Abstract. A method is given to obtain the Green function for the Poisson equation in any arbitrary integer dimension under periodic boundary conditions. We obtain recursion relations which relate the solution in d-dimensional space to that in (d − 1)-dimensional space. Near the origin, the Green function is shown to split into two parts, one is the essential Coulomb singularity and the other is regular. We are thus able to give representations of the Coulomb sum in higher dimensions without recourse to any integral representations. The expressions converge exponentially fast in all parts of the simulation cell. Works of several authors are shown to be special cases of this more general method.

PACS numbers: 02.70.Ns, 02.70.Rr, 05.10.−a

Print publication: Issue 31 (5 August 2005)
Received 2 June 2005, in final form 21 June 2005
Published 20 July 2005