2 JACOB LEWIS BOURJAILY

Problem 5.1
Let us consider a closed loop carrying a current I. Using the fact that
dB =

0
I
4
d

x x

|x x

|
3
,
we are to show that the magnetic induction at any point x is given by
B =

0
I
4
,
where is the solid angle about x subtended by the loop.
The required identity is equivalent to showing that
_
S
d

x x
|x x

|
3
= =
_
S
d.
This is clear from the fact that the coecients are the same and B =
_
dB. Throughout our proof, we
will rely on many of the vector identities listed in the front cover Jacksons text although we will not
reference these explicitly for sake of convenience on the authors part.
Now, before we begin, we notice that we can rewrite
x x

|x x

|
3
=

1
|x x

|
,
by simple evaluation. We will prove the required identity in by checking that each of the components of
the vector elds are the same. Specically, let x
i
be a basis vector in the Cartesian coordinate system.
It is obvious that the i
th
component of B is simply x
i
B. Therefore, let us evaluate the i
th
component
of the left-hand-side of the desired identity.
x
i

_
S
d

x x

|x x

|
3
=
_
S
x
i
d

1
|x x

|
_
,
=
_
S
d

__

1
|x x

|
_
x
i
_
,
=
_
S
da

__

1
|x x

|
_
x
i
__
,
=
_
S
da

_
_

1
|x x

|
_
(

x
i
)
. .
=0
x
i
_

1
|x x

|
_
. .
=
2 1
|xx

|
=0
+( x
i

)
_

1
|x x

|
_

1
|x x

_
x
i
. .
=0
_
,
=
_
S
da

1
|x x

|
.
Now, notice that
x
i
=
x
i
and so we can bring this outside of the integral, picking up an extra
minus sign,
x
i

_
S
d

x x

|x x

|
3
=

x
i
_
S
da

1
|x x

|
.
During a discussion of a similar problem in section 1.6, Jackson points out that
da

1
|x x

|
= d.
Therefore, we see that that
x
i

_
S
d

x x

|x x

|
3
=

x
i
_
S
d = x
i
.
Because x
i
was an arbitrary Cartesian coordinate, we see that the more general vector equality is
true, as desired. In particular, this implies directly that
B =
_
dB =

0
I
4
_
S
d

x x

|x x

|
3
=

0
I
4
.