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dirac delta function

The Dirac delta function is a distribution defined primarily under an integral sign, characterized by being zero everywhere except at zero, where it is infinite, and integrates to one. The document also introduces the Heaviside step function and discusses properties and representations of the delta function, including its behavior in three dimensions and various coordinate systems. Key properties include its symmetry, derivatives, and how it interacts with other functions under integration.

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5 views

dirac delta function

The Dirac delta function is a distribution defined primarily under an integral sign, characterized by being zero everywhere except at zero, where it is infinite, and integrates to one. The document also introduces the Heaviside step function and discusses properties and representations of the delta function, including its behavior in three dimensions and various coordinate systems. Key properties include its symmetry, derivatives, and how it interacts with other functions under integration.

Uploaded by

orewatobida
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Dirac Delta Function

The delta function is not a function. It is a mathematical entity called a distribution


which is well defined only when it appears under an integral sign. However, you can think
of it as a generalization of a function with the following defining properties:

0, if x 6= 0
δ(x) =
∞, if x = 0
Z c
δ(x) dx = 1 b<0<c
b

x δ(x) ≡ 0

Another function which we will use in this review is the theta, Heaviside, or step
function. It is a true function, but is discontinuous. It is defined by:
n
1 x>0
Θ(x) =
0 x<0
The value of Θ(0) is a matter of convention. Usually you will not need to choose it. If you
do, choosing the average value Θ(0) = 1/2 is safest.

The three dimensional delta function δ 3 (~r ) is just the product of three one dimensional
delta functions:

δ 3 (~r ) = δ(x) δ(y) δ(z)

where ~r = x ı̂ + y ̂ + z k̂ is the position vector. It satisfies:


Z Z ∞Z ∞Z ∞
3
δ (~r ) dτ = δ(x) δ(y) δ(z) dx dy dz = 1
−∞ −∞ −∞
all space

1
There are many properties of the delta function which follow from the properties above.
Some of these are:

(1) δ(x) = δ(−x)

(2) δ 0 (x) = −δ 0 (−x) where 0 is derivative w.r.t. x

(3) Θ0 (x) = δ(x)

Z c
(4) f (x) δ(x − a) dx = f (a)
b

Z c
(5) f (x) δ 0 (x − a) dx = −f 0 (a)
b

1
(6) δ(ax) = δ(x) for constant a
|a|

 X 1
(7) δ g(x) = δ(x − xi ) where g(xi ) = 0 and g 0 (xi ) 6= 0
i
|g 0 (xi )|

(8) δ(x2 − a2 ) = |2a|−1 [δ(x − a) + δ(x + a)]

 1
(9) δ (x − a)(x − b) = [δ(x − a) + δ(x − b)]
|a − b|

Z
(10) f (~r ) δ 3 (~r − ~r 0 ) dτ = f (~r 0 )
all space

2
Some useful representations of the delta function are:

Z ∞
1
(1) δ(x) = eixt dt
2π −∞

1
(2) δ(x) = lim [Θ(x + a) − Θ(x − a)]
a→0 2a

 
1 −x2
(3) δ(x) = lim √ exp
→0 π 

1 
(4) δ(x) = lim 2
π →0 x + 2

sin N x
(5) δ(x) = lim
N →∞ πx

1 d2
(6) δ(x) = |x|
2 dx2

Z ∞
1 dt
(7) δ(x) = 2 Cauchy-Principal Value integration implied.
π −∞ t(t − x)

The closure relation is given by:


∞
X
(8) δ(x − y) = φn (x) φn (y)
n=0

where the φn are a complete set of real orthonormal eigenfunctions for a hermitian differ-
ential operator.

3
The Three-Dimensional Delta Function

The three-dimensional delta function must satisfy:


Z
δ 3 (~r − ~r 0 ) dτ = 1
all space

In rectangular coordinates:

δ 3 (~r − ~r 0 ) = δ(x − x0 ) δ(y − y0 ) δ(z − z0 )


But in curvilinear coordinates, dτ = hu hv hw du dv dw, i.e. it has a Jacobian in it. Thus,

δ 3 (~r − ~r 0 ) 6= δ(u − u0 ) δ(v − v0 ) δ(w − w0 )


but instead:
1
δ 3 (~r ) = δ(u − u0 ) δ(v − v0 ) δ(w − w0 )
hu hv hw
In particular, in cylindrical coordinates:
1
δ 3 (~r ) = δ(r − r0 ) δ(θ − θ0 ) δ(z − z0 )
r
and in spherical coordinates:
1
δ 3 (~r ) = δ(r − r0 ) δ(θ − θ0 ) δ(φ − φ0 )
r2 sin(θ)

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