Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2009 / Paper 2 / 6

An isotropic tensor has unchanged components under every proper rotation of the Cartesian axes. Every rank-zero scalar is isotropic, and $c{\delta }_{ij}$ is a rank-two example. The zero rank-one tensor is isotropic, but no nonzero vector is: a half-turn about an axis perpendicular to it reverses its sign.

For the inertia tensor, write $u=x-G$ and $X=P-G$, so $x-P=u-X$. Expand its defining integrand. Every cross term has an integral containing ${\int }_{B}u\rho d^{3}x=0$ by the definition of the centre of mass. The remaining terms give the tensor parallel-axis theorem:For a uniform unit ball, rotational symmetry gives $\int \rho u_i{u}_j{d}^{3}u=c{\delta }_{ij}$. Its trace is $\int \rho |u{|}^2{d}^{3}u=3M/5$, so $c=M/5$ and $I(G)=2MI/5$. ThereforeAssuming positive mass, it is isotropic exactly when $P=G$. For $X\ne 0$, its eigenvalues and directions areTo give an explicit orthonormal eigenbasis when $X_1^2+X_2^2>0$, take $e_1=(-X_2,X_1,0)/\sqrt{X_1^2+X_2^2}$ and $e_2=e_{\parallel }\times e_1$. If $X$ is a nonzero vector along the third axis, take the first two coordinate unit vectors instead. At $X=0$, all three eigenvalues are $2M/5$ and every orthonormal basis works. The inertia tensor of a displaced uniform ball describes the same result for an arbitrary radius.