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Question

Math 6420 • PDE

Summer 2024 • Question 1

Show that \(u(x)=\frac {1}{4\pi |x|}\) is the fundamental solution of the Laplace equation in \(\mathbb {R}^3\), \(-\Delta u=\delta _{0}\) in the sense of distributions, i.e. \[ \int _{\mathbb {R}^3} u(x)\Delta \varphi (x)\,dx=-\varphi (0) \]

for all \(\varphi \) smooth and compactly supported. You should provide a fully detailed proof, not just a formal computation.

Raw LaTeX

Show that \(u(x)=\frac{1}{4\pi|x|}\) is the fundamental solution of the
Laplace equation in \(\mathbb{R}^3\), \(-\Delta u=\delta_{0}\) in the sense of distributions, i.e.
\[
\int_{\mathbb{R}^3} u(x)\Delta\varphi(x)\,dx=-\varphi(0)
\]

for all \(\varphi\) smooth and compactly supported. You should provide a fully
detailed proof, not just a formal computation.