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Chapter 7
Dirac Delta Function

Important Properties

1.  f  x    x  x  dx  f  x 

0 0


Example: e
 x 2
  x  1 dx  e 


2.   x  x0   0   x  x0   

If x  x0 If x  x0

1
3.   ax     x
a

1
4.   x 2  a 2     x  a     x  a  
2a 

  x  xi 
5.   g  x    
i g   xi 

xi  zero ' s By putting g  xi   0

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Example:   x 2  a 2 

g  x   x2  a2

g x  2x

g  x   0  x2  a2  0

xi  a,  a

xi  a, xi  a

  x  a   x  a 1
  x 2  a 2       x  a     x  a  
a a 2a 

Example:   x 2  x  2 

g  x   x2  x  2 g x  2x 1

g  x  0

1  1  8 1  3
x   1, 2
2 2
  x  1   x  2    x  1   x  2 
  x 2  x  2     
3 3 3 3
 
1
So,    x  x  2  dx     x  1    x  1  dx
2


3 

1
 1  1  2 / 3
3
f  
 f  x    x  dx   x   x dx
 
n n 1
6.

Where,  n  x  is nth derivative of the delta function.

Example: f  x   x  x 

 xg  x     x  dx    xg   x   g  x    x  dx
  xg   x    x  dx   g  x    x  dx

 xg  x     x      g  x     x  dx

x  x     x     x   g  x 

x   x     x 

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x n n  x    1 n !  x 
n

x 2   x    1 2!  x 
2

x 2   x   2    x 

7.     x      x 

8.  f  x    x  a  dx   f   a 


 
f  x    x  a     f   x    x  a  dx   f   a 
 

1
1   x  xi 
9.    x  dx  0    f  x   
1 f   xi 

1
 0
32
  x    x  
 x    
1 1
x2 x2

 x 2  x    x 2  x    
1
     0 The delta functions are not in range.
1 
1 1 

10. If  f  x    x  dx  f  0 


f  x  is a well-behaved function and the dimension of x is momentum.

Question: What is dimension of   x  ?

(a) Dimension less (b) Momentum

(c) Momentum (d) Momentum
Solution: Dimensionally f  x    x  x0  dx  f  0 

  x  dx should be dimensionless.

  x    p
1

 x  1   x 2  3x  2  dx
2
11.


 x  1  [ x  2  x  1]dx
2



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
   x  2    x  1 
  x  1   
2
 2x  3  dx
  2 x  3 

   x  2    x  1 
  x  1   dx   2  1  1  1  5  2  7
2 2 2

  1 1 

12.  e
x
  sin  x  dx


f  x   sin  x;  x  n

f '  x    cos  x

   x  n    x    x  n   2e
e
x
  ..   2e e     e1  2  
  cos  n       

2e e 1 2e 1 e 2e 2e

    
 1  e1    e  1  e  1  e  1

or,
  x  2   x  1   x   x  1   x  2 
  sin  x          
 cos  2   cos     cos 0  cos    cos 2


 e  
x



2 e  e 1 
 1  2  e 1  e 2    1  2  e 1  e 2    1   
e  e  1  e 1 

Example:  dx   x 2   2  cos x


  x     x  
  x 2   2     x    x      
2 2

1 1
  cos   cos      
2 
3
4
 t   3t  1 dt  3
2
Example:
0

 /2 1
Example:  dx  dy   sin 2    x  y 
 / 2 1

 / 2 1
  dx   sin  2 x    dy   x  y 
 / 2 1

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From here, y  x, 1  y  1
 / 2  1

   sin 2x  dx
 / 2  1
f  x   sin 2 x  0

f   x   2 cos  2 x 

n  / 2 0  /2
x
2
 /2
1
 /2
  x
  dx  sin 2 x     dx
 / 2
2  / 2 2 cos  0 

Example: x   x     x 

A differential equation containing Delta function

d 2 f  x
#    x  f  x    f  x 
dx 2
V    x 

 f 
    ??
 x 
  
2 f
 x      x  f  x  x    f  x 

x 2  


f
   f  0    0
x 

 f 
     f 0
 x 
f  Aevx ; x  0  Be  vx ; x  0
A  B By boundary condition

 f 
  A
 x 
Avev0  A  v  e v0   A  0

Avev 0  A  v  e  v0   A  0

v  /2

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0 x  x0
Example:   x  x0   
 x  x0

One dimensional dirac-delta function

0 x2  y 2  0
 2  x, y   
 x2  y 2  0
 

    x, y  dxdy  1
2

 

 

    x  x    y  y  dxdy  1
 
0 0

1 2
 2  ax, by     x, y 
ab

Polar Coordinates

  r 
 2  x, y    
 r 
Three Dimension
 3  x, y , z     x    y    z    3  x 

0 x2  y2  z 2  0

 x2  y 2  z 2  0
  

     x, y, z  dxdydz  1
3

  

Cylindrical Coordinate
  r   z 
 3  r, , z  
r
Spherical Polar Coordinate
 r 
 3  r, , d  
2 r 2
Series expansion cylindrical coordinate
1
 3  r1  r2     r1  r2   1  2    z1  z2 
r1

Series expansion spherical polar coordinate

1
 3  r  r0     r  r0      0     0 
r sin 
2

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Azimuthal symmetry
2

 sin  d  2 r 2 sin 
2

1
  r  r0     r  r0      0 
2 r sin 
2

 and  both symmetrical



 2 r sin  d  4 r 2
2

1
 3  r  r0     r  r0 
4 r 2
Physical Example:
Choose density of a spherical shell
Q
 r   r  a
4 r 2 a  0
Ring
Q  r  0 
 r   Hollow Q
2 r 
4 r 2
For point charge
q0  r  r0 
q
4 r 2
  r  r0 
q 0
4 r 2
 4 r 2 dr  q0

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