Math 2686H, Honors Accelerated Calculus 2, Spring 2025

1 Instructions
Type up your solutions in LaTeX and submit the LaTeX file and PDF file
on Blackboard.

1.1 Background
This assignment is about the concept of differential forms. One can use
differential forms as another way to approach the concepts in calculus. In
particular, recall from Calculus 1 that we usually say that dy dy is not a frac-
tion, but a symbol. The dy on its own doesn’t make sense. But then with
integration by substitution (and other methods) one does write things like
dy = f ′ (x)dx. In this list of problems we will get a (limited) view of differ-
ential forms and how they apply to some of the key concepts from Calculus
3. There are full large textbooks and notes covering the topics (and you
should take a look at some of these), so here we will be a bit vague about
definitions and proofs. Part of the assignment is to figure out the details.
You are encouraged to research the topic of differential forms.

1.2 References
The notes are primarily based on notes that used to be found here
http://math.umn.edu/~bpawlows/teaching/324sp12/ec3.pdf
They are no longer available there and I can’t find them now. I obtained
explicit permission from the author to base my assignment here on the notes.
In addition to the notes mentioned I have consulted the following sources:
ˆ Advanced Calculus: A Differential Forms Approach by Harold M. Ed-
wards
ˆ https://www.math.purdue.edu/~dvb/preprints/diffforms.pdf
ˆ Various other online resources (Wikipedia, Google, etc.)

1.3 What are you permitted to do?

You are encouraged to do independent research on this topic. You are
allowed to discuss the assignment with each other and other people. In all
cases you must list any resources you used. You must list all the people you
talked to about the assignment. For example, if for problem 3 below you
used a specific website, you must cite this (with the full URL and date of
access) with the solution to that problem. If you talked to anther student
(or anyone else) about one of the specific problems, you must list them under
that problem. Don’t ask for help from anyone by asking them to just do
your work for you.
Under no circumstances are you allowed to copy-paste anything from anyone.
You are not allowed to access chegg.com for this assignment.
You are not allowed to post any parts of the assignment anywhere online.
If you do ask for help from anyone (in-person or online) you must list this
on the assignment.
I will report your for academic dishonesty if you violate these principles.
Not only will you receive a zero on the assignment, but depending on the
severity of the violation, I may lower your final grade in the class by one
letter grade.
If you have any questions on this, then you are required to ask me.

1.4 When is it due?

Please submit the assignment no later than
Friday April 25, 2025 at 5 pm.

2 Basic definitions
2.1 1-forms
A differential 1-form on R3 is an expression of the form

f dx + g dy + h dz.

Here f, g, and h are scalar functions in three variables x, y, and z.

This expression looks strange. Just take it as an abstract expression for now.
2.2 Addition of 1-forms
We can add two 1-forms by the formula

(f dx + g dy + h dz) + (f ′ dx + g ′ dy + h′ dz)
= (f + f ′ ) dx + (g + g ′ ) dy + (h + h′ ) dz.

For example

y 2 dx + (x + z) dy + 7 dz + xz dx + y dy + sin(z) dz
= (y 2 + xz) dx + (x + y + z) dy + (7 + sin(t)) dz.

2.3 Multiplication of 1-forms

We define the wedge product ∧ of two 1-forms. We do this such that, for
example, dx ∧ dy = −dy ∧ dx. This means that this product isn’t “commu-
tative”. When you switch the order, then you have to put a minus sign in
front. In that way it behaves a bit like the cross product of vectors.

Problem 1. Prove that for u a variable, du ∧ du = 0.

We do one example of finding a wedge product. Let α = y 2 dx + (x + z) dy +

7 dz, β = xz dx + y dy + sin(z) dz, then

α ∧ β = (y 2 dx + (x + z) dy + 7 dz) ∧ (xz dx + y dy + sin(z) dz)

= y 3 dx ∧ dy + y 2 sin(z) dx ∧ dz + (x + z)xz dy ∧ dx + (x + z) sin(z) dy ∧ dz
+ 7xz dz ∧ dx + 7y dz ∧ dy
= (x + z) sin(z) − 7y) dy ∧ dz + (7xz − y 2 sin(z)) dz ∧ dx
+ (y 3 − (x + z)xz) dx ∧ dy.

The order of the wedges in the final answer is important. Note that this is
not a 1-form, but a 2-form as we will define in a bit.

Problem 2. Let α = x dx + z dy, β = sin(xz) dx + z dy + y dz. Find α ∧ β.

2.4 0-forms, 2-forms, and 3-forms

A 0-form is just a scalar function f .
A 1-form we have just looked at.
A 2-form is an expression of the form
f dy ∧ dz + g dz ∧ dx + h dx ∧ dy.

Again f, g, and h are scalar functions.

A 3-form is an expression of the form
f dx ∧ dy ∧ dz.
where f is a scalar function.
From the example above, we see that the (wedge) product of two 1-forms is
a 2-form.

2.5 Addition and multiplication of 0-forms, 2-forms, and 3-

forms
You can consider the dy ∧ dz, dz ∧ dx, and dx ∧ dy is a type of basis for
the space of 2-forms. Addition is done “componentwise”. One can’t add
“different” forms. But we can multiply different forms. The product of a
2-form and a 1-form is a 3-form. For example consider the following problem.

Problem 3. Let α = dx + dz and ω = dy ∧ dz + x dz ∧ dx + y dx ∧ dy. Find

α ∧ ω. Note, this will be a 3-form. Part of this problem is figuring out how
this is done.

3 Differential operator
We now define the derivative operator on the differential forms. For a 0-form
(scalar function) f we define
∂f ∂f ∂f
df = dx + dy + dz.
∂x ∂y ∂z
We note that the derivative operator of a 0-form is a 1-form. We can also
apply the operator to 1-forms. We use the formula
d(f dx + g dy + h dz) = d(f ) ∧ dx + d(g) ∧ dy + d(h) ∧ dz.

As an example, consider f (x, y, z) = x2 yz + z. Then

∂f ∂f ∂f
df = dx + dy + dz
∂x ∂y ∂z
= (2xyz) dx + (x2 z) dy + (x2 y + 1) dz.
Problem 4a. Find

d(x2 dx + zx dy + dx).

Problem 4b. Let

ω = 3(dx ∧ dy) + 5(dx ∧ dz) + 7(dy ∧ dz))

Find dω.

Problem 4c. For f and g 0-forms, prove that

d(f g) = f d(g) + gd(f )

Problem 4d. Prove that for α and β 1-forms

d(α ∧ β) = (dα) ∧ β − α ∧ dβ.

How does this work for 2-forms?

Problem 4e. Let

ω = (xy) dy ∧ dz + (yz) dz ∧ dx + (xy + z) dx ∧ dy.

Find dω.

3.1 Connection to what we already know from this semester

We now make the following identifications
ˆ A 0-form is a scalar function (the is basically true by definition)
ˆ A 1-form f dx + g dy + h dz is the vector field ⟨f, g, h⟩.
ˆ A 2-form f dy ∧ dz + g dz ∧ dx + h dx ∧ dy is the vector field ⟨f, g, h⟩.
ˆ A 3-form f dx ∧ dy ∧ dz is the scalar function f .
With these identifications do the following problem.

Problem 5. In the following we consider forms defined on R3 . Show that

1. If f is a 0 form, then df is the gradient of f .
2. If α is a 1-form, then dα is the curl of α.
3. If ω is a 2-form, then dω is the divergence of ω
4. If Ω is a 3-form, then dΩ = 0.

With this in mind, we have the following theorem

Theorem. For a differential form α, α = dβ for another differential form β
if and only if dα = 0.

Problem 6. Prove this theorem. That is, for example, prove that if α is a
1-form and that α = dβ for a 0-form β, then dα = 0.

4 Uses of differential forms

We recall the differential operator “of” 0-forms:
∂f ∂f ∂f
df = dx + dy + dz.
∂x ∂y ∂z

For example, if f (x) = x2 +1, then df = 2xdx. We see the similarity between
df
writing this and writing that dx = 2x.

4.1 Integrals
Recall Stoke’s Theorem from class. Under several assumptions, we have that
Z ZZ
⃗
F · d⃗r = curlF · dS.
C
S

Here C is the boundary of S. We often write things like ∂S = C.

For integration, we can in general integrate a n-form over a n-dimensional
object. So 1-forms can be integrated over curves (recall intervals are curves).
2-forms can be integrated over 2-dimensional objects.
Stokes theorem now looks like this
Z Z
dω = ω.
S ∂S

4.2 Integrals of 0-forms

We integrate 0-forms f using the definition
Z
f = f (b) − f (a)
∂C

where C is a curve from a to b.

4.3 Integrals of 1-forms

Integrating 1-forms is equivalent to our usual Riemann integral. Consider
the example where f is a function of one variable x. Say f is defined on the
interval/curve C = [a, b]. Note that −C = [b, a] (the reverse orientation).
Then we say that ∂C = {a, b}. Then df = f ′ (x)dx is a 1-form. We then
have
Z Z
df = f ′ (x)dx = f (b) − f (a).
C ∂C

Note that we only have integrals of 1-forms that are differentials (of 0-forms).
This is our usual Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.
Let’s now consider a line-integral, or an integral of a 1-form.
Example: Consider the 1-form −y dx + x dy. Let C be the curve C(t) =
(cos(t), sin(t)), 0 ≤ t ≤ 2π. Then we can form and find the integral
Z Z
−y dx + x dy = − sin(t)d(cos t) + cos(t)d(sin t)
C [0,2π]
Z
= − sin(t)(− sin(t))dt + cos(t) cos(t)dt
[0,2π]
Z
= sin2 (t) + cos2 (t) dt
[0,2π]
= 2π.

Integrating 1-forms is the same as line integrals.

Problem 7. Let C be the vertical line segment from (3, 4, 5) to (3, 4, 0).
Find
Z
y dx + z dy + x dz.
C

You first need to find a parametrization of the line segment.

4.4 Integrals of 2-forms

Integrating 2-forms is the same as finding flux integrals over a vector field.

Problem 8. Let S be part of the paraboloid z = 1 − x2 − y 2 where z ≥ 0.

This is a surface. Define the orientation to be outward. Now compute the
integral
ZZ
y dy ∧ dz + z dz ∧ dx + x dx ∧ dy.
S

This integral is basically the same as an integral over the surface S of a

vector field. Make sense of this.