Past exam of the distribution theory course of the University of Oxford / 2023 / 3 / b / i

Write $z=x+iy$, $r=|z|$, and $L=(4\pi {)}^{-1}\log (x^2+y^2)$. The Wirtinger derivatives satisfy $4{\partial }_{\bar{z}}{\partial }_z=\Delta$. Away from zero, ordinary differentiation givesThis equality also holds for distributional derivatives. To check that no Dirac delta distribution was lost at zero, integrate by parts outside the disk $r\le \epsilon$ against a test function. The new boundary term has absolute value at most $C\epsilon |\log \epsilon |\Vert \varphi {\Vert }_{\infty }\to 0$. Both $L$ and its displayed first derivatives, of size $O(r^{-1})$, are locally integrable functions in two dimensions, so the remaining integrals converge to their full-plane values.

Using the supplied fundamental solution of the Laplace equation identity $\Delta L={\delta }_0$, and commutation of distributional derivatives, now givesThus the Cauchy kernel fundamental solution has exactly the required normalization.