📢Consistency of the Tensor-Based Laplace Operator in Cylindrical Coordinates

The Laplace-Beltrami Operator is defined generally in tensor calculus as the divergence of the gradient. When applied to the cylindrical coordinate system, the formula simplifies significantly because the metric is diagonal, meaning only self-coupled terms survive. The crucial geometric factor determines the scale of the differential volume element. Substituting this factor and the inverse metric components into the general formula reveals the origin of the terms in the final expression: the factor is retained inside the radial derivative, resulting in the characteristic term. The successful match between the derived formula and the standard vector analysis expression confirms the consistency of the abstract tensor approach with traditional physics formulas.

Last updated

Was this helpful?