Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2021/prelims/mathematics-v-resit/question-1/b/solution

Express the position vector in the suggested orthonormal basis as . Then
This orthogonal transformation preserves and has Jacobian determinant of absolute value one, so . The basis actually reverses orientation; the absolute value of the Jacobian determinant is why no minus sign enters the volume integral. Also , so the half-space becomes .
At each fixed , the section is the disk , of area . Its reflection symmetry in makes the integral of vanish. Hence the required triple integral is
The negative sign is also consistent with the cap lying in the direction , where its average coordinate is negative.

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