# Integration over an Ellipsoidal Domain - Clarification

1. Aug 7, 2009

### tim85ruhruniv

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data

I want to integrate a function over an Ellipsoidal domain.

$$$\underset{\left(\frac{x^{2}}{a^{2}}+\frac{y^{2}}{b^{2}}+\frac{z^{2}}{c^{2}}-1\right)}{\intop\intop\intop}f\left(x,y,z\right)dxdydz$$$

I have already looked into the above thread and posts descibing this and i found that a bit too difficult to understand hence i tried out a solution of my own.

2.Question - A

Please could you tell me if my solution is right.

3. The attempt at a solution

I stay in the cartesian coordinate system but make a transoformation of variables and hence i also find the jacobian determinant for the volume transformation.

$$$x=ua,y=vb,z=wc$$$

and hence i get,

$$$\underset{\left(u^{2}+v^{2}+w^{2}-1\right)}{\intop\intop\intop}f\left(ua,vb,wc\right)\left[abc\right]dududw$$$

now this looks like i have a domain that is a unit sphere and to make things easier i transform from the cartesian co-ordinate system to the spherical co-ordinate system with the standard transofrmation rules and i get,

$$$\intop_{0}^{2\pi}\intop_{0}^{\pi}\intop_{0}^{1}f\left(\frac{a}{r}cos\varphi sin\theta,\frac{b}{r}sin\varphi sin\theta,\frac{c}{r}cos\theta\right)\left[\left[abc\right]r^{2}sin\theta\right]drd\theta d\varphi$$$

hence to confirm whether its right i just have to assume the function = 1 and if i integrate i must get the volume of the ellipsoid,

$$$\intop_{0}^{2\pi}\intop_{0}^{\pi}\intop_{0}^{1}\left[\left[abc\right]r^{2}sin\theta\right]drd\theta d\varphi$$$

which is simple to integrate and which exactly gives me the volume of an ellipsoid $$=\frac{4}{3}\pi abc$$

2.Question - B

Now my function is a dirac delta function that in itself which is a function of certain vectors. When I Integrate my dirac delta function over the ellipsoid as above i get strange results.
thanx a lot.

Tim

Last edited by a moderator: Apr 24, 2017