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Write the conservative body force per unit mass as $-\nabla \Phi$. For a fluid of constant density $\rho$, the Euler equations for an inviscid fluid and the incompressible flow condition areUsing part (a), these becomeFor irrotational flow, locally choose a velocity potential with $\mathbf{u}=\nabla \varphi$. Then $\nabla ({\partial }_t\varphi +H)=0$, so the unsteady Bernoulli integral isThe constant is spatially uniform on a connected region where the velocity potential is defined; its time dependence can be absorbed into the additive time-dependent gauge of $\varphi$. A global single-valued velocity potential requires an appropriate topological condition, such as a simply connected domain; without it, the integral is locally valid. In a connected steady irrotational region, $\nabla H=0$ directly gives one spatial Bernoulli constant even without choosing a global potential.

The divergence and scalar vorticity areThus the flow is irrotational but not incompressible on the plane. A velocity potential satisfying $\mathbf{u}=\nabla \varphi$ isIndeed its two partial derivatives are the two velocity components. A usual two-dimensional stream function would satisfy $u_x={\psi }_y$, $u_y=-{\psi }_x$ and hence have identically zero divergence. No such stream function exists on an open region where this divergence is not identically zero; the line $y=0$ is not a two-dimensional flow domain.

Separate the uniform stream and an arbitrary time-dependent gauge from each velocity potential: ${\varphi }_j=U_{j}x+f_j(t)+{\varphi }_j^{\prime }$. Only gradients of the velocity potential determine the velocity field. The remote fluid must remain in its unperturbed uniform stream, soAfter fixing the harmless gauge, the nonzero-wavenumber perturbation velocity potentials themselves vanish at the corresponding infinities. Incompressible flow and irrotational flow give the Laplace equation for each perturbation. For a normal mode with $k>0$, the vertical amplitude solves ${\Phi }_j^{\prime \prime }-k^2{\Phi }_j=0$, henceThe opposite exponentials are excluded because they make the perturbation grow at infinity. It is the perturbation, rather than the total potential $U_{j}x+f_j(t)$, that decays.

For an even velocity potential, take ${\Phi }_I=C\cosh (kz)$ and the decaying exterior amplitudes equal at the upper and lower interfaces. At $z=L$, kinematics gives $A=ic{B}_{+}$ and $C\sinh (kL)=i(V-c)B_{+}$. The dynamic condition becomes $-cA=(V-c)C\cosh (kL)$. ThereforeWriting $s=\tanh (kL)$, its two roots areThe interior vertical velocity is odd, so $B_{-}=-B_{+}$; this is a varicose mode of a planar jet. As with the odd potential, $k>0$, finite $L>0$ and $V\ne 0$ give a growing root. The parity of the potential and the parity of the interface displacements are opposite because the vertical velocity is its derivative.

For an odd velocity potential, chooseAt $z=L$ the two kinematic conditions give $A=ic{B}_{+}$ and $C\cosh (kL)=i(V-c)B_{+}$. The dynamic condition is $-cA=(V-c)C\sinh (kL)$. Eliminating $A,C,B_{+}$ gives, with $s=\tanh (kL)$,The lower interface gives the same equation by odd parity of the velocity potential. The interior vertical velocity is even, so $B_{-}=B_{+}$: the displacement is a sinuous mode of a planar jet even though the potential is odd.

For $L>0$, $V\ne 0$ and $k>0$, $0<s<1$ and one root has $c_i>0$. Thus every nonzero wavenumber is unstable in this ideal top-hat planar jet. The phrase “all choices” is understood with these assumptions: $k=0$ has no exponential wave growth, and $V=0$ has no shear.

Let $\varphi$ be the velocity potential. The linearized deep-water equations are ${\nabla }^2\varphi =0$ for $z<0$, ${\eta }_t={\varphi }_z$ and ${\varphi }_t+g\eta =0$ at $z=0$, with zero normal velocity at the four side walls. The normal modes arewhere $m,n\ge 0$ are not both zero. The free-surface conditions give the dispersion relation for a deep-water gravity wave:

The initial displacement is the $(m,n)=(3,4)$ mode, so $k=5\pi /a$. Release from rest selects a cosine in time:Velocity decays as $e^{kz}$, so it falls to $1/e$ of its surface value at depth $a/(5\pi )$.

The interface is material: fluid particles on $F=z-\eta (x,t)=0$ remain there. Its material derivative therefore vanishes, giving $w_j={\eta }_t+u_j{\eta }_x=D_j\eta /Dt$ on the interface. Since $w_j={\partial }_z{\varphi }_j$, this is the kinematic boundary condition for a free-surface graph on each side. The material derivatives use the respective tangential fluid velocities; they enforce the same moving normal boundary.

The Unsteady Bernoulli equation gives $p_j+{\rho }_j[{\partial }_t{\varphi }_j+|\nabla {\varphi }_j{|}^2/2+gz]=C_j(t)$. Absorb the spatially constant functions $C_j$ into the gauges of the velocity potentials. Evaluating at $z=\eta$ and subtracting the equations yields the stated dynamic boundary condition for an inviscid interface. Surface tension supplies the pressure jump, rather than pressure continuity. Thus the first condition enforces material motion, and the second enforces the Bernoulli pressure balance.

Take $k>0$; reflection in $x$ supplies the result for negative wavenumber. Since each region has uniform base velocity, the perturbation is an incompressible, irrotational flow with a velocity potential satisfying the Laplace equation. Its decaying outer forms areFor a varicose mode of a planar jet, reflection symmetry makes the inner potential proportional to $\cosh (ky)$; for a sinuous mode of a planar jet, it is proportional to $\sinh (ky)$.

At the upper interface, the linearized kinematic boundary condition isThe first equation gives ${\varphi }_{+}(h)=-\sigma \eta /k$. The second givesThe linearized Unsteady Bernoulli equation gives $p^{\prime }=-\rho ({\partial }_t+U{\partial }_x)\varphi$. Applying pressure continuity therefore produces the equal-density top-hat planar-jet dispersion relationSolving the quadratic equation givesEquivalently,The plus sign is the unstable Kelvin-Helmholtz instability branch. In particular, the two modes have exactly the same growth rate,Its limiting forms areThus neither type grows faster in this equal-density idealization, although their phase speeds differ. The unbounded large-$k$ growth is the familiar short-wave pathology of an inviscid vortex sheet.

For an incompressible flow, $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{u}=0$. If the flow is also irrotational, then locally $\mathbf{u}=\nabla \varphi$ for a velocity potential, and therefore

The boundary conditions areThe fluid region is not simply connected, so a potential may change by the constant $\kappa$ after one circuit while its gradient remains single-valued. Superposing uniform flow, the cylinder doublet, and the circulation gives the potential flow around a circular cylinder with circulationIts velocity components are

On $r=a$, $u_r=0$ and, with $\lambda =\kappa /(4\pi Ua)$,The Bernoulli equation gives $p=p_{\infty }+\rho (U^2-u_{\theta }^2)/2$. The pressure force per unit length on the cylinder isThe $x$ component vanishes by symmetry, while ${\int }_0^{2\pi }{\sin }^2\theta d\theta =\pi$ givesin agreement with the Kutta–Joukowski theorem.

A stagnation point satisfies $u_r=u_{\theta }=0$. On the cylinder this means $\sin \theta =\lambda$. Thus $|\lambda |<1$ gives two surface stagnation points, $|\lambda |=1$ gives one coincident surface point, and $|\lambda |>1$ gives none on the surface. Away from the cylinder, $u_r=0$ requires $\cos \theta =0$. Solving $u_{\theta }=0$ then gives one physical exterior root when $|\lambda |>1$:At $|\lambda |=1$ this root lies on $r=a$ and agrees with the single surface point.

For a velocity potential, $\mathbf{u}=\nabla \varphi$. The incompressible flow condition $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{u}=0$ therefore becomes Laplace equation ${\nabla }^2\varphi =0$. The Laplace equation in polar coordinates givesso positivity of $\gamma$ and $\lambda$ requiresThe velocity components areThe no-penetration boundary condition on both walls says $u_{\theta }=0$ at $\theta =0$ and $\theta =\alpha$, hence $\lambda \alpha =n\pi$. If $n\ge 2$, $\sin (n\pi \theta /\alpha )$ changes sign inside the wedge. The stated sign condition therefore selects $n=1$, and

Equation (1) is Laplace equation for the velocity potential. It expresses incompressibility, $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{u}=0$, together with $\mathbf{u}=\nabla \varphi$. Equation (2) is the linearized dynamic free-surface condition: the unsteady Bernoulli equation and constant atmospheric pressure balance the potential acceleration against the gravitational restoring term $g\zeta$. Equation (3), with the printed $c$ understood as $\zeta$, is the kinematic free-surface condition: the surface moves with the vertical fluid velocity. Equations (4) and (5) are no-penetration boundary conditions at the rigid bottom and cylindrical sidewall, respectively.

For a velocity potential, $u=\nabla \varphi$. Writing $\theta =x-t$ givesIts divergence isThus this potential flow is generally compressible.

For a velocity potential $\varphi$, one requires $u={\partial }_x\varphi$ and $v={\partial }_y\varphi$. Integration givesagain up to an additive constant.

The radial velocity and velocity potential areChoose the gauge in the Unsteady Bernoulli equation by evaluating it at infinity, where $u=0$, $\varphi =0$, and $p=p_0$:At the cavity surface the vacuum pressure is zero, and the kinematic boundary condition gives $u(a,t)=\dot{a}$. SinceBernoulli's equation becomesTherefore

For an inviscid fluid of constant mass density $\rho$ with no body force, the Euler equations for an inviscid fluid areThe vector identityand irrotational flow give $(u\cdot \nabla )u=\nabla (|u{|}^2/2)$. Writing $u=\nabla \varphi$ in terms of a velocity potential, we obtainThus the bracket depends only on time:Since adding a function of time to $\varphi$ leaves $u=\nabla \varphi$ unchanged, that function may be chosen to absorb $C(t)$. This is the Unsteady Bernoulli equation.

A radially symmetric velocity potential has $u_r={\partial }_r\varphi$. The incompressible flow condition in two-dimensional polar coordinates isso $r{u}_r=A(t)$. The kinematic boundary condition at the bubble surface gives $u_r(a,t)=\dot{a}$, henceAt the outer interface, $\dot{b}=u_r(b,t)=a\dot{a}/b$. ThereforeandThe area $\pi (b^2-a^2)$ of the incompressible liquid is conserved. These formulas are the radially symmetric incompressible flow in a planar annulus.

A velocity potential satisfying uniform flow at infinity and no radial flow through $r=a$ isThereforeOn the cylinder, $u_r=0$ and $u_{\theta }=-2U\sin \theta$. The steady Bernoulli equation, compared with the uniform flow at infinity, givesHencethe pressure in potential flow around a circular cylinder.