hypersphere_integrals


hypersphere_integrals, an Octave code which returns the exact value of the integral of any monomial over the surface of the unit hypersphere in M dimensions.

The surface of the unit hypersphere in M dimensions is defined by

        sum ( 1 <= i <= m ) x(i)^2 = 1
      

The integrands are all of the form

        f(x) = product ( 1 <= m <= m ) x(i) ^ e(i)
      
where the exponents e are nonnegative integers. If any exponent is an odd integer, the integral will be zero. Thus, the "interesting" results occur when all exponents are even.

Licensing:

The information on this web page is distributed under the MIT license.

Languages:

hypersphere_integrals is available in a C version and a C++ version and a Fortran90 version and a MATLAB version and an Octave version and a Python version.

Related Data and Programs:

hypersphere_integrals_test

octave_integrals, an Octave code which returns the exact value of the integral of any monomial over the surface or interior of some geometric object, including a line, quadrilateral, box, circle, disk, sphere, ball and others.

Reference:

  1. Gerald Folland,
    How to Integrate a Polynomial Over a Sphere,
    American Mathematical Monthly,
    Volume 108, Number 5, May 2001, pages 446-448.

Source Code:


Last revised on 01 February 2019.