Phys231

Classical
Electrodynamics I
Kenneth M. Senados
MS Physics 1

Outline
Orthogonal Functions and Expansions
Contd.
Separation of Variables: Laplace
Equation in Rectangular coordinates

Orthogonal Functions and Expansions

Continuation...
Sines and cosines are the most famous
orthogonal functions. The orthonormal
functions are

If the interval in x is (-a/2, a/2) where m in

non-negative integer.
For m = 0 the cosine function is .

The series equivalent to (2.33) is written

(1)
Where
(2)

Suppose that the state has two dimesions,

and the variable ranges over the interval
(a,b) while the variable has the interval
(c,d).
The expansion of an arbitrary function f(,
) is
(3)

where

(4)

If the interval (a,b) becomes infinite, the

set of ortogonal functions Un( ) may
become a continuum of functions, rather
than a denumerable set.
Then the Kronecker delta symbol in

becomes a Dirac delta function.

An important example is the Fourier
integral.

Start with orthonormal set of complex

exponentials,

(5)

m = 0, 1, 2,...., on the interval (-a/2,a/2)

with the expansion
(6)
where

(7)

Then let the integral become infinte (a),

at the same time transforming,

(8)

The resulting expansion, equivalent to (6)

is the Fourier integral
8

(9)
where
(10
)
The orthogonality condition is
(11
)
9

While the completeness relation is

(12
)
These last integrals serve as a convenient
representation of a delta function.

Separation of Variables
Laplace Equation in Rectangular Coordinates

11

Separation of Variables
Often used to conveniently solve the
partial differential equations
Equations involving the threedimensional Laplacian operators are
known to be separable in 11 different
coordinate systems

12

Laplacian equation in Rectangular

Coordinates
(1)
A solution can be found in terms of three
ODE, by the assumption that the potential
can be represented by a product of three
functions
(2)

13

Substituting into (2) into (1) and division of

the result by (2) yields,
(3)
each of the three terms must be separately
constant :
where
(4)

14

If we arbitrarily choose 2 and 2 to be

positive, then the solutions of (4) are:
, ,.
The potential (2) can thus be built up from
the product of solutions

(5)

Which represents a very large class of

solutions to the Laplace equations.
15

To determine and , we impose specific

boundary conditions on the potential.
Example:
Consider a rectangular box with dimensions
(a,b,c) in the (x,y,z) directions. All surfaces
of the box are kept at zero potential, except
at the surface z=c, which is at a potential
V(x,y).

16

17

Starting with the requirement that =0 for

x=0, y=0, z=0, the required forms of X, Y,
Z are
X = sinx
Y = sinx
Z = sinhz)

To have =0 at x=a and y=b, we must

have a=n and b=m

(5)

(6)
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We can write the partial potential nm as

(7)
which can be expanded in terms of these

(8)
Imposing the boundary condition =
V(x,y) at z=c
(9)
19

The coefficients Anm are given by

(10
)

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Thank You!