Physics[Vectors][Component] - the component (first, second, or third) of a vector
Calling Sequence
Component(A, n)
Parameters
A
-
an algebraic vector
n
a name or one of 1, 2, 3, or an algebraic expression representing these numbers
Description
Component(A, n) returns the nth. component of the vector A when A is a projected vector expression, or an unevaluated representation of the nth component when A is a non-projected vector or n is an unresolved name representing one of 1, 2 or 3. If A is not a vector then an error message is returned. Regarding how a vector is identified as such in the context of the Physics/Vectors package, see Identify and type, PhysicsVectors.
The %Component is the inert form of Component, that is: it represents the same mathematical operation while holding the operation unperformed. To activate the operation use value.
When Component returns unevaluated, the display on the screen shows the vectorial expression between parentheses, and indexed (as usual when working by hand). This is done using a `print/Component` procedure.
Examples
with⁡PhysicsVectors
&x,`+`,`.`,Assume,ChangeBasis,ChangeCoordinates,CompactDisplay,Component,Curl,DirectionalDiff,Divergence,Gradient,Identify,Laplacian,∇,Norm,ParametrizeCurve,ParametrizeSurface,ParametrizeVolume,Setup,Simplify,`^`,diff,int
Setup⁡mathematicalnotation=true
mathematicalnotation=true
An explicit algebraic vector in cartesian coordinates
R≔a⁡x,y,z⁢_i+b⁡x,y,z⁢_j+c⁡x,y,z⁢_k
R≔a⁡x,y,z⁢i∧+b⁡x,y,z⁢j∧+c⁡x,y,z⁢k∧
The first and third components
Component⁡R,1
a⁡x,y,z
Component⁡R,3
c⁡x,y,z
The "nth" component returns unevaluated
Component⁡R,n
a⁡x,y,z⁢i∧+b⁡x,y,z⁢j∧+c⁡x,y,z⁢k∧n
Substituting n by something concrete, the component is obtained
eval⁡,n=1
Here A_ is an abstract non-projected vector; by default, in the framework of the Physics[Vectors] package, symbols ending with "_" represent non-projected vectors (to change this postfix see Setup:
type⁡A_,PhysicsVectors
true
The second component
Component⁡A_,2
A→2
When A_ is replaced by a projected vector, the selection of the component is performed
eval⁡,A_=R
b⁡x,y,z
It is also possible to work all abstract; this is the "nth" component of a non-projected vector
Component⁡A_,n
A→n
Component admits as argument a generic algebraic vectorial expression, for instance
type⁡A_+B_,PhysicsVectors
Component⁡A_+B_,n
A→+B→n
Note however that when the expression passed to Component is not a vector, the computation is interrupted with an error message
type⁡A,PhysicsVectors
false
Component⁡A,n
Error, (in Physics:-Vectors:-Component) first argument is not a vector
See Also
convert,VectorCalculus, Physics, Physics conventions, Physics examples, Physics Updates, Tensors - a complete guide, Mini-Course Computer Algebra for Physicists, Physics/Vectors, Vectors,operations, Vectors/Identify
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