[Math] Change of coordinates and vector fields

differential-geometrymanifoldsVector Fields

So I am studying Lee's Introduction to Smooth Manifolds and I am trying to understand how to go from one coordinate representation of a Vector field to another. In particular this is the excersice :Lee's Introduction to smooth manifolds p.101

So this is exactly what confuses me : How to change the "coefficient functions". I understand how to the relations of the tangent vectors but I have no clues as to have to transform their coefficients. Is it as simple as substituing?

Best Answer

Hint: With the chain's rule we have $$\frac{\partial(\ \ )}{\partial x}=\frac{\partial(\ \ )}{\partial \rho}\frac{\partial\rho}{\partial x}+\frac{\partial(\ \ )}{\partial\theta}\frac{\partial\theta}{\partial x},$$ i.e. you can see that $$\frac{\partial}{\partial x}= \frac{\partial\rho}{\partial x} \frac{\partial}{\partial \rho}+ \frac{\partial\theta}{\partial x} \frac{\partial}{\partial\theta},$$ as an operator. Similarly $$\frac{\partial}{\partial y}= \frac{\partial\rho}{\partial y} \frac{\partial}{\partial \rho}+ \frac{\partial\theta}{\partial y} \frac{\partial}{\partial\theta},$$

Now, if $$x=\rho\cos\theta,$$ $$y=\rho\sin\theta,$$ you going to get $V=\rho\dfrac{\partial}{\partial\rho}$, taking into account that $$\rho=\sqrt{x^2+y^2},$$ $$\theta=\arctan\frac{y}{x}.$$