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For a length scale $c>0$, planar bipolar coordinates may be defined byThe common scale factor is $h=c/(\cosh \tau -\cos \sigma )$, so Laplace's equation becomes ${\Phi }_{\sigma \sigma }+{\Phi }_{\tau \tau }=0$ away from coordinate singularities. For $\tau >0$, constant-$\tau$ curves are circlesTheir radii decrease as $\tau$ increases; for $0<a<b$ the $\tau =b$ circle lies inside the $\tau =a$ circle. The region $a<\tau <b$ is therefore an eccentric circular annulus. This ordering is useful when translating coordinate boundary data into geometric language.

For a harmonic function between $\tau =a$ and $\tau =b$, $0<a<b$, in bipolar coordinates, suppose $\Phi (\sigma ,a)=0$ and $\Phi (\sigma ,b)=F(\sigma )$. Write the periodic boundary values as a Fourier seriesSeparation of variables givesEach radial factor solves $M^{\prime \prime }-n^{2}M=0$ and has endpoint values zero and one; the mean mode solves $M^{\prime \prime }=0$. Sufficiently regular boundary data give the required Fourier series solution. Uniqueness follows from the maximum principle for a harmonic function with zero Dirichlet boundary conditions on both circles. The formula follows the coordinate values; $\tau =b$ is the geometrically smaller circle.

For separation of variables, let $\Phi =S(\sigma )T(\tau )$. The Laplace equation givesA nonzero $2\pi$-periodic angular solution requires $\lambda =n^2$, $n=0,1,\dots$. For $n\ge 1$, $S$ is a linear combination of $\cos (n\sigma )$ and $\sin (n\sigma )$, while $T^{\prime \prime }-n^{2}T=0$ gives hyperbolic sine and cosine. For $n=0$, periodicity makes $S$ constant, and $T=A_0+B_0\tau$. Negative separation constants would give nonperiodic real exponentials in $\sigma$.

Superposition yieldsCompleteness follows by expanding a harmonic function in a Fourier series in the periodic coordinate: its Fourier coefficients must satisfy exactly these radial equations. As usual, the coefficients are restricted by the convergence required of the series on compact subregions. The bipolar coordinates domain imposes no boundary condition at $\tau =0$ or $\tau =\infty$, so both hyperbolic branches remain available.

The only nonzero angular Fourier mode is $\cos (2\sigma )$. Its radial equation is $T^{\prime \prime }-4T=0$. A solution vanishing at $\tau =a$ is proportional to $\sinh [2(\tau -a)]$; making its value one at $b$ fixes the constant. The Dirichlet problem between bipolar coordinate circles therefore givesIts second derivatives in $\sigma$ and $\tau$ cancel, and the endpoint values are respectively zero and $\cos (2\sigma )$. The difference of any two solutions would be a harmonic function with zero Dirichlet boundary conditions, so the maximum principle proves uniqueness.

Geometric wording. In the printed bipolar coordinates, the circle radius $1/\sinh \tau$ decreases with $\tau$. For $0<a<b$, the $b$ circle is contained inside the $a$ circle. Thus the source’s “inner” and “outer” labels are interchanged geometrically. The solution above follows the explicit coordinate boundary values, which unambiguously specify the problem.