Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-2-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2005/paper-2/2/solution

Set in Laplace's equation. Separation gives and . Single-valued angular periodicity requires integer . For the radial factors are ; for they are . A term linear in is excluded by periodicity. Thus the harmonic Fourier expansions in planar concentric domains have the general form
For , the specified boundaries contain only a constant mode and a first cosine mode. The two-boundary annular harmonic interpolation gives
At , the cosine term vanishes and the logarithmic term is ; at , the first term vanishes and the cosine amplitude is . Each component is harmonic, and the maximum principle ensures uniqueness for these continuous Dirichlet boundary conditions.

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