Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford / 2015 / Prelims / Mathematics V resit / Question 2 / a

For a bounded region $V\subset {\mathbb{R}}^3$ with piecewise smooth boundary, suppose $\mathbf{F}$ is a continuously differentiable vector field on an open neighbourhood of its closure. The divergence theorem, with outward unit normal vector $\mathbf{n}$, isThe surface integral measures total outward flux. Edges and isolated vertices have zero surface area and do not affect the integral.

In Cartesian coordinates, write the constant vector as $\mathbf{c}=(c_1,c_2,c_3)$. The product rule and constancy of its components giveThe last expression is the dot product with the gradient, so

Apply the divergence theorem to $\varphi \mathbf{c}$, using ii. Because the vector $\mathbf{c}$ is constant, it can be taken outside both integrals:This holds for every $\mathbf{c}$, in particular each of the three Cartesian basis vectors. Equality of the three components proves the gradient volume-to-boundary identityIt suffices that $\varphi$ be a continuously differentiable function on a neighbourhood of the closure of $V$.