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An illustration of Stokes' theorem, with surface Σ, its boundary ∂Σ and the normal vector n.The direction of positive circulation of the bounding contour ∂Σ, and the direction n of positive flux through the surface Σ, are related by a right-hand-rule (i.e., the right hand the fingers circulate along ∂Σ and the thumb is directed along n).
In particular, the fundamental theorem of calculus is the special case where the manifold is a line segment, Green’s theorem and Stokes' theorem are the cases of a surface in or , and the divergence theorem is the case of a volume in . [2] Hence, the theorem is sometimes referred to as the fundamental theorem of multivariate calculus.
In this notation, Stokes' theorem reads as = . In finite element analysis, the first stage is often the approximation of the domain of interest by a triangulation, T. For example, a curve would be approximated as a union of straight line segments; a surface would be approximated by a union of triangles, whose edges are straight line segments ...
The theorem of de Rham shows that this map is actually an isomorphism, a far-reaching generalization of the Poincaré lemma. As suggested by the generalized Stokes' theorem, the exterior derivative is the "dual" of the boundary map on singular simplices.
The reason for defining the vector derivative and integral as above is that they allow a strong generalization of Stokes' theorem. Let L ( A ; x ) {\displaystyle {\mathsf {L}}(A;x)} be a multivector-valued function of r {\displaystyle r} -grade input A {\displaystyle A} and general position x {\displaystyle x} , linear in its first argument.
By Stokes' theorem, the flux of curl or vorticity vectors through a surface S is equal to the circulation around its perimeter, [4] = = = Here, the closed integration path ∂S is the boundary or perimeter of an open surface S , whose infinitesimal element normal d S = n dS is oriented according to the right-hand rule .
The importance of Stokes' law is illustrated by the fact that it played a critical role in the research leading to at least three Nobel Prizes. [5] Stokes' law is important for understanding the swimming of microorganisms and sperm; also, the sedimentation of small particles and organisms in water, under the force of gravity. [5]
In vector calculus, and more generally differential geometry, Stokes' theorem (also called the generalized Stokes' theorem) is a statement about the integration of differential forms on manifolds, which both simplifies and generalizes several theorems from vector calculus.