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The Asymptotic Distribution of Point Charges on a Conducting Sphere

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Statistical Decision Theory and Related Topics V

Abstract

Consider n point charges, each with charge 1/n, in electrostatic equilibrium on the surface S of a conducting sphere. It is shown that as n tends to infinity, the distribution of the total charge 1 on S tends to the uniform distribution on S. Though this is an entirely deterministic result, the proof is probabilistic in nature.

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References

  • Korevaar, J. (1972). Prijsvraag wiskundig genootschap 1972–2. Nieuw Arch. Wiskunde, (3), 20, p. 73.

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  • Korevaar, J. (1976). Problems of equilibrium points on the sphere and electrostatic fields. Technical Report 76–03, Department of Mathematics, University of Amsterdam.

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  • Robbins, H.E. (1975). Lecture presented at the Fourth Lunteren Meeting on Probability and Statistics.

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  • Van Zwet, W.R. (1976). Solution Prijsvraag Wiskundig Genootschap, Amsterdam.

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© 1994 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.

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van Zwet, W.R. (1994). The Asymptotic Distribution of Point Charges on a Conducting Sphere. In: Gupta, S.S., Berger, J.O. (eds) Statistical Decision Theory and Related Topics V. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2618-5_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2618-5_32

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7609-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-2618-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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