ε(Φ + Θ).

If the greatest value of |(U − U0)| on the greater arc AB be called H, the last component is numerically less than

H(a² − r²)

of which, when the circle, of centre P0, passing through A′B′ is sufficiently small, the factor a² − r² is arbitrarily small. Thus it appears that u′ is a function of the position of Q whose limit, when Q, interior to the original circle, approaches indefinitely near to P0, is U0. From the form

u′ = 1∫ Udω − 1∫ Udθ,
π

since the inclination of QP to a fixed direction is, when Q varies, P remaining fixed, a solution of the differential equation

∂²ψ+ ∂²= 0,
∂x² ∂y²

where z, = x + iy, is the point Q, we infer that u′ is a differentiable function satisfying this equation; indeed, when r < a, we can write

1∫ U (a² − r²)dθ = 1∫ U [ 1 + 2 rcos (θ − φ) + 2 cos 2(θ − φ) + ... ] dθ
a² + r² − 2ar cos (θ − φ) a

= a0 + a1x + b1y + a2 (x² − y²) + 2b2xy + ...,