Last minute worries.

Dr. Taylor,

Currently, the homework for 13.4 is due 11/20, but considering that we never got to it, can we have an extension for that section?

Thank you,

*******************

Yes.

*******************

Hello, Dr. Taylor.

I recall you telling us in class that the method we learned to determine whether or not a vector field is conservative <true!> (and how to calculate the potential function of a conservative field <not true!>) did not apply to three dimensional functions; you mentioned that we would learn this after the Friday's test.

Accordingly, how should we calculate the potential function for this 3D vector field?

Thanks.

*****************

In any case, you should start doing partial integrals to compute the function while enforcing constraints relating partial derivatives to the components of the vector field.   Just like in the two dimensional case, except that a partial derivative kills an arbitrary function of the two other variables.