Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2002 / ia / Paper 3 / 12A / a / Solution

In Cartesian coordinates, put $r=(x_1^2+x_2^2+x_3^2{)}^{1/2}$. Away from the origin the partial derivatives of $\psi =1/r$ areSumming the three second partial derivatives yieldsThus $1/r$ is a harmonic function on the punctured space and solves Laplace equation there. The origin is excluded: the singularity cannot be treated as an ordinary harmonic point.