Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2015 / Paper 2 / 2

Put $\Phi (r,\theta )=R(r)\Theta (\theta )$ for separation of variables. Multiplication by $r^2/(R\Theta )$ givesSingle-valuedness requires a $2\pi$-periodic angular function. The nonzero possibilities are $\lambda =n^2$ for integers $n\ge 0$. For $n\ge 1$, $\Theta$ is a combination of $\cos n\theta$ and $\sin n\theta$, while the radial Euler-Cauchy equation has solutions $r^n,r^{-n}$. At $n=0$, periodicity excludes an angular term proportional to $\theta$, and $(r{R}^{\prime }{)}^{\prime }=0$ gives $R=A_0+B_0\ln r$.

Superposing the separated harmonic functions yieldsTo obtain the general solution, expand any sufficiently regular harmonic function in a Fourier series on circles; each Fourier coefficient satisfies the corresponding radial equation. The coefficients must give the required convergence on compact annuli. Because no condition at zero or infinity is imposed in this part, neither radial branch is discarded.

Boundedness at the origin allows only $r^n$ for nonconstant interior modes; decay at infinity allows only $r^{-n}$ outside. Write the common surface potential in its Fourier series as ${\sum }_{n\ge 1}{v}_n(\theta )$, where $v_n=A_n\cos n\theta +B_n\sin n\theta$. Continuity then makes the corresponding interior and exterior factors $(r/R{)}^n$ and $(R/r{)}^n$.

Their outward radial derivatives at the surface are $n{v}_n/R$ inside and $-n{v}_n/R$ outside. Thus the jump is $-2n{v}_n/R$. Equating it to minus the prescribed surface-charge mode givesTherefore the potential of a charged cylindrical shell with angular Fourier data isEither branch gives the same value at $R$. The mean angular mode is zero: outside, neither a constant nor a logarithm can survive the condition at infinity; continuity then forces the interior constant to zero. Consequently $\Phi (0)=0$.

The absence of a mean term in the surface charge density is essential. A nonzero mean would require a logarithmic exterior potential and would be incompatible with decay at infinity in this two-dimensional reduction. The normalization follows the stated derivative jump, with no additional permittivity factor introduced.