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04 Method of Separation of Variables

The document describes the method of separation of variables for solving Laplace's equation in Cartesian and cylindrical (polar) coordinates. In Cartesian coordinates, the potential V is assumed to be separable as a product of functions of x, y, and z. This allows Laplace's equation to be separated into ordinary differential equations that can be solved independently. Similar steps are shown for a 2D and 3D problem in cylindrical coordinates, where the potential V is assumed separable as a product of functions of r, θ, and z.

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Rajkumar Muthumanickam
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© © All Rights Reserved
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67 views

04 Method of Separation of Variables

The document describes the method of separation of variables for solving Laplace's equation in Cartesian and cylindrical (polar) coordinates. In Cartesian coordinates, the potential V is assumed to be separable as a product of functions of x, y, and z. This allows Laplace's equation to be separated into ordinary differential equations that can be solved independently. Similar steps are shown for a 2D and 3D problem in cylindrical coordinates, where the potential V is assumed separable as a product of functions of r, θ, and z.

Uploaded by

Rajkumar Muthumanickam
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Method of Separation of

Variables
Method of Separation of Variables
UCF Example 1 (1)
For three dimensional potential problem defined in 0 x a, 0 y b
0 z h, V 0 for x=0, a; y=0, b; z=0 planes. For z=h plane, V ( x, y)
(given). Find potential distribution V(x,y,z).
z
Solution:
h
The Laplaces equation 2V 0
in Cartesian coordinate can be written as: b
2V 2V 2V a y
0 (1)
x 2
y 2
z 2

together with boundary conditions: x


V (0, y , z ) 0
V (a , y, z ) 0

V ( x ,0 , z ) 0 (2)

V (x,b, z) 0
V ( x , y ,0 ) 0

V ( x , y , h ) ( x , y ) (given)
UCF
Example 1 (2)
For the method of separation of variables, we can let
V ( x, y, z ) X ( x)Y ( y) Z ( z ) (3)
When this is inserted into Equation (1), there results the equation
d 2X d 2Y d 2Z
YZ X Z XY 0
dx 2 dy 2 dz 2
If the above is divided by X ( x )Y ( y ) Z ( z ),
we can obtain:
1 d 2 X 1 d 2Y 1 d 2 Z
2
2
2
0 (4)
X dx Y dy Z dz
Let each of the above three terms be separated constant:
1 d 2X
2

X dx 2
1 d 2Y
2
2 (5) where 2 2 2 (6)
Y dy
1 d 2Z
2
2
Z dz
UCF
Example 1 (3)
The general solutions for the above three equations in (5) are
X ( x) A sin(x) B cos(x)

Y ( y ) C sin(y ) D cos(y ) (7)
Z ( z ) G sinh(z ) H cosh(z )

Note: There are different ways to write down the general solution. Equation
1 d 2X
2

X dx 2
has other mathematical forms of general solutions. For example,
X ( x) Ae jx Be jx

or:
X (x) A sin[(x a)] B cos[(x a)]
But the form in (6) gives the simplest form of solution.
UCF
Example 1 (4)

Substituting (3) into the first five boundary conditions in (2) yields
X (0) 0

Y ( 0 ) 0 (8)
Z (0) 0

and
X (a ) 0
(9)
Y (b ) 0
When (8) is inserted into (7), we find
B 0

D 0 (10)
H 0

Thus
X ( x) A sin(x)
(11)
Y ( y ) C sin(y)
Z ( z ) G sinh(z )

UCF
Example 1 (5)

Inserting (11) into (9) leads to


sin( a ) 0
(12)
sin( b ) 0
which gives
m
, m 1, 2,
a
(13)
n , n 1, 2,
b

From (3), (11) and (13), we can have



m n
V ( x, y, z) Fmn sin( x) sin( y) sinh( mnz) (14)
m1 n1 a b
where from (6)
m n
2 2

mn
a b
UCF
Example 1 (6)
From (14) and the last equation in boundary conditions (2), we have

m n

m1 n1
Fmn sin(
a
x) sin(
b
y) sinh( mnh) ( x, y) (15)

m n
Multiplying (15) by sin x sin y , integrating for x from 0 to a
a b
and for y from 0 to b, and using the following orthogonality conditions:
a m m 0 m m
0 sin( a x) sin( a x)dx a m m (16)
2
n n 0 n n
b (17)
0 sin( b y) sin( b y)dy b n n
we have 2
4 1 b a m n
Fmn
ab sinh( mn h ) 0 0 ( x, y ) sin(
a
x ) sin(
b
y ) dxdy
4 1 b a m n
or Fmn
ab sinh( mn h ) 0 0
( x , y ) sin(
a
x ) sin(
b
y ) dxdy (18)
UCF
Example 2

For the above example, if we assume the boundary condition at z=0 is V ( x, y)


and at z=h is V 0, the general solution for Z(z) should better be defined as:

Z ( z ) G sinh( ( z h )) H cosh( ( z h ))

By this way, from Z (h) 0, we simplify have


Z ( z ) G sinh( ( z h ))
z
h

b
a y
x
Details are similar to Example 1.
UCF
Example 3
2D problem: y 2V 2V
b V2 0
x 2 y 2

V3 V4
V1 = (Superposition)
a x
y y
b 0 b V2

0 0 + 0 0
+
V1 a x 0 a x

y y
b 0 b 0

V3 0 + 0 V4
0 a x 0 a x
Method of Separation of Variables
UCF
in Cylindrical (Polar) Coordinate Example 4 (1)

(2.69)

From Matthew Sadiku, Numerical Techniques


in Electromagnetics, 2nd Edition, pp. 40-42.
UCF
Example 4 (2)
Example 4 (3)
UCF
UCF
Example 4 (4)
UCF
Example 4 (5)

n
UCF
Example 4 (6)

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