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 , the divergence of  can be written as  or . Here,  (pronounced "del") is the gradient and  is the dot product operation.  

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

 Related pages 

 Curl
 Vector calculus

 References 

Category:Mathematical analysis
Category:Calculus