Strauss PDEs 2e: Section 2.

1 - Exercise 8 Page 1 of 3

Exercise 8
A spherical wave is a solution of the three-dimensional wave equation of the form u(r, t), where r
is the distance to the origin (the spherical coordinate). The wave equation takes the form
 
2 2
utt = c urr + ur (“spherical wave equation”).
r

(a) Change variables v = ru to get the equation for v: vtt = c2 vrr .

(b) Solve for v using (3) and thereby solve the spherical wave equation.

(c) Use (8) to solve it with initial conditions u(r, 0) = φ(r), ut (r, 0) = ψ(r), taking both φ(r)
and ψ(r) to be even functions of r.

Solution

Part (a)

If we change variables to v = ru, we have to write expressions for the derivatives of u in terms of v.

vt = rut
vtt
vtt = rutt → = utt
r
vr = u + rur
vrr 2
vrr = ur + ur + rurr = 2ur + rurr → = urr + ur
r r
As a result of making the change of variables, the PDE becomes
 
2 vtt v 
rr
utt = c2 urr + ur → = c2 .
r r r

Therefore,
vtt = c2 vrr .
Part (b)

Equation (3) in the book tells us that the solution to the one-dimensional wave equation above is

v(r, t) = f (r − ct) + g(r + ct), (3)

where f and g are arbitrary functions. Now that we know v, we can solve for u.

ru = f (r − ct) + g(r + ct)

Therefore, the solution to the spherical wave equation is

f (r − ct) + g(r + ct)

u(r, t) = .
r

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Strauss PDEs 2e: Section 2.1 - Exercise 8 Page 2 of 3

Part (c)

The unknown functions, f and g, are determined by using the initial conditions.
1
u(r, 0) = φ(r) → [f (r) + g(r)] = φ(r)
r
1
ut (r, 0) = ψ(r) → [−cf 0 (r) + cg 0 (r)] = ψ(r)
r
Multiply both sides of the first equation by cr and both sides of the second equation by r.

cf (r) + cg(r) = crφ(r)

−cf 0 (r) + cg 0 (r) = rψ(r)

Differentiate both sides of the first equation with respect to r.

cf 0 (r) + cg 0 (r) = c[rφ(r)]0 (1)

0 0
−cf (r) + cg (r) = rψ(r) (2)

Subtract both sides of equation (2) from those of equation (1).

2cf 0 (r) = c[rφ(r)]0 − rψ(r).

Add both sides of equation (2) to those of equation (1).

2cg 0 (r) = c[rφ(r)]0 + rψ(r).

Solve the previous two equations for f 0 and g 0 .

1 1
f 0 (r) = [rφ(r)]0 − rψ(r)
2 2c
1 1
g (r) = [rφ(r)]0 +
0
rψ(r)
2 2c
Now integrate both sides of each equation to find f and g.
ˆ
1 1 r
f (r) = [rφ(r)] − sψ(s) ds
2 2c
ˆ
1 1 r
g(r) = [rφ(r)] + sψ(s) ds
2 2c

What we solved for are actually f (w) and g(w), where w is any expression we wish.
ˆ r−ct
1 1
f (r − ct) = [(r − ct)φ(r − ct)] − sψ(s) ds
2 2c
ˆ r+ct
1 1
g(r + ct) = [(r + ct)φ(r + ct)] + sψ(s) ds.
2 2c

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Strauss PDEs 2e: Section 2.1 - Exercise 8 Page 3 of 3

Plug these formulas into u(r, t) to obtain the solution to the initial value problem.
1
u(r, t) = [f (r − ct) + g(r + ct)]
r
ˆ ˆ
1 r−ct 1 r+ct

1 1 1
= [(r − ct)φ(r − ct)] − sψ(s) ds + [(r + ct)φ(r + ct)] + sψ(s) ds
r 2 2c 2 2c
ˆ r+ct ˆ r−ct 
1 1
= [(r − ct)φ(r − ct) + (r + ct)φ(r + ct)] + sψ(s) ds − sψ(s) ds
2r 2cr
ˆ r+ct ˆ 
1 1
= [(r − ct)φ(r − ct) + (r + ct)φ(r + ct)] + sψ(s) ds + sψ(s) ds
2r 2cr r−ct

Therefore,
ˆ r+ct
1 1
u(r, t) = [(r − ct)φ(r − ct) + (r + ct)φ(r + ct)] + sψ(s) ds.
2r 2cr r−ct

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