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D U/dt C D U/dx

This document discusses d'Alembert's solution to the one-dimensional wave equation. It begins with a brief history of d'Alembert's solution and its conceptual difficulties. It then performs a change of variables to transform the wave equation into a form with no second-order time derivatives. This allows the solution to be written as the sum of two arbitrary functions of one variable each. The document provides the initial conditions needed to determine these arbitrary functions and gives two examples of solutions using different initial condition functions.

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Gabby Chebet
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95 views10 pages

D U/dt C D U/dx

This document discusses d'Alembert's solution to the one-dimensional wave equation. It begins with a brief history of d'Alembert's solution and its conceptual difficulties. It then performs a change of variables to transform the wave equation into a form with no second-order time derivatives. This allows the solution to be written as the sum of two arbitrary functions of one variable each. The document provides the initial conditions needed to determine these arbitrary functions and gives two examples of solutions using different initial condition functions.

Uploaded by

Gabby Chebet
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
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Module 22: d'Alembert's Solution

d2u/dt2 = c2 d2u/dx2
Series Solutions or d'Alembert's Solution?
A little history on the matter.

The conceptual difficulty in


(1) having the idea of an infinite sum of functions,
(2) having a series of cosine functions converge to
the sine function, and
(3) having the series converge to an analytic function
on a finite interval, but not to the function off that
interval.
Transforming the Equations.

d2u/dt2 = c2 d2u/dx2
u(t, x)

t = (w - z)/2 and x = (w + z)/2


or w=t+x and z = x - t

v(w, z)

d2v/dwdz = 0
A solution for the wave equation independent of
the Fourier Idea.

d2v/dwdz = 0

dv/dw = C(w)

v(w, z) = Ψ (w) + Φ (z)

u(t, x) = Ψ (x + t) + Φ (x - t).
Initial conditions for the wave equation:

u(0,x) = f(x), ut(0,x)=g(x)

u(t, x) = Ψ (x + c t) + Φ (x - c t).

The initial conditions are that

f(x) = u(0, x) = Ψ(x) + Φ(x)


and

g(x) = ut(0, x) = c Ψ'(x) - c Φ'(x).


g(x) = ut(0, x) = c Ψ'(x) - c Φ'(x).
Get an antiderivative:
G(x) + C = Ψ(x) - Φ(x).

f(x) = Ψ(x) + Φ(x)

G(x) =
∫0 g(y)dy
c

Ψ(x) = (f(x)+G(x)+C)/2 and Φ(x) = (f(x)-G(x)-C)/2

u(t, x) = (f(x+ct)+f(x-ct))/2 + (G(x+ct)-G(x-ct))/2


f is a function with one bump near x = 0, no
initial velocity.
Take, for example, f(x)=exp(- x2).
U(t, x), where f(x)=exp(- x2)
Take f(x) = 0 and g(x) = x/(1+x+x^2).
Graph of u(t, x).
Assignment: See the Maple worksheet.

In this Module 22, we have derived the


d'Alembert solution by performing a change of
variables on the wave equation. Using this
solution, we worked two examples.

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