Solution of the Cauchy Problem for the Three-Dimensional Telegraph Equation and Exact Solutions of Maxwell’s Equations in a Homogeneous Isotropic Conductor with a Given Exterior Current Source

For the solution of the Cauchy problem for the linear telegraph equation in three-dimensional space, we derive a formula similar to the Kirchhoff one for the linear wave equation (and turning into the latter at zero conductivity). Additionally, the problem of determining the field of a given exterior current source in an infinite homogeneous isotropic conductor is reduced to a generalized Cauchy problem for the three-dimensional telegraph equation. The derived formula enables us to reduce this problem to quadratures and, in some cases, to obtain exact three-dimensional solutions with a propagating front, which are of great applied importance for testing numerical methods for solving Maxwell’s equations. As an example, we construct the exact solution of the field from a Hertzian dipole with an arbitrary time dependence of the current in an infinite homogeneous isotropic conductor.