Past exam of the mathematics course of the year 2 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2023 / Paper 2 / 2

A single-valued potential must be $2\pi$-periodic in $\theta$. For a separated solution $\Phi =F(r)H(\theta )$, the Laplace equation in polar coordinates becomesThe periodic angular eigenvalue problem has $\mu =n^2$, $n\ge 0$: its nonconstant eigenfunctions are $\cos n\theta ,\sin n\theta$. Negative $\mu$ gives exponentials that cannot be periodic, and $\mu =0$ gives only a constant angular factor. For $n\ge 1$, the radial Cauchy-Euler equation $r^2{F}^{\prime \prime }+r{F}^{\prime }-n^{2}F=0$ gives $F=A{r}^n+B{r}^{-n}$. At $n=0$ the two radial solutions are $1$ and $\log r$. Superposition therefore givesThe expansion is interpreted on an annulus where the harmonic function is defined; particular boundary conditions determine its constants and convergence region. Single-valuedness is essential: allowing a cut in the angular domain would also permit nonperiodic angular solutions.

Treat each angular Fourier mode independently. Boundedness at the axis excludes the negative radial powers and the logarithm inside; decay at infinity excludes the positive powers, constant and logarithm outside. For the cosine mode writeContinuity at $R$ gives $B_n=A_n{R}^{2n}$. The jump of the normal derivative is thenThus $A_n=a_n{R}^{1-n}/(2n)$ and $B_n=a_n{R}^{n+1}/(2n)$. The sine mode has the same relation with $b_n$. Therefore the potential of a charged cylindrical shell with angular Fourier data isThere is no angular mean term: the given surface charge density has zero average. The interior constant is zero because its boundary value must match the vanishing exterior mean. A nonzero mean charge per unit length would instead produce a logarithmic electrostatic potential, incompatible with the specified decay at infinity.