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Determining Whether a Vector Field is Conservative

by Tevian Dray (Mount Holyoke College) and Corinne A. Manogue (Mount Holyoke College)

This article originally appeared in:
College Mathematics Journal
May, 2003

Subject classification(s): Calculus | Several Variable Calculus
Applicable Course(s): 3.3 Mainstream Calculus III, IV

The article describes the murder mystery method for determining whether a vector field is conservative, and, if so, finding a potential function.


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Capsule Course Topic(s):
Multivariable Calculus | Vector Fields and Flowlines
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