Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2008 / iii / Paper 88 / 2 / b / Solution

Let $G_1=\varphi (\mathbf{r}|{\mathbf{r}}_1)$ and $G_2=\varphi (\mathbf{r}|{\mathbf{r}}_2)$. Green's second identity givesThe common Robin boundary condition makes the surface integrand vanish. Where $\beta \ne 0$, substitute ${\partial }_n{G}_i=-\alpha G_i/\beta$; a Dirichlet portion also contributes zero. The delta sources therefore give the Helmholtz Green-function reciprocityThis is a bilinear identity, with no complex conjugation. Assume the boundary-value problem has a unique Green kernel; in an exterior problem use the same outgoing radiation condition for both kernels.

For the weighted operator, assume smooth positive $f$ and set $\mathbf{b}=\nabla \log f$. ThenIts unweighted transpose, obtained by integration by parts, isThe associated boundary identity isTo cancel it when $v$ satisfies the given Robin condition, the required adjoint kernel satisfiesUsing these two delta sources in the boundary identity proves $\psi ({\mathbf{r}}_2|{\mathbf{r}}_1)=\tilde{\psi }({\mathbf{r}}_1|{\mathbf{r}}_2)$, the adjoint reciprocity for a weighted Helmholtz operator. As a check, $L^{\mathrm{T}}(fv)=fLv$, soThis is equivalent to weighted acoustic Green-function reciprocity, $f({\mathbf{r}}_2)\psi ({\mathbf{r}}_2|{\mathbf{r}}_1)=f({\mathbf{r}}_1)\psi ({\mathbf{r}}_1|{\mathbf{r}}_2)$. Unit delta normalization is essential here. A Hermitian adjoint would instead conjugate coefficients and change the radiation convention; the requested equality uses the transpose.