Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2016 / Paper 2 / 2 / a

For separation of variables, let $\Phi =S(\sigma )T(\tau )$. The Laplace equation givesA nonzero $2\pi$-periodic angular solution requires $\lambda =n^2$, $n=0,1,\dots$. For $n\ge 1$, $S$ is a linear combination of $\cos (n\sigma )$ and $\sin (n\sigma )$, while $T^{\prime \prime }-n^{2}T=0$ gives hyperbolic sine and cosine. For $n=0$, periodicity makes $S$ constant, and $T=A_0+B_0\tau$. Negative separation constants would give nonperiodic real exponentials in $\sigma$.

Superposition yieldsCompleteness follows by expanding a harmonic function in a Fourier series in the periodic coordinate: its Fourier coefficients must satisfy exactly these radial equations. As usual, the coefficients are restricted by the convergence required of the series on compact subregions. The bipolar coordinates domain imposes no boundary condition at $\tau =0$ or $\tau =\infty$, so both hyperbolic branches remain available.