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For a thin wire carrying current $I$, the given magnetic vector potential reduces to $\mathbf{A}=({\mu }_{0}I/4\pi ){\oint }_{C}d{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }/|\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }|$. Taking its curl and using ${\nabla }_{\mathbf{r}}(1/|\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }|)=-(\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime })/|\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }{|}^3$ gives the Biot-Savart lawThis is exactly the sign convention in the printed form using ${\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }-\mathbf{r}$.

Let $\mathbf{v}=(\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime })/|\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }{|}^3$. Away from the wire, $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{v}=0$. The supplied divergence and curl of a cross product therefore gives $\nabla \times (d{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }\times \mathbf{v})=-(d{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }\cdot {\nabla }_{\mathbf{r}})\mathbf{v}$. But ${\nabla }_{\mathbf{r}}\mathbf{v}=-{\nabla }_{{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }}\mathbf{v}$, so the integrand is the total differential of $\mathbf{v}$ along the source loop. Its closed-loop integral is zero. Thus $\nabla \times \mathbf{B}=0$ at every point outside $C$, as demanded by the current-free magnetostatic Ampère's law.

For $r^{\prime }=f(\theta )>0$, $z^{\prime }=0$, and counterclockwise current, $d{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }=(f^{\prime }{\mathbf{e}}_r+f{\mathbf{e}}_{\theta })d\theta$. At the origin, $\mathbf{v}=-{\mathbf{e}}_r/f^2$, soFor the ellipse expressed relative to a focus, $1/f=(1-e\cos \theta )/\ell$. The cosine integrates to zero, givingHere $\ell$ is the semilatus rectum. Reversing the current reverses the field direction.

The identity divergence of a curl is zero follows by the symmetry of second partial derivatives and antisymmetry of the Levi-Civita symbol. ThereforeIf $\mathbf{B}=\nabla \times \mathbf{A}$ and $\mathbf{A}$ is in Coulomb gauge, the curl of the curl identity gives $\mathbf{J}=-{\nabla }^2\mathbf{A}$. Apply the supplied scalar Poisson equation representation to each component of the decaying vector potential. In the units of this problem the Coulomb-gauge vector potential of a localized steady current isHere one needs $\mathbf{A}=O(|\mathbf{x}{|}^{-1})$, $\nabla \mathbf{A}=O(|\mathbf{x}{|}^{-2})$ and enough localization of $\mathbf{J}$ for the stated representation and differentiations. A smooth compactly supported current density is a sufficient convenient case. The local differential equations and gauge alone do not impose these conditions: $\mathbf{A}=(-y,x,0)$, $\mathbf{B}=(0,0,2)$, $\mathbf{J}=0$ satisfy them but do not satisfy the displayed integral formula. The formula selects the decaying solution, excluding nondecaying homogeneous harmonic functions.

With $\mathbf{r}=\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{y}$, the gradient of the kernel is ${\nabla }_x(1/|\mathbf{r}|)=-\mathbf{r}/|\mathbf{r}{|}^3$. Since $\mathbf{J}(\mathbf{y})$ is independent of $\mathbf{x}$,Thus taking the curl gives the Biot-Savart law in the problem's normalization:Finally, change variables $\mathbf{z}=\mathbf{x}-\mathbf{y}$ in the integral for $\mathbf{A}$. This keeps the singular kernel independent of the differentiation variable:For smooth localized $\mathbf{J}$, differentiation under the integral sign is legitimate: $1/|\mathbf{z}|$ is locally integrable in three dimensions, and on a bounded neighbourhood of $\mathbf{x}$ the translated sources and their derivatives have common compact support. The integral indeed satisfies Coulomb gauge.

For a time-independent current, the Maxwell equations reduce to magnetostatics:Write $\mathbf{B}=\nabla \times \mathbf{A}$ using a vector potential and choose the Coulomb gauge $\nabla \cdot \mathbf{A}=0$. The vector identity for the curl of a curl gives the Poisson equationThe free-space Green function therefore givesTaking the curl with respect to $\mathbf{r}$, moving it under the integral, and using $\nabla (1/|\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }|)=-(\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime })/|\mathbf{r}-{\mathbf{r}}^{\prime }{|}^3$ gives the Biot-Savart law

Take the curl of the integral from part (a). Since $J(r^{\prime })$ is independent of $r$,This is the Biot-Savart law.

Parametrize the loop by $r^{\prime }=R{\hat{e}}_r(\varphi )$ and $d{\ell }^{\prime }=R{\hat{e}}_{\varphi }(\varphi )d\varphi$. At the observation point $r=z{\hat{e}}_z$, the Biot-Savart law for a line current givesThe components perpendicular to the axis cancel by rotational symmetry, while the axial component of the cross product is $R^{2}d\varphi$. ThereforeThe direction is fixed by the right-hand rule and reverses when the electric current reverses. At the centre,This is the on-axis magnetic field of a circular current loop.