Divergence

In mathematics, divergence is a differential operator that takes a vector field and turns it into a scalar field. In a vector field, each point of the field is associated with a vector; in a scalar field, each point of the field is associated with a scalar. The divergence tells us how much the vector field is "radiating" outward or inward at a point.

Given a vector field <math>\mathbf{F}</math>, the divergence of <math>\mathbf{F}</math> can be written as <math>\operatorname{div} \mathbf{F}</math> or <math>\nabla \cdot \mathbf{F}</math>. Here, <math>\nabla</math> (pronounced "del") is the gradient and <math>\cdot</math> is the dot product operation.

Divergence is used to formulate Maxwell's equations and the continuity equation.

Related pages

• Curl
• Vector calculus