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Vector Analysis
Does this mean that the divergence theorem is false? What's going on here?
The divergence theorem MUST BE right since its a fundamental theorem.
The source of the problem is the point r = 0, where v blows up!
(
) vanishes everywhere except r = 0, its integral must be 4.
The entire contribution of
must be coming from the point r = 0!
No ordinary function behaves like that.
It's zero except at the source location, yet its integral is finite!
Its called the Dirac delta function.
It is, in fact, central to the whole theory of electrodynamics.
Under integral,
Example 1.14
Example 1.15
Show that
More generally,
or
Since
Solution 2: It is much more cumbersome but serves to illustrate the method of integration by parts.
Using the relation of partial integral:
Since E and B are vectors, the differential equations naturally involve vector derivatives: divergence and curl.
Maxwell's formulation raises an important mathematical question:
To what extent is a vector function determined by its divergence and curl?
Or, can we determine the function F if its divergence and curl are specified?
To solve a differential equation appropriate boundary conditions are required.
In electrodynamics we typically require that the fields go to zero "at infinity" (far away from all charges).
Question: can we, on the basis of this information, determine the function F?
If D(r) and C(r) go to zero sufficiently rapidly at infinity, the answer is yes!
Helmholtz theorem
(Proof)
Assume that
where
Then,
0
1
1
1
r ' ( ) '( ) r ( ) since
Helmholtz
theorem
Corollary
Corollary
In magnetostatics,
1.6.2 Potentials
Note the two null identities
the curl of the gradient of any scalar field is identically zero: V 0
The divergence of the curl of any vector field is identically zero: A 0