Page:Scientific Papers of Josiah Willard Gibbs - Volume 2.djvu/67

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VECTOR ANALYSIS.
51

If the values of and are in general definite, we may add

In other words: The Maxwellian is the divergence pf the potential, and are inverse operators for scalars and irrotational vectors, for vectors in general is an operator which separates the irrotational from the solenoidal part. For scalars and irrotational vectors, and give the potential, for solenoidal vectors gives the potential, for vectors in general gives the potential of the irrotational part, and the potential of the solenoidal part.

103. Def.—The following double volume-integrals are of frequent occurrence in physical problems. They are all scalar quantities, and none of them functions of position in space, as are the single volume-integrals which we have been considering. The integrations extend over all space, or as far as the expression to be integrated has values other than zero.

The mutual potential, or potential product, of two scalar functions of position in space is defined by the equation

In the double volume-integral, is the distance between the two elements of volume, and relates to as to

The mutual potential, or potential product, of two vector functions of position in space is defined by the equation

The mutual Laplacian, or Laplacian product, of two vector functions of position in space is defined by the equation

The Newtonian product of a scalar and a vector function of position in space is defined by the equation