Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford / 2017 / Prelims / Mathematics V resit / Question 3

For the vector field $\mathbf{u}=(-y,x,0)$, the Cartesian formula for the curl gives

Apply the product rule inside the Cartesian expression for the curl:The first sum is the gradient of the scalar field and the second is the curl of the vector field. Thus the curl product rule for a scalar field is

Let $S$ be a piecewise smooth oriented surface with piecewise smooth boundary $\partial S$, and let $\mathbf{F}$ be a continuously differentiable vector field on a neighbourhood of $S$. The Stokes theorem statesThe boundary orientation is induced by the chosen unit normal vector $\mathbf{n}$ through the right-hand rule: with the right thumb along $\mathbf{n}$, the curled fingers indicate positive boundary traversal. Equivalently, when walking along the boundary with one's head pointing along $\mathbf{n}$, the surface lies to the left. An upward oriented disk therefore has counterclockwise boundary traversal when viewed from above. Reversing the orientation reverses both the line integral and the surface integral.

Choose the outward orientation on the upper half of the ellipsoid, giving counterclockwise boundary orientation on $C$ as viewed from $z>0$. Parametrize the boundary circle byThen $\mathbf{u}(\mathbf{c}(t))=(-\sin t,\cos t,0)={\mathbf{c}}^{\prime }(t)$, so the line integral isFor a direct surface integral, use the parametrized surfaceIts outward vector surface element is supplied by the cross productUsing the curl from a,The two integrals agree for every $\alpha >0$, verifying the Stokes theorem. Only the vertical component of the vector surface element enters, which explains the absence of $\alpha$ in the answer.

On the unit circle, the positively oriented unit tangent vector is $\mathbf{u}=(-y,x,0)$, and $|\mathbf{u}|=1$. Hence $d\mathbf{r}=\mathbf{u}ds$ andSince the scalar field $\psi$ has no $z$ dependence, the curl product rule for a scalar field givesOn the unit upper hemisphere $S_1$, the outward unit normal vector is $(x,y,z)$, so its vertical component is $z=\cos \theta$. Applying the Stokes theorem to the vector field $\psi \mathbf{u}$ therefore provesThe smoothness needed here is that $\psi$ extend as a continuously differentiable scalar field to a neighbourhood of the projected unit disk. The left side is a scalar line integral with respect to arc length; the positive boundary orientation is used when identifying it with the vector line integral.