Talk:Newtonian potential

merge?

maybe this should be merged into (and redirect to) Green's function#Green's function for the Laplacian. i s'pose the green's function article needs some work. for instance, the green's function listed for the laplacian is valid only for 3D (whereas the recent addition to this article gives it for any dimension for unbounded domains). Lunch 22:43, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

It should at least mention the Green's function; (as far as I can tell, it's simply the Green's function for a specific equation, right? If not, the article should make clear the difference.) --Starwed 01:15, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

That's the other thing. The Newtonian potential is defined as the convolution of the fundamental solution with the right hand side of Poisson's equation. It is very different from the Green's function itself. HowiAuckland (talk) 22:31, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

don't merge

Even though it is about a Green's function, Newtonian potential deserves a separate entry. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.30.186.44 (talk) 03:45, 5 April 2010 (UTC)

Not to mention that the Newtonian potential refers to the "Green's function" in arbitrary dimensions. Also, one usually considers Green's functions of a boundary value problem, in which the Green's function also satisfies the given boundary condition. It is strange (to me, at any rate) that the target article seems to be about the fundamental solution rather than a Green's function. This must be a math-versus-physics thing. Sławomir Biały (talk) 12:30, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

I think you're absolutely correct. How should we fix this? Is it possible to change the title? HowiAuckland (talk) 22:28, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

unclear

The second sentence is unclear: "In its general nature, it is a singular integral operator, defined by convolution with a function having a mathematical singularity at the origin, the Newtonian kernel G." Nickvence (talk) 16:49, 31 July 2008 (UTC)

Vector Laplacian

Please confirm and change the link if correct that the Newtonian Potential Operator is the negative inverse of the Vector Laplacian 150.243.67.58 (talk) 02:37, 5 May 2009 (UTC)Nathan

Wrong sign

"The Newtonian potential w of ƒ is a solution of the Poisson equation $\Delta w=f,\,$" --- really? This is true for the gravitational potential in physics, that differs in the sign from the Newtonian potential in mathematics (the latter is physically the electrostatic potential for repelling particles). When f is positive, Δw is negative, isn't it? Indeed, w has a maximum, not minimum, somewhere. --Boris Tsirelson (talk) 18:39, 14 May 2011 (UTC)