Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2001 ib Paper 3 2G ii Solution 2026-10-14
With the usual exterior-boundary interpretation that the harmonic function remains bounded as , positive radial powers and are excluded. HenceThe series must converge locally for , with any required finite boundary values at . These are the interior harmonic Fourier expansions in planar concentric domains after the inversion .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2001 ib Paper 3 2G Solution 2026-10-14
Use separation of variables in Laplace's equation: writing givesSingle-valuedness requires -periodicity, so the nonconstant angular Fourier modes have integer and are . Their radial solutions are . The zero angular mode has radial solutions . These give the harmonic Fourier expansions in planar concentric domains used below.
For the annulus with , constant boundary data suggest a radial harmonic function . Enforcing both boundary values givesThis has the required boundary values and satisfies . It is unique: the difference of two continuous solutions is harmonic in the annulus and zero on both boundary circles, so the maximum principle for harmonic functions, applied to the difference and its negative, makes it zero.