Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style

divergence

mathematics

divergence, In mathematics, a differential operator applied to a three-dimensional vector-valued function. The result is a function that describes a rate of change. The divergence of a vector v is given by divergence of a vector "v" in which v1, v2, and v3 are the vector components of v, typically a velocity field of fluid flow. in which v1, v2, and v3 are the vector components of v, typically a velocity field of fluid flow.

This article was most recently revised and updated by William L. Hosch.