Poisson Summation in Heat Equation (Polar Coordinates)

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the derivation of the two-dimensional heat equation in polar coordinates as presented in Shankar's "Basic Training in Mathematics." The key equation under scrutiny is Equation 10.5.80, which involves a geometric sum over integer m from Equation 10.5.79. The user initially struggles with the infinite sum and the integration process, ultimately identifying an error in the text regarding the missing factor of 1/2π in the numerator. The user also realizes they mistakenly counted zero twice in their summation, leading to discrepancies in their results.

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  • Understanding of the two-dimensional heat equation
  • Familiarity with polar coordinates
  • Knowledge of geometric series and summation techniques
  • Basic proficiency in integral calculus
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  • Review the derivation of the two-dimensional heat equation in polar coordinates
  • Study the properties and applications of geometric series
  • Learn about Poisson summation and its relevance in mathematical physics
  • Examine common errors in mathematical derivations and how to avoid them
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Students and educators in mathematical physics, particularly those focusing on heat equations and polar coordinate systems, as well as anyone interested in the application of geometric series in solving differential equations.

kamion42
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Homework Statement



I'm currently trying to follow a derivation done by Shankar in his "Basic Training in Mathematics" textbook. The derivation is on pages 343-344 and it is based on the solution to the two dimensional heat equation in polar coordinates, and I'm not sure how he gets from one step to another.

Homework Equations



The derived equation in question is Equation 10.5.80:

##u(r,\theta) = \frac{1}{2\pi} \int_{0}^{2\pi} [\frac{a^{2}-r^{2}}{a^{2}+r^{2}-2ra\cos(\theta-\theta')}] u(a,\theta') d\theta'##

which he claims to be a straightforward geometric sum over integer ##\textit{m}## from Equation 10.5.79:

##u(r,\theta) = \sum_{m=-\infty}^\infty (\frac{r}{a})^{|m|} \int_{0}^{2\pi} e^{im(\theta-\theta')} u(a,\theta') d\theta'##.

The Attempt at a Solution



Trying to do the infinite sum, I first interchanged the summation and the integral to get:

##u(r,\theta) = \int_{0}^{2\pi} \sum_{m=-\infty}^\infty (\frac{r}{a})^{|m|} e^{im(\theta-\theta')} u(a,\theta') d\theta'##.

And then since the geometric summation is from negative infinity to positive infinity, I broke it up into two sums:

##u(r,\theta) = \int_{0}^{2\pi} u(a,\theta') d\theta' [\sum_{m=0}^\infty (\frac{r}{a} \times e^{i(\theta-\theta')})^{m} + \sum_{m=-\infty}^0 (\frac{r}{a} \times e^{-i(\theta-\theta')})^{-m} ]##

And then changing the negative sign on the second sum:

##u(r,\theta) = \int_{0}^{2\pi} u(a,\theta') d\theta' [\sum_{m=0}^\infty (\frac{r}{a} \times e^{i(\theta-\theta')})^{m} + \sum_{m=0}^\infty (\frac{r}{a} \times e^{-i(\theta-\theta')})^{m} ]##

Next, I use the definition of a geometric sum (assuming that ##|\frac{r}{a} \times e^{\pm i(\theta-\theta')}|## is less than 1,) and get:

##u(r,\theta) = \int_{0}^{2\pi} u(a,\theta') d\theta' [\frac{1}{1-\frac{r}{a}e^{i(\theta-\theta')}} + \frac{1}{1-\frac{r}{a}e^{-i(\theta-\theta')}}]##

And get after algebraic simplification:

##u(r,\theta) = \int_{0}^{2\pi} u(a,\theta') d\theta' [\frac{2(a^{2} -ra\cos(\theta - \theta'))}{a^{2}+r^{2}-2ra\cos(\theta - \theta')}]##

Which is different from the answer I was supposed to get by a factor of ##\frac{1}{2\pi}## and the numerator is off by a significant amount. Does anyone have any advice as to how to get a factor of ##2\pi##?

At one point at the end of the explanation, he says that the integral is "due to Poisson" but this has never been previously mentioned in the entire book. Maybe I am missing something?
 
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I figured it out! There's an error in the text where they forgot to leave the ##\frac{1}{2\pi} ## in the numerator, and also I made an error in the summation earlier (counted zero twice!).
 

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