We all have encountered those quantities in our life which require both number and direction to address them properly. We named them “vectors”. In the physical world, whenever we focus to solve any problem concerning two dimensional or three dimensional quantities, vector is a concept which inevitably comes to our study. But is this definition enough? Pedagogically vector is defined as something which has magnitude (number) and a direction. But this is nothing but a non-rigorous approach to teaching it. Even more, addressing vectors doesn’t help to solve our numerous problems. Our problems have different demands, so we operate on the vectors as we need it.

Differentiation and integration of vector fields are the main focus of vector calculus. Vector calculus is related to multivariable functions, that’s quite different than the area of single variable calculus. Good knowledge of vector calculus is mandatory for any math and physics student as well as engineering student to understand deeply anything related to it. In physics, applications of vector calculus are found in electrodynamics, fluid mechanics, astrophysics, general relativity and so on. Mathematician Tevian Dray commented on his book on general relativity, “Differential geometry is just advanced vector calculus”.

In the nineteenth century, James Clerk Maxwell had used quaternions to formulate the laws of electromagnetic fields, Oliver Heaviside made them simpler using vector notation to express Maxwell’s equations. Though there have been a few advanced and simpler forms of Maxwell’s equations for the theorists by now, the equations using divergence and curl are introduced first to teach the students. These equations and all the theorems regarding them are essential to understand classical electrodynamic field theory and vector calculus is a must to learn this classical subject. Just not in electrodynamics, but in any subject where vector calculus is used, one ought to know about the operators, when and how to use them in suitable coordinates to solve a problem, relations of vector differentiation, vector integrations, vector identities and so on. Without much knowledge and understanding on it, one can’t expect to solve any problem quickly. Intuition is built on practicing wisely and understanding deeply.

Any undergraduate and pre-undergraduate student can apply to participate in the workshop.
The registration fee for the workshop is decided at an amount of BDT 1000. It enables us to provide the participants a seamless experience by means of imparting lunches, snacks, souvenirs, etc. on each day of the workshop.
The selection process is need-blind. The applicant may request for a partial or full waiver (scholarship) upon selection. Community of Physics will pay the fee (or a portion of it) on behalf of the selected applicant if the request for their scholarship is accepted.