Why is this volume/surface integration unaffected by a singularity?

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The discussion focuses on the integration of a vector field ##\mathbf{M'}## over a volume ##V'## and its surface, specifically addressing the impact of singularities at point ##P##. It establishes that both volume and surface integrals remain unaffected by the singularity at ##\mathbf{r'}=\mathbf{r}##, despite the discontinuity of the vector field ##\dfrac{\mathbf{M'}}{\left| \mathbf{r}-\mathbf{r'} \right|}##. The application of the Gauss divergence theorem is explored, demonstrating that the integrands in the derived equations are defined almost everywhere except at the singular point, allowing for valid integration.

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Mike400
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##\mathbf{M'}## is a vector field in volume ##V'## and ##P## be any point on the surface of ##V'## with position vector ##\mathbf {r}##
stack exchange 3-10-19.png

Now by Gauss divergence theorem:

\begin{align}
\iiint_{V'} \left[ \nabla' . \left( \dfrac{\mathbf{M'}}{\left| \mathbf{r}-\mathbf{r'} \right|} \right) \right] dV'
&=\unicode{x222F}_{S'} \left[ \left( \dfrac{\mathbf{M'}}{\left| \mathbf{r}-\mathbf{r'} \right|} \right) . \hat{n} \right] dS' \tag{1}\\
\end{align}

Both of these expressions, ##LHS## and ##RHS## of equation ##(1)##, have their respective integrands singular at ##\mathbf{r'}=\mathbf{r}##. Now how shall we show that both the volume and surface integration is unaffected by this singularity at ##\mathbf{r'}=\mathbf{r}##?
 

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The expression above is not valid, because the divergence theorem is only applicable to continuously differentiable vector fields, and the vector field
$$
\dfrac{\mathbf{M'}}{\left| \mathbf{r}-\mathbf{r'} \right|}$$
is discontinuous at ##\mathbf r##.
 
Using the vector identity ##\nabla.(\psi \mathbf{A})=\mathbf{A}.(\nabla \psi)+\psi (\nabla.\mathbf{A})##, ##LHS## of equation ##1## can be written as:

\begin{align}
\iiint_{V'} \left[ \nabla' . \left( \dfrac{\mathbf{M'}}{\left| \mathbf{r}-\mathbf{r'} \right|} \right) \right] dV'
&=\iiint_{V'} \mathbf{M'}.\nabla' \left( \dfrac{1}{\left| \mathbf{r}-\mathbf{r'} \right|} \right) dV'
+
\iiint_{V'} \dfrac{\nabla' . \mathbf{M'}}{\left| \mathbf{r}-\mathbf{r'} \right|} dV'
\tag{2}
\end{align}

Now for simplicity, let's take the origin of our coordinate system at ##P## (see the diagram). Thus equation ##(2)## becomes:

\begin{align}
\iiint_{V'} \left[ \nabla' . \left( \dfrac{\mathbf{M'}}{r'} \right) \right] dV'
&=\iiint_{V'} \mathbf{M'}.\nabla' \left( \dfrac{1}{r'} \right) dV' \tag{3}
&+\iiint_{V'} \dfrac{\nabla' . \mathbf{M'}}{r'} dV'\\
\end{align}

Now by writing ##dV'## as spherical volume element, equation ##(3)## becomes:

##\displaystyle \iiint_{V'} \left[ \nabla' . \left( \dfrac{\mathbf{M'}}{r'} \right) \right] {r'}^2\ \sin\theta\ d\theta\ d\phi\ dr'
=\iiint_{V'} \mathbf{M'}.\nabla' \left( \dfrac{1}{r'} \right) {r'}^2\ \sin\theta\ d\theta\ d\phi\ dr'
+\iiint_{V'} \dfrac{\nabla' . \mathbf{M'}}{r'} {r'}^2\ \sin\theta\ d\theta\ d\phi\ dr'\\
\displaystyle =\iiint_{V'} (\mathbf{M'}. \hat{r'}) \sin\theta\ d\theta\ d\phi\ dr'
+\iiint_{V'} (\nabla' . \mathbf{M'})\ r'\ \sin\theta\ d\theta\ d\phi\ dr'\\
\tag{4}##

In equation ##(4)##, the integrands are defined everywhere except at ##P## where ##r'=0## where the integrand is ##\frac{0}{0}##. Thus we can directly compute the volume integrals in equation ##(4)##. Can we now do something to apply the Gauss divergence theorem to the ##LHS## of equation ##(4)##?
 
Last edited:

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