Strange formulation of Gauss' Theorem

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Ssnow
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Gauss Strange Theorem
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
3 replies · 1K views
Messages
583
Reaction score
186
TL;DR
Is this a complicated expression for the ordinary Gauss theorem for the flux of the electric field ?
Hi to all!
The ordinary Gauss theorem states that ##\Phi\left(\vec{E}\right)\,=\, \frac{\sum_{i=1}^{n}q_{i}}{\varepsilon_{0}}## where ##\sum_{i=1}^{n}q_{i}## is the sum of all charges internal of a closed surface and ##\varepsilon_{0}## is the dielectric constant in the empty. Now I ask to the PF if this formula:

##\Phi\left(\vec{E}\right)\,=\, sign{\left(\sum_{i=1}^{n}q_{i}\right)}\cdot \left(\int_{-\infty}^{+\infty}e^{-\frac{\pi\varepsilon_{0}}{\left|\sum_{i=1}^{n}q_{i}\right|}y^2}dy\right)^2##

is equivalent to the previous and if it is mathematically correct.
Thank you!
Ssnow
 
Physics news on Phys.org
It looks good to me; the integral is called a Gaussian integral and if you evaluate it, you get the right answer. I'm wondering where you saw it formulated like this?
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Ssnow
In fact it seems not very useful to write le Gauss theorem in this form...
the funny thing is that this formulation relates two result associated to the name of Gauss, respectively the Gauss theorem and the Gaussian integral ... :biggrin:
I encountered this formulation because I am writing a compendium on the Gaussian integral and its generalizations, so I think to put also this nice example ...
Ssnow