Scribd
Upload
109 views4 pages

1 D Greens Functions

The document discusses using Green's functions to solve Sturm-Liouville differential equations. It defines Sturm-Liouville operators and equations. It then provides the recipe for constructing the Green's function for a given Sturm-Liouville equation based on the operator and boundary conditions. This includes finding two linearly independent solutions, determining a constant, and using these to define the Green's function. Finally, it works through an example problem, constructing the Green's function and using it to solve the given boundary value problem.

Uploaded by

ss_nainamohammed
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
109 views4 pages

1 D Greens Functions

The document discusses using Green's functions to solve Sturm-Liouville differential equations. It defines Sturm-Liouville operators and equations. It then provides the recipe for constructing the Green's function for a given Sturm-Liouville equation based on the operator and boundary conditions. This includes finding two linearly independent solutions, determining a constant, and using these to define the Green's function. Finally, it works through an example problem, constructing the Green's function and using it to solve the given boundary value problem.

Uploaded by

ss_nainamohammed
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

One-dimensional Greens Functions

In these notes I just want to explain things on pages 663-667 in Arfken and give an
example for solving a Sturm-Liouville dierential equation using one-dimensional Greens
function method.
Denition 1. Let p(x) and q(x) be two real functions which are continuous on the
interval [a, b] and let p(x) be positive on this interval. Operator L dened as
L[ ] =
d
dx

p(x)
d
dx

+ q(x) , (1)
is called a Sturm-Liouville operator.
Any dierential equation
L[y] + f(x) = 0, (2)
where f(x) is function dened on [a, b] is called a dierential equation in the sturm-Liouville
form or simply a Sturm-Liouville dierential equation.
Example 1. Let p(x) = 1 + x
2
and q(x) = 1 x
2
. Determine L[sin x].
Solution.
L[sin x] =
d
dx

(1 + x
2
)
d
dx
sin x

+ (1 x
2
) sin x
=
d
dx
[(1 + x
2
) cos x] + (1 x
2
) sin x
= 2xcos x (1 + x
2
) sin x + (1 x
2
) sin x
= 2xcos x 2x
2
sin x.
Now suppose we want to nd the solution y(x) of the equation (1) on the interval [a, b]
with the boundary conditions

y(a) + y

(a) = 0
y(b) + y

(b) = 0
, (3)
where Greek letters are real numbers.
1
First we should construct the Green function G(x, t) corresponding to the operator L
and the boundary conditions (3). Here is the recipe for doing this.
Solve the homogeneous equation L[y] = 0 and nd two linearly independent solutions
u(x) and v(x) such that

u(a) + u

(a) = 0
v(b) + v

(b) = 0
. (4)
In other words u(x) should fullls the boundary condition at a and v(x) should fullls
the boundary condition at b
1
.
Determine the constant
2
A from the following equation
A = p(t)

u(t) u

(t)
v(t) v

(t)

. (5)
Using A, u(x), and v(x) construct the Green function G(x, t) as follows
G(x, t) =

1
A
u(t)v(x), t < x b

1
A
u(x)v(t), a x < t
, (6)
and since we dont need to stress the interval [a, b] explicitly, the above Greens func-
tion can be re-written as
G(x, t) =

1
A
u(t)v(x), t < x

1
A
u(x)v(t), x < t
. (7)
Then based on the theorem which is proved on pages 665 and 666, the solution y(x) can
be determined from the following relation
y(x) =

b
a
G(x, t) f(t) dt. (8)
Example 2. Using Greens function method, solve the following boundary value problem

+
2
y = x
y(0) = y(1/4) = 0
.
1
If u(x) and v(x) failed to exist, this method would not work.
2
According to Abels formula A would actually b be a constant.
2
Solution. First, comparing y

+
2
y = x to the operator L dened in (1) and the equation
(2), it is easy to see that p(x) = 1, q(x) =
2
, and f(x) = x. Second, taking a = 0, b = 1/4,
= 1, = 0, = 1, and = 0 reduces the boundary conditions (3) to y(0) = y(1/4) = 0.
Therefore, the given problem is exactly one of the problems that can be solved by Greens
function method.
We know that the general solution to the equation y

+
2
y = 0 is
y(x) = M sin x + N cos x. (9)
So sin x and sin x cos x can play the role of u(x) and v(x) respectively, since they are
linearly independent solutions of the corresponding homogeneous equation and moreover,
sin x fullls the boundary condition at 0 and sin xcos x fullls the boundary condition
at 1/4.
Now we can go to the second step and determine the constant A from the equation ().
A =

sin x cos x
sin x cos x cos x + sin x

= sin xcos x + sin


2
x sin xcos x + cos
2
x
= .
Using (7)
G(x, t) =

sin t (sin x cos x), t < x

sin x(sin t cos t), x < t


. (10)
The last step is to nd the solution using the equation (8).
y(x) =

1/4
0
t G(x, t) dt
=
1

(sin x cos x)

x
0
t sin t dt +
1

sin x

1/4
x
t (sin t cos t) dt.
(11)
Integration by parts yields

t sin t dt =
sin t t cos t

2
+ C,
and

t cos t dt =
t sin t + cos t

2
+ C.
3
Using these in equation (11) and manipulating the expressions a little bit, one ends up with
the following solution
y(x) =
x

2
4
2
sin x.
4

You might also like