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    The Delta: Distribution

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    Eddie
    The document discusses the delta distribution, which is a singular function beyond classical analysis. It arises in considerations of point charges and mass points. The delta distribution is defined everywhere as zero except at a single point, yet its integral over all space is equal to one, which no classical function possesses. It further discusses how the delta distribution emerges in the limit of two approaching charges of opposite sign.

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    The Delta: Distribution

    Uploaded by

    Eddie
    16 views1 page
    The document discusses the delta distribution, which is a singular function beyond classical analysis. It arises in considerations of point charges and mass points. The delta distribution is defined everywhere as zero except at a single point, yet its integral over all space is equal to one, which no classical function possesses. It further discusses how the delta distribution emerges in the limit of two approaching charges of opposite sign.

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    495

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    The document discusses the delta distribution, which is a singular function beyond classical analysis. It arises in considerations of point charges and mass points. The delta distribution is defined everywhere as zero except at a single point, yet its integral over all space is equal to one, which no classical function possesses. It further discusses how the delta distribution emerges in the limit of two approaching charges of opposite sign.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    16 views1 page

    The Delta: Distribution

    Uploaded by

    Eddie
    The document discusses the delta distribution, which is a singular function beyond classical analysis. It arises in considerations of point charges and mass points. The delta distribution is defined everywhere as zero except at a single point, yet its integral over all space is equal to one, which no classical function possesses. It further discusses how the delta distribution emerges in the limit of two approaching charges of opposite sign.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 1

    Appendix A

    The Delta Distribution


    The delta-distribution* or delta function, as it was originally called, is a
    singular function beyond the realm of classical analysis. As we observed in
    the text, in physical contexts the delta distribution arises in the consideration
    of point charges, and similarly in that of mass points. The density of a unit
    charge or unit mass at (say) z = 0 which is written b ( z ) is everywhere zero
    except at z = 0, where it is so large that the total charge, i.e. its integral
    over all space, becomes 1, i.e.
    03

    S(z) = 0 for z # 0, d(z)dz = 1. (A4

    No function of classical analysis has such properties since for any function
    which is everywhere zero except at one point, the integral must vanish (irre-
    spective of the concept of the integral). As a further example, which leads
    to a singular function, we consider the case of two charges of opposite signs
    with intensities f l / and
    ~ located at the points z = 0,z = E . The density
    distributions of the charges are b ( z ) / ~-6
    , (z - E ) / E . In the limit E t 0 the
    charges approach each other, with the product of intensity 1 / and ~ mutual
    separation E , i.e. the dipole moment, remaining constant. One thus obtains
    a dipole with density

    This limiting value is undefined and does not exist in the context of classical
    analysis. However, in the theory of distributions developed by L. Schwartz,
    the delta function, its derivative S’(z) and similar quantities, find exact defi-
    nitions which, moreover, permit application of customary operations of clas-
    sical analysis. Physical considerations point the way to how best to proceed

    *We follow here W. Giittinger, Fortschr. Physik 14 (1966) 483.

    495

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