Kirchhoff integral theorem
The Kirchhoff integral theorem, also known as the Kirchhoff-Helmholtz integral theorem, is a foundational result in classical wave theory that provides an integral representation for solutions to the scalar Helmholtz equation (\nabla^2 + k^2) u = 0 within a volume V enclosed by a surface S, expressing the wave function u(\mathbf{r}) at any interior point \mathbf{r} in terms of the boundary values of u and its normal derivative \partial u / \partial n on S.[1] The theorem is derived from Green's second identity applied to u and the Green's function G(\mathbf{r}, \mathbf{r}') = \frac{e^{ik|\mathbf{r} - \mathbf{r}'|}}{4\pi |\mathbf{r} - \mathbf{r}'|}, yielding the formulau(\mathbf{r}) = \oint_S \left[ G(\mathbf{r}, \mathbf{r}') \frac{\partial u}{\partial n'}(\mathbf{r}') - u(\mathbf{r}') \frac{\partial G}{\partial n'}(\mathbf{r}, \mathbf{r}') \right] dS',
where k = 2\pi / \lambda is the wavenumber and the normal derivative is outward-pointing.[1] This representation assumes a source-free region inside V and monochromatic waves in a linear, isotropic medium.[2] Formulated by German physicist Gustav Robert Kirchhoff in his 1882 paper "Zur Theorie der Lichtstrahlen" presented to the Prussian Academy of Sciences, the theorem built upon earlier work by Fresnel on Huygens' principle and Stokes' application of Green's theorem to wave equations, providing a rigorous mathematical framework for diffraction phenomena.[2] Kirchhoff's derivation involved integrating the wave equation over a volume bounded by an aperture and opaque screen, imposing boundary conditions where the wave vanishes on the screen and equals the incident field in the aperture (known as Kirchhoff's boundary-value ansatz).[2] Although the theory contains mathematical inconsistencies—such as the Poincaré paradox, where the assumed boundary conditions imply no wave propagation— it yields accurate predictions in the geometric optics limit and for small apertures, explaining its enduring influence despite later refinements by Rayleigh and Sommerfeld.[2] The theorem has broad applications across wave physics, including optics for calculating diffracted light fields through apertures via the Fresnel-Kirchhoff diffraction formula, which incorporates an obliquity (inclination) factor \frac{1 + \cos \chi}{2} to account for directional contributions from secondary wavelets:
u(\mathbf{r}) = \frac{1}{i\lambda} \iint_A u(\mathbf{r}') \frac{e^{iks}}{s} \frac{1 + \cos \chi}{2} dA',
where s is the distance from aperture point to observation, \chi the angle between incident and diffracted directions, and A the aperture.[1] In acoustics, it underpins near-field acoustical holography and radiation calculations by relating sound pressure and particle velocity on a surface to the field everywhere.[3] Extensions to electromagnetism yield vector forms for solving Maxwell's equations in scattering problems, while in seismology, one-way approximations facilitate wavefield migration for imaging subsurface structures.[2]