Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-2-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2009/paper-2/6/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge 2009 Paper 2 6 Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-20
An isotropic tensor has unchanged components under every proper rotation of the Cartesian axes. Every rank-zero scalar is isotropic, and is a rank-two example. The zero rank-one tensor is isotropic, but no nonzero vector is: a half-turn about an axis perpendicular to it reverses its sign.
For the inertia tensor, write and , so . Expand its defining integrand. Every cross term has an integral containing by the definition of the centre of mass. The remaining terms give the tensor parallel-axis theorem:For a uniform unit ball, rotational symmetry gives . Its trace is , so and . ThereforeAssuming positive mass, it is isotropic exactly when . For , its eigenvalues and directions areTo give an explicit orthonormal eigenbasis when , take and . If is a nonzero vector along the third axis, take the first two coordinate unit vectors instead. At , all three eigenvalues are and every orthonormal basis works. The inertia tensor of a displaced uniform ball describes the same result for an arbitrary radius.
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