TABLE OF CONTENTS Knowledge of vector algebra and vector calculus is essential in developing the concepts of electromagnetic field theory. The widespread acceptance of vectors in electromagnetic field theory is due in part to the fact that they provide compact mathematical representations of complicated phenomena and allow for easy visualization and manipulation. The ever-increasing number of textbooks on the subject are further evidence of the popularity of vectors. As you will see in subsequent chapters, a single equation in vector form is sufficient to represent up to three scalar equations. Although a complete discussion of vectors is not within the scope of this text, some of the vector operations that will play a prominent role in our discussion of electromagnetic field theory are introduced in this chapter. We begin our discussion by defining scalar and vector quantities.
