Physics 505, Classical Electrodynamics

Homework 1
Due Thursday, 16th September 2004
Jacob Lewis Bourjaily

1. Symmetric Green’s Functions

a) Any Green’s function, G(x, x0 ), which satisfies Dirichlet boundary conditions is automatically
symmetric: G(x, x0 ) = G(x0 , x).
proof: Let us say that the Green’s function G(x, x0 ) satisfies Dirichlet boundary conditions.
That is, for a compact, bounded region Ω with boundary ∂Ω, G(x, x0 ) = 0 ∀ x0 ∈ ∂Ω.
Because G(x, x0 ) is a scalar field, Green’s theorem implies that
Z Z µ ¶
¡ ¢ ∂ ∂
G(x, y)∇2 G(x0 , y) − G(x0 , y)∇2 G(x, y) d3 y = G(x, y) G(x0 , y) − G(x0 , y) G(x, y) da.
Ω ∂Ω ∂n ∂n
Now, because G(x, x0 ) satisfies Dirichlet boundary conditions, the surface integral on
the right hand side of the expression above vanishes identically so that
Z
¡ ¢
G(x, y)∇2 G(x0 , y) − G(x0 , y)∇2 G(x, y) d3 y = 0.
Ω

By the definition of a Green’s function, ∇2 G(x, y) = −4πδ (3) (x − y). Therefore, we see
that
Z Z³ ´
¡ ¢
G(x, y)∇2 G(x0 , y) − G(x0 , y)∇2 G(x, y) d3 y = −4π G(x, y)δ (3) (x0 − y) − G(x0 , y)δ (3) (x − y) d3 y,
Ω Ω
= −4π (G(x, x0 ) − G(x0 , x)) = 0,

∴ G(x, x0 ) = G(x0 , x).

‘ ’
óπ²ρ ²́δ²ι δ²ιξαι

b) For any Green’s function, G(x, x0 ), which satisfies Neumann boundary conditions, there exists a
symmetric Green’s function G̃(x, x0 ) which satisfies the same boundary conditions.
proof: Let us say that the Green’s function G(x, x0 ) satisfies Neumann boundary condi-
tions. That is, for a compact, bounded region Ω with boundary ∂Ω, we have that
∂ 0 0
∂n0 G(x, x ) = −4π/S ∀ x ∈ ∂Ω where S is the surface area of the boundary ∂Ω.
Recall that for any Green’s function G(x, x0 ), the function G̃(x, x0 ) = G(x, x0 ) + F (x, x0 )
is another Green’s function if F (x, x0 ) satisfies the Laplace equation. In general,
however, G̃(x, x0 ) will not satisfy the same boundary conditions of G(x, x0 ).
If G̃(x, x0 ) is to satisfy the same Neumann boundary conditions as G(x, x0 ), then not
only must the Laplacian of F (x, x0 ) vanish, but also F (x, x0 ) must satisfy the relation
∂ 0 0
∂n0 F (x, x ) = 0 ∀ x ∈ ∂Ω.
A wide class of functions satisfy this condition. In particular, any function F (x, x0 ) which
∂
is independent of x0 automatically satisfies ∂n 0
0 F (x, x ) = 0—it also has a vanishing

Laplacian. Therefore, let us investigate if any function F (x) ≡ F (x, x0 ) can be chosen
so that G̃(x, x0 ) = G(x, x0 ) + F (x) is symmetric.
From our work in part (a) above, we know that G̃(x, x0 ) will be symmetric if
Z µ ¶
∂ 0 0 ∂
G̃(x, y) G̃(x , y) − G̃(x , y) G̃(x, y) da = 0.
∂Ω ∂n ∂n
Using the form of G̃(x, x0 ) and the fact that G̃(x, x0 ) satisfies Neumann boundary
conditions, we have that
Z µ ¶ Z ³ ´
∂ 0 0 ∂ −4π
G̃(x, y) G̃(x , y) − G̃(x , y) G̃(x, y) da = G̃(x, y) − G̃(x0 , y) da,
∂Ω ∂n ∂n S
Z∂Ω
−4π
= (G(x, y) + F (x) − G(x0 , y) − F (x0 )) da,
S
Z∂Ω Z
−4π 4π
= (G(x, y) − G(x0 , y)) da − (F (x) − F (x0 )) da,
S S
Z∂Ω ∂Ω
−4π
= (G(x, y) − G(x0 , y)) da − 4π (F (x) − F (x0 )) .
S ∂Ω
1
2 JACOB LEWIS BOURJAILY

Therefore, we see that G̃(x, x0 ) will automatically be a symmetric function if

Z
1
F (x) − F (x0 ) = (G(x0 , y) − G(x, y)) da.
S ∂Ω
In particular, this will be true if we define F (x) by
Z
−1
F (x) = G(x, y)da.
S ∂Ω
We have shown that for any arbitrary Green’s function, G(x, x0 ), satisfyingRNeumann
boundary conditions there exists a Green’s function G̃(x, x0 ) ≡ G(x, x0 )− S1 ∂Ω G(x, y)da,
which satisfies the same boundary conditions as G(x, x0 ) and has the property that
Z µ ¶
∂ ∂
G̃(x, y) G̃(x0 , y) − G̃(x0 , y) G̃(x, y) da = 0.
∂Ω ∂n ∂n
From our derivation in part (a), this implies that the Green’s function G̃(x, x0 ) is
symmetric. ‘ ’
óπ²ρ ²́δ²ι δ²ιξαι

2. Capacitance I
a) We are to determine the capacitance of two large, flat, parallel conducting sheets of area A
separated by a distance d.
If we chose a Gaussian region that completely encloses one of the plates such that the
edges are arbitrarily small, then the surface integral of the electric field will give E · A
where E is the magnitude of the electric field. Notice that we have used the fact that
the electric field will be non-vanishing only between the plates.
Using Gauss’ law, was see that the surface integral is equal to the total charge contained
within the region divided by ²0 . Specifically, we have that
Q σ
E·A= =⇒ E = ,
²0 ²0
where σ is the charge density on the surface of one of the plates.
The magnitude of the voltage difference between the two plates is equal to the line
integral of the electric field from one plate to the other. Because we know that in the
region between the two plates the electric field is independent of position, this will
be simply ∆V = σd ²0 .
Therefore, using the definition of capacitance, we see that
A²0
∴C= .
d

b) We are to determine the capacitance of two concentric conducting spheres with radii a and b
where b > a.
If we chose a Gaussian region that completely encloses the inner sphere, then the surface
integral of the electric field will give E · A where E is the magnitude of the electric
field and A = 4πr2 , the area of the boundary of the region.
Using Gauss’ law, was see that the surface integral is equal to the total charge contained
within the region divided by ²0 . Specifically, we have that
Q Q
E · 4πr2 = =⇒ E = ,
²0 4π²0 r2
where a < r < b and Q is the charge on one of the spheres.
The magnitude of the voltage difference between the two spheres is equal to the line
integral of the electric field from one to the other. Specifically,
Z b Z b
Q 1 Q b−a
∆V = Ed` = 2
dr = .
a 4π²0 a r 4π²0 ab
Therefore, using the definition of capacitance, we see that
4π²0 ab
∴C= .
b−a