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| − | '''Laplace's equation''' is an [[equation]] such that the sum of all of the non-mixed second order [[partial derivative]]s of a [[function]] equaling zero. All functions that have a [[Laplacian]] of zero, are called [[harmonic function]]s. | + | '''Laplace's equation''' is an [[equation]] such that the sum of all of the non-mixed second order [[partial derivative]]s of a [[function]], f, equaling zero. All functions that have a [[Laplacian]] (usually denoted <math>\nabla^2 f</math> by physicists and <math>\Delta f</math> by mathematicians) of zero (and thus are a solution to Laplace's equation) are called [[harmonic function]]s. |
| | + | |
| | + | In <math>\mathbb{R}^3</math>, Laplace's equation in Cartesian co-ordinates is: |
| | + | : <math> \nabla^2 f = |
| | + | {\partial^2 f\over \partial x^2 } + |
| | + | {\partial^2 f\over \partial y^2 } + |
| | + | {\partial^2 f\over \partial z^2 } = 0 |
| | + | </math> |
| | + | |
| | + | or in the mathematicians' notation, |
| | + | <math>\Delta f = |
| | + | {\partial^2 f\over \partial x^2 } + |
| | + | {\partial^2 f\over \partial y^2 } + |
| | + | {\partial^2 f\over \partial z^2 } = 0. |
| | + | </math> |
| | + | |
| | [[category:mathematics]] | | [[category:mathematics]] |