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How is a vector field on R3R^3 defined in terms of tangent spaces?

A vector field over R3\mathbb{R}^3 assigns to each point pp a vector vv belonging to the tangent space TpR3T_p\mathbb{R}^3 at that point.

Conditions

  • The ambient space in this example is R3\mathbb{R}^3.

Reasoning, step by step

  1. Identify the ambient space R3\mathbb{R}^3.
  2. For each point p∈R3p \in \mathbb{R}^3, consider its tangent space TpR3T_p\mathbb{R}^3.
  3. Define the vector field as an assignment of a vector v∈TpR3v \in T_p\mathbb{R}^3 to each pp.

Example

The slide states "assigns v in TpR3T_p R^3 to each p in R3R^3", and the narrator explains that a vector field over R3R^3 assigns a vector from the vector space TpR3T_p R^3 to each point p in R3R^3.

Common misconceptions

  • Thinking of a tangent space as merely a tangent plane.
  • Assuming a vector field assigns a single global vector to all points.

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