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PDE6

This lecture discusses the wave equation with fixed ends and its extension to the whole line, providing formulas for various cases based on initial conditions. It also covers wave equations with a source term, demonstrating how to derive solutions and establish existence, uniqueness, and stability of the problem. The method of characteristic coordinates is introduced to solve the inhomogeneous linear equation, leading to a specific formula for the solution.

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Locke Cole
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
3 views4 pages

PDE6

This lecture discusses the wave equation with fixed ends and its extension to the whole line, providing formulas for various cases based on initial conditions. It also covers wave equations with a source term, demonstrating how to derive solutions and establish existence, uniqueness, and stability of the problem. The method of characteristic coordinates is introduced to solve the inhomogeneous linear equation, leading to a specific formula for the solution.

Uploaded by

Locke Cole
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lecture Six

January 27, 2021

1 The nite interval


The wave equation with xed ends:

2
vtt = c vxx
 0 < x < l,
v(x, 0) = φ(x), vt (x, 0) = ψ(x),

v(0, t) = v(l, t) = 0.

We extend them to the whole line



φ(x)
 0<x<l
φext = −φ(−x) −l < x < 0

extended to be of period 2l.

and 
ψ(x)
 0<x<l
ψext = −ψ(−x) −l < x < 0

extended to be of period 2l.

So the formula of v is
Z x+ct
1 1
v(x, t) = [φext (x − ct) + φext (x + ct)] + ψext (s)ds.
2 2c x−ct

Case (0,0), x − ct ≥ 0, x + ct ≤ l and t > 0:


Z x+ct
1 1
v(x, t) = [φ(x − ct) + φ(x + ct)] + ψ(s)ds.
2 2c x−ct

Case (0,1), x − ct ≥ 0 , x + ct ≥ l and x ≤ l:


Z l Z 2l
1 1 1
v(x, t) = [φ(x − ct) − φ(2l − x − ct)] + ψ(s)ds − ψ(2l − s)ds
2 2c x−ct 2c l
Z l Z 2l−x−ct
1 1 1
= [φ(x − ct) − φ(2l − x − ct)] + ψ(s)ds + ψ(s)ds
2 2c x−ct 2c l
Z 2l−x−ct
1 1
= [φ(x − ct) − φ(2l − x − ct)] + ψ(s)ds.
2 2c x−ct

1
Case (1,1), −l ≤ x − ct ≤ 0 and 2l ≥ x + ct ≥ l:
Z 0 Z l Z x+ct
1 1
v(x, t) = [−φ(ct − x) − φ(2l − x − ct)] + [ −ψ(−s)ds + ψ(s)ds − ψ(2l − s)ds]
2 2c x−ct 0 l
Z 2l−x−ct
1 1
= [−φ(ct − x) − φ(2l − x − ct)] + ψ(s)ds.
2 2c ct−x

Case (1,2), −l ≤ x − ct ≤ 0 , x + ct ≥ 2l and x ≤ l:


1
v(x, t) = [−φ(ct − x) + φ(x + ct − 2l)]
2
Z 0 Z l Z 2l Z x+ct
1
= + [ −ψ(−s)ds + ψ(s)ds − ψ(2l − s)ds + ψ(s − 2l)ds]
2c x−ct 0 l 2l
Z ct−x
1 1
= [−φ(ct − x) + φ(x + ct − 2l)] − ψ(s)ds,
2 2c x+ct−2l

which depends only on the initial values on the interval [x + ct − 2l, ct − x].
Similarly, you can derive the formula of v on each domain of Chapter 3
Figure 6 in the textbook.

2 Waves with a source


We are going to solve wave equations with a source term f on the whole line

2
utt − c uxx = f (x, t), −∞ < x < ∞

u(x, 0) = φ(x), (1)

ut (x, 0) = ψ(x),

where f (x, t) is a given function. For instance, f (x, t) could be interpreted


as an external force acting on an innitely long vibrating string. This is an
inhomogeneous linear equation. If you can nd a solution uf to the equation

2
utt − c uxx = f (x, t) −∞ < x < ∞

u(x, 0) = 0

ut (x, 0) = 0,

then with the solution uhom = 12 [φ(x + ct) + φ(x − ct)] + 2c1 x−ct
x+ct
ψ for the
R

homogeneous linear wave equation with the initial dates φ and ψ , you will get
the solution u = uf + uhom for the problem (1).
We will show that
Z Z Z tZ x+c(t−s)
1 1
uf (x, t) = f= f (y, s)dyds, (2)
2c 4 2c 0 x−c(t−s)

where 4 is the domain of dependence of (x, t) (characteristic triangle).

2
The formula illustrates the eect of a force f on u(x, t) is obtained by simply
integrating f over the past history of the point (x, t) back to the initial time
t = 0. This is another example of the causality principle.
This is a well-posed problem.
• Existence is from the explicit formula.
• The uniqueness can be deduced from the Energy identity see Lec 5, section
2.
• The stability is from: suppose u1 is the solution with data (φ1 , ψ1 , f1 ) and
u2 is the solution with data (φ2 , ψ2 , f2 ). Then the dierence u = u1 − u2
is given by the following formula due to linearity:
1
u(x, t) = [φ1 (x + ct) − φ2 (x + ct) + φ1 (x − ct) − φ2 (x − ct)]
2
Z x+ct
1
+ (ψ1 − ψ2 )
2c x−ct
Z Z
1
+ (f1 − f2 ). (3)
2c 4

Dene the uniform norm


kwk = max |w(x)|
−∞<x<∞

and
kwkT = max |w(x, t)|
−∞<x<∞,0≤t≤T

where T is xed.
So from the formula (1), we have the estimate
T2
ku1 − u2 kT ≤ kφ1 − φ2 k + T kψ1 − ψ2 k + kf1 − f2 kT .
2
If kφ1 − φ2 k, kψ1 − ψ2 k and kf1 − f2 kT are small, then ku1 − u2 kT is also
small. This proved the stability.
Now we start to prove the formula (2).
Proof. Method of Characteristic Coordinates. We intoduce coordinates ξ =
x+ct
2c , η = ct−x
2c such that

utt − c2 uxx = uξη = f (cξ − cη, ξ + η).

Integrate along η then along ξ


Z ξ Z η
u = f (cξ 0 − cη 0 , ξ 0 + η 0 )dη 0 dξ 0 ,

3
where the lower limits of integration are arbitrary. We may make a particular
choice of the lower limits to nd a particular solution in the domain 40 =
{(ξ 0 , η 0 )|ξ 0 + η 0 ≥ 0, ξ 0 ≤ ξ, η 0 ≤ η}
Z ξ Z η
u(x, t) = f (cξ 0 − cη 0 , ξ 0 + η 0 )dη 0 dξ 0
η −ξ 0
Z Z
1
? = f (x, t)dxdt.
2c 4

Try to gure out the last equality by yourself.

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