Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 80 2 i Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Within each constant-conductivity region the temperature is harmonic. For , the spherical Laplacian givesTrying yields . Thus . Boundedness at the origin removes the interior term, while the prescribed far gradient fixes the exterior growing term:Continuity of temperature and normal flux at giveSolving these two equations yields and . ConsequentlyPositive conductivities make the denominator nonzero. The matched solution is unique in the usual finite-energy decaying-perturbation class: the difference of two solutions has zero far data and interface jumps, and an energy integration gives zero gradient.
For the polarization field of a conductivity inclusion, use the sign convention consistent with the perturbation equation:ThusFor a general incident constant gradient , rotational symmetry and linearity replace by . The polarization vanishes outside the sphere because its local conductivity equals the reference value. The temperature perturbation outside is dipolar; this is the spherical conductivity inclusion response used in the remaining parts.