Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2017/prelims/mathematics-v-resit/question-2/a/iv/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford 2017 Prelims Mathematics V resit Question 2 a iv Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
For , the divergence vanishes at every point with , so its ordinary volume integral, ignoring the undefined single point, is zero. Nevertheless, the outward flux integral through the unit sphere is still :The hypotheses of the divergence theorem fail at the origin. Indeed there, so no continuous extension is possible. On the punctured region , the divergence theorem remains valid: the outer flux is and the inner flux is . Unlike iii, this inner contribution does not tend to zero. The discrepancy therefore comes from the persistent flux at the singular point, rather than a failure of the divergence theorem under its hypotheses.
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