Messages

2296

Home Assignment 1 / Re: Problem 5

« on: September 23, 2012, 04:07:02 AM »

I will expand this question a little bit:
So, can we use the formula of general solution for wave equation or we should prove/derive it?

Yes, you are allowed to use every appropriate (relevant) formula given in the class without rederiving it (unless specifically asked to derive it first). Definitely you need to ask yourself: "can I apply a formula for a general solution?", "Can I apply D'Alembert formula?"

There is a subtle difference between allowed and  can: you can use any appropriate formula but it may happen that you are explicitly asked to use some specific approach in which case you are allowed to use only some specific formulae.

P.S. This is my first post here, so I am not sure if I am asking an appropriate question

Yes, it is a completely appropriate question.

2297

Home Assignment 1 / Re: Problem 5

« on: September 22, 2012, 10:36:35 PM »

Just wondering if in part c) of problem 5 the question should read: Consider (7) in (x<3t, x>-3t) ?
(instead of x>3t ....)

Just wondering whether you have any reason to prefer $\{x<3t, x>-3t)\}$ to $\{x>3t, x>-3t\}$ or just want to boost the number of posts

2298

Home Assignment 1 / Re: Problem 5

« on: September 22, 2012, 10:34:31 PM »

I was wondering if for problem 5 if we have to show all the steps to getting answers or if we can simply apply the applicable formulae from lecture notes? (example can we simply use the D'Alembert formula?)

What problem D'Alembert formula solves? Is it the same problem as here?

2299

Home Assignment 1 / Re: Problem 2

« on: September 22, 2012, 10:31:22 PM »

I am not sure what does it mean by 'explain the difference'. Is it the difference between the solutions or the condition under which they are continuous at (0,0)?

The solutions of (a) and (b) are drastically different. Why?

2300

Home Assignment 1 / Re: Problem 3

« on: September 22, 2012, 02:33:13 PM »

I did use the method of characteristics, but I parametrized x and y in terms of s and integrated with respect to s . The thing is my solution doesn't depend on Y, is this ok ?

I have no idea what is $s$. TA who will check your paper probably has no idea either. You need to return to the original coordinates $x,y$.

2301

Home Assignment 1 / Re: Problem 3

« on: September 22, 2012, 01:45:48 PM »

Hello,

For this question I managed to find a solution that satisfies the conditions, but that only depends on X and a constant.

In general, if I find a solution that satisfies all conditions is this solution correct regardless of the method used to find it?

You need to find all solutions and justify that there are no other solutions. The method of characteristics we studied ensures this if correctly applied. Your home-brewed method may not.

2302

Home Assignment 1 / HA1-pdf

« on: September 22, 2012, 01:40:44 PM »

Here is HA1.pdf - Home assignment 1 printed to pdf (updated Mon 24 Sep 2012 05:03:22 EDT)

2303

Home Assignment 1 / Re: Problem 2

« on: September 22, 2012, 12:40:30 PM »

Hi, for number 2, say we get $u = f(g(x,y))$ for our general solution when $(x,y) \ne (0,0)$. Then are we just finding a $u(0,0)$ that is equal to the limit of $u = f(g(x,y))$ as $(x,y)$ approaching $(0,0)$ in order to make u continuous at $(0,0)$?

Well, you need to be sure that this limit exists, right?

2304

Misc Math / Re: characteristic vs. integral lines

« on: September 22, 2012, 02:20:38 AM »

I feel like I understand what is being said here, but I am confused by the second set of lecture notes,  specifically equation (7) which seems to be doing the same thing as equation (4) in the reply to this post except with a + sign instead of a equal. Am I misunderstanding and these are actually different scenarios, or is one a misprint?

Miranda, thanks!  There was a misprint (mistype) in Lecture 2 (equation (7)), should be =.
Now it has been corrected.

2305

Home Assignment 1 / Re: Problem 4

« on: September 22, 2012, 02:15:54 AM »

In this settings you need to select a solution having certain properties

It may happen that

• Is what one expects
• Unusually broad
• Unusually narrow

Your task is to determine what happens here.

2306

Home Assignment 1 / Re: Problem 2

« on: September 21, 2012, 07:30:41 PM »

Thank you for your hint but I still didn't get the point..

For example if the general solution has the form $f(x/y)$, how can I make it continuous at (0,0)? Thanks!!

You are almost done (but check the general solutions!) Think - and don't post solutions!!!

2307

Misc Math / Re: characteristic vs. integral lines

« on: September 21, 2012, 06:36:18 PM »

Heythere,
I am confused by the terms characteristic lines and integral lines. The book introduces characteristic lines as the curves along which a function is constant. Now in the notes integral lines are curves to which the vector field is tangential, i.e. in the case of the gradient vector field the lines along which the function changes most (in abs. value).

So I thought these two should be orthogonal in the case of $au_t+bu_x=0$.
So are integral lines the same as characteristic lines?

If we consider 1-st order PDEs in the form
\begin{equation}
a_0\partial_t u + a_1\partial_x u + a_2\partial_y u=0
\label{eq-1}
\end{equation}
then characteristics of the equation (\ref{eq-1}) are integral lines of the vector field $(a_0,a_1,a_2)$ i.e. curves
\begin{equation}
\frac{dt}{a_0}=\frac{dx}{a_1}=\frac{dy}{a_2}.
\label{eq-2}
\end{equation}
There could be just two variables $(t,x)$ or more ... and coefficients are not necessary constant. Yes, for (\ref{eq-1}) characteristics are lines along which $u$ is constant.

But we preserve the same definition of characteristics as integral lines for more general equation f.e.
\begin{equation}
a_0\partial_t u + a_1\partial_x u + a_2\partial_y u =f (t,x,y,u)
\label{eq-3}
\end{equation}
and here $u$ is no more constant along characteristics but solves ODE
\begin{equation}
\frac{dt}{a_0}=\frac{dx}{a_1}=\frac{dy}{a_2}=\frac{du}{f}.
\label{eq-4}
\end{equation}
Further, notion of characteristics generalizes to higher order equations. Definition curves along which solution is constant goes to the garbage bin almost immediately.

2308

Misc Math / MOVED: Do we get extra credit for participating in online discussion?

« on: September 21, 2012, 01:59:12 PM »

This topic has been moved to APM346 Misc.

http://dante.crowdmark.com/forum/index.php?topic=7.0

2309

Home Assignment 1 / Re: Problem 2

« on: September 21, 2012, 01:57:34 PM »

First, I need to apologize: this problem contained a misprint which I just corrected. The source of errors is simple: everything was done in the extreme rush and nobody checked it.

Now hint: it may happen in some problems that the solution (having certain properties) does not exist or must have a very special form. Then the your presented solution should state this.

I am not claiming that this is the case with this problem but your statement is wrong anyway: there is at least one continuous solution $u=0$ identically.

2310

Technical Questions / Re: Testing Math

« on: September 21, 2012, 02:55:35 AM »

This is just a test to see whether I can copy and paste from LyX:

u(x, t) = \varphi(x-ct)+\phi(x+ct)-\intop_{x-ct}^{x+ct}g(y)dy

Yes, you can but need to switch on math (inline or display respectively)

Code: [Select]

$u(x, t) = \varphi(x-ct)+\phi(x+ct)-\intop_{x-ct}^{x+ct}g(y)dy$$u(x, t) = \varphi(x-ct)+\phi(x+ct)-\intop_{x-ct}^{x+ct}g(y)dy$

Code: [Select]

$$u(x, t) = \varphi(x-ct)+\phi(x+ct)-\intop_{x-ct}^{x+ct}g(y)dy$$$$u(x, t) = \varphi(x-ct)+\phi(x+ct)-\intop_{x-ct}^{x+ct}g(y)dy$$

Actually I never saw \intop (just \int) and double dollars are deprecated (see my code), but your example works