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APDE 2017

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6 views

APDE 2017

Uploaded by

airustatejedor
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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You are on page 1/ 5

UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

Examination for the Degree of B.Sc. and M.Sci. (Level II)

APPLIED PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS 2


MATH 20402
(Paper Code MATH-20402)

May-June 2017, 2 hours 30 minutes

This paper contains four questions


All answers will be used for assessment.
Calculators are not permitted in this examination.
On this examination, the marking scheme is indicative and is intended only as a guide to the
relative weighting of the questions.

Do not turn over until instructed.

Page 1 of 5
Cont... APDE2-17

1. The function u(x, t) satisfies the heat equation, representing the variation of temperature
across a conducting material, with thermal diffusivity D > 0:

ut = Duxx , 0 < x < 1,


ux (0, t) = 0, t > 0,
ux (1, t) = 0, t > 0, (1)

1, 0 < x ≤ a,
u(x, 0) =
0, a < x < 1.

(a) (2 marks)
Describe what the two boundary conditions on x = 0 and x = 1 represent physically?
(b) (6 marks)
Without solving the problem, sketch the graph of u(x, t) against x for t = 0, for small
times t > 0 and for larger times. How does the value of D affect the way the solution
changes with time ? What would you expect if D < 0 ?
(c) (8 marks)
Separate variables and find the general solution to the heat equation, satisfying the
boundary conditions, in terms of an infinite series with undetermined coefficients an .
(d) (6 marks)
Apply the initial condition to determine the values of an .
(e) (3 marks)
Identify the dominant large-time behaviour of the solution.

Continued...

Page 2 of 5
Cont... APDE2-17

2. (a) (6 marks)
Starting from first principles, derive the one dimensional wave for the displacement,
u(x, t), on a string of constant tension T and mass per unit length ρ

utt = c2 uxx (2)

and where c should be defined in terms of T and ρ.


(b) (3 marks)
Show that v(x, t) = f (x − ct) + g(x + ct) for arbitrary functions f and g satisfies the
wave equation
vtt = c2 vxx , t > 0, − ∞ < x < ∞ (3)
(c) (8 marks)
Explain what the functions φ(x) and ψ(x) represent in the initial conditions
)
(i) u(x, 0) = φ(x)
−∞<x<∞ (4)
(ii) ut (x, 0) = ψ(x)

Use these conditions to derive a general solution u(x, t) of (2) in terms of the functions
φ(x) and ψ(x).
(d) (8 marks)
As a model of a hammer-blow on the string at the origin, take φ(x) = 0 and ψ(x) =
2c δ(x), where δ(x) is the delta function, show that

u(x, t) = [H(x + ct) − H(x − ct)]

where H(x) is the Heaviside function.


Sketch u(x, t) as a function of x at fixed times t = 1/c, t = 2/c.

Continued...

Page 3 of 5
Cont... APDE2-17

3. (a) (5 marks)
State the order of the following PDEs and whether they are linear or nonlinear, and
homogeneous or inhomogeneous:
(i) utt − (x + t3 )ux = −1;
(ii) vtx = 0;
(iii) tut − u2 ux = 0.
Identify a general solution for v(x, t) in (ii).
(b) Consider the following PDE for the function u(x, t):

(1 + t)ut + xux = x sin x, t > 0, −∞<x<∞ (5)

with the initial condition u(x, 0) = f (x), −∞ < x < ∞.


i. (6 marks)
Use the method of characteristics to show that the characteristic lines are given
by x/(1 + t) = constant. Sketch these lines in the (x, t) plane for t > 0.
ii. (5 marks)
Find the solution u(x, t) of the problem above.
(c) Now consider the following problem

ut + (3 + u2 )ux = 0, t > 0, −∞ < x < ∞,

with u(x, 0) = f (x), −∞ < x < ∞ .


i. (6 marks)
Provide the equation for characteristic lines.
ii. (3 marks)
Give an implicit equation satisfied by u(x, t).

Do not turn over until instructed.

Page 4 of 5
Cont... APDE2-17

4. In plane polar coordinates, (r, θ), the steady-state diffusion of heat u(r, θ) in the cross-
section of a long cylinder of radius 1 is given by Laplace’s equation,

∂ 2 u 1 ∂u 1 ∂ 2u
+ + = 0, 0 ≤ r < 1.
∂r2 r ∂r r2 ∂θ2
On r = 1, the temperature is a given function, u(1, θ) = f (θ).

(a) (7 marks)
Separate variables u(r, θ) = R(r)Θ(θ) and find equations satisfied by R(r) and Θ(θ).
(b) (8 marks)
Using information from (a) find a general bounded solution of the above equation.
(c) (5 marks)
If f (θ) = C where C is a constant, show that u(r, θ) = C for all r < 1. Prove that
this is the unique solution.
(d) (5 marks)
Explicitly find the function u(r, θ) for r < 1 when f (θ) = sin2 θ.

End of examination.

Page 5 of 5

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