Past exam of the mathematical methods II course of the University of Oxford 2018 9 a Solution 2026-10-25
Apply the divergence theorem to . Since are constant and is a solenoidal vector field, the product rule givesIts boundary flux vanishes when has compact support, or when its normal component vanishes on the boundary of the integration volume. Integrating therefore provesFor a discontinuous field, the divergence-free hypothesis must include its boundary jump, in the sense of a weak derivative. A field that merely has zero divergence at interior points can still have a nonzero surface source; that weaker hypothesis would not justify discarding the flux. The result is the antisymmetric first moment of a localized solenoidal field.
Past exam of the mathematical methods II course of the University of Oxford 2018 9 b Solution 2026-10-25
Use the vector triple product identity:For the th component of the second integral, the antisymmetric first moment of a localized solenoidal field with gives . Thus the two terms on the right have opposite integrals. Consequently