Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-2-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2024/paper-2/6/b/solution

Under a proper rotation matrix , the product of coordinates transforms as a rank- tensor. The unit ball is unchanged by the substitution , whose Jacobian determinant is one. Hence
Thus is an isotropic tensor. An isotropic second-rank tensor has the form . Taking the trace and using spherical coordinates,
Therefore the isotropic second moment of a ball is
An isotropic third-rank tensor has the form , but is symmetric in every pair of indices, forcing . Alternatively, makes its integrand odd on the ball. Thus

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