, relating integrals of differential forms over manifolds to their behavior on the boundaries of those manifolds. It serves as a powerful tool in various fields such as physics, engineering, and mathematics, particularly in the study of differential forms, topology, and manifold theory.