.

Stokes’ Theorem
Stokes’ Theorem relates a line integral around a closed path to a surface integral over
what is called a capping surface of the path.

Stokes’ Theorem states:

I Z
a · dl = curl a · dS (7.21)
C S

where S is any surface capping the curve C.

Why have we used dl rather than dr, where r is the position vector?
There is no good reason for this, as dl = dr. It just seems to be common usage in line
integrals!
7.5. INFORMAL PROOF 7/7

7.5 Informal proof

You will recall that in Lecture 5 that we defined curl as the circulation per unit area,
and showed that
X
a · dl = dC = (∇ × a) · dS . (7.22)
around elemental loop

Now if we add these little loops together, the internal line sections cancel out because
the dl’s are in opposite direction but the field a is not. This gives the larger surface
and the larger bounding contour as shown in Fig. 7.4.

Figure 7.4: An example of an elementary loop, and how they combine together.

For a given contour, the capping surface can be ANY surface bound by the
contour. The only requirement is that the surface element vectors point in the “general
direction” of a right-handed screw with respect to the sense of the contour integral.
See Fig. 7.5.

Back

Front
Back

Front
Figure 7.5: For a given contour, the bounding surface can be any shape. dS’s must have a positive
component in the sense of a r-h screw wrt the contour sense.
 7/8 LECTURE 7. GAUSS’ AND STOKES’ THEOREMS

♣ Example of Stokes’ Theorem

In practice, (and especially in exam questions!) the bounding contour is often planar,
and the capping surface flat or hemispherical or cylindrical.

Q Vector field a = x 3 ̂ − y 3 ı̂ and C is the circle of radius R centred on the origin.

Derive
I
a · dl (7.23)
C

directly and (ii) using Stokes’ theorem where the surface is the planar surface
bounded by the contour.

A(i) Directly. On the circle of radius R

a = R3 (− sin3 θı̂ + cos3 θ̂) (7.24)

and

dl = Rdθ(− sin θı̂ + cos θ̂) (7.25)

so that:
I Z 2π
3π 4
a · dl = R4 (sin4 θ + cos4 θ)dθ = R , (7.26)
C 0 2
since
Z 2π Z 2π
4 3π
sin θdθ = cos4 θdθ = (7.27)
0 0 4

A(ii) Using Stokes’ theorem ...

ı̂ ̂ k̂
∂ ∂ ∂
curl a = ∂x ∂y ∂z = 3(x 2 + y 2 )k̂ = 3r 2 k̂ (7.28)
3 3
−y x 0

We choose area elements to be circular strips of radius r thickness dr . Then

Z Z R
3π 4
dS = 2πr dr k̂ and curl a · dS = 6π r 3 dr = R (7.29)
S 0 2
7.6. AN EXTENSION TO STOKES’ THEOREM 7/9

7.6 An Extension to Stokes’ Theorem

Just as we considered one extension to Gauss’ theorem (not really an extension, more
of a re-expression), so we will try something similar with Stoke’s Theorem.
Again let a(r) = U(r)c, where c is a constant vector. Then

curl a = Ucurl c + grad U × c) (7.30)

Again, curl c is zero. Stokes’ Theorem becomes in this case:

I Z Z
U(c · dl) = (grad U × c · dS = c · (dS × grad U) (7.31)
C S S

or, rearranging the triple scalar products and taking the constant c out of the integrals
gives
I Z
c · Udl = −c · gradU × dS . (7.32)
C S

But c is arbitrary and so

I Z
Udl = − grad U × dS (7.33)
C S

7.7 ♣ Example of extension to Stokes’ Theorem

H y
Q Derive C Udr (i) directly and (ii) using Stokes’, where d r = dρ
U = x 2 + y 2 + z 2 and the line integral is taken around C
r ρ
the circle (x − a)2 + y 2 = a2 and z = 0. α x
Note that, for no special reason, we have used dr here a
not dl.

A(i) First some preamble.

If the circle were centred at the origin, we would write dr = adθθ̂ = adθ(− sin θı̂ +
cos θ̂). For such a circle the magnitude r = |r| = a, a constant and so dr = 0.
However, in this example dr is not always in the direction of θ̂, and dr 6= 0. Could
you write down dr? If not, revise Lecture 3, where we saw that in plane polars
x = r cos θ, y = r sin θ and the general expression is

dr = dxı̂ + dy̂ = (cos θdr − r sin θdθ)ı̂ + (sin θdr + r cos θdθ)̂ (7.34)
 7/10 LECTURE 7. GAUSS’ AND STOKES’ THEOREMS

To avoid having to find an expression for r in terms of θ, we will perform a

coordinate transformation by writing r = [a, 0]> + ρ. So, x = (a + ρ cos α) and
y = ρ sin α, and on the circle itself where ρ = a
r = a(1 + cos α)ı̂ + a sin α̂ , (7.35)
dr = adα(− sin αı̂ + cos α̂) , (7.36)
and, as z = 0 on the circle,
U = a2 (1 + cos α)2 + a2 sin2 α = 2a2 (1 + cos α) . (7.37)
The line integral becomes
I Z 2π
3
Udr = 2a (1 + cos α)(− sin αı̂ + cos α̂)dα = 2πa3 ̂ (7.38)
α=0

A(ii) Now using Stokes’ ...

For a planar surface covering the disc, the surface element can be written using
the new parametrization as
dS = ρ dρ dαk̂ (7.39)
Remember that U = x 2 + y 2 + z 2 = r 2 , and as z = 0 in the plane
grad U = 2(xı̂ + y̂ + z k̂) = 2(a + ρ cos α)ı̂ + 2ρ sin α̂ . (7.40)
Be careful to note that x, y are specified for any point on the disc, not on its
circular boundary!
So
ı̂ ̂ k̂
dS × gradU = 2ρ dρ dα 0 0 1 (7.41)
(a + ρ cos α) ρ sin α 0
= 2ρ[−ρ sin αı̂ + (a + ρ cos α)̂] dρ dα
R 2π R 2π
Both 0 sin αdα = 0 and 0 cos αdα = 0, so we are left with
Z Z a Z 2π
dS × gradU = 2ρa̂ dρ dα = 2πa3 ̂ (7.42)
S ρ=0 α=0

Hurrah!

Revised January 23, 2018