MadSci Network: Physics
Query:

Re: what does rotation of vector means in context of curl of a vector?

Date: Sun Sep 18 13:53:08 2011
Posted By: Bart Broks, Head of Trading Algorithms Desk
Area of science: Physics
ID: 1312990466.Ph
Message:

Hi Piyush,

Thank you for your question. I am not entirely sure what you want to ask here. I do know what the curl of a vector is, and it is similar to a rotation.

The curl of a vector field is an operation that generates a vector at each point in a vector field. This vector can represent an axis of rotation [1]. Imagine a ball spinning around its axis. It can either spin clockwise or counter-clockwise. If you imagine the ball is spinning in your right hand, in the direction of your fingers, the rotation vector is in the direction of your thumb. This is the right-hand rule [2]. The angular speed of the ball will now be half the value of the curl [1].

It is interesting to remark that in other languages, the link is much clearer. In French, German, Dutch (and possibly some other languages), this operation is not called "curl", but "rotation" (or rather, the word for rotation in that language).

I hope this answers your question.

Regards,

Bart Broks

  1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curl_%28mathematics%29
  2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-hand_rule


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