26/3/2015

PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION (PDE)

Understand the general form of PDEs

Wave

Equation
Heat Equation
Laplace Equation

Solution & applications of PDE

Wave Equation
General form:

1 2u 2u 2u 2u
2

u
2
2
2
2
2
c t
x
y
z
In 1-D example of a stretched string:

26/3/2015

Wave Equation
In one dimension, the simplest example is the vibration of a taut
string stretched to a uniform tension T between two fixed
points where u is the displacement, x is measured along the
equilibrium position and t is the time.

1 2u 2u

c 2 t 2 x 2

utt c 2 u xx

If is the mass per unit length of the string, then

c2 T

Wave Equation
Example

26/3/2015

Wave Equation
Solution

Hence conditions (a) and (b) satisfied. Next,

Wave Equation
Example

26/3/2015

Wave Equation
Solution

Wave Equation
Example

26/3/2015

Wave Equation
Solution

Heat Equation
The general heat-conduction or diffusion equation is given as
follows:

1 u
2u
t

In 1-D example of a heat conduction:

T
2T
2
t
x

Where:
is called the thermal diffusivity, k c
k is the thermal conductivity
c is the specific heat of the medium
is the density of the medium

26/3/2015

Heat Equation
Example

Heat Equation
Solution

26/3/2015

Heat Equation
Example

Heat Equation
Solution