Product solutions of Laplace equation in polar coordinates Q: (i) Identify some of the product solutions of the PDE 2 u 1 u 1 2u + 2 2 =0 + r2 r r r Solution:

on: Suppose that u(r, ) R(r)() solves PDE. Then 1 2u 1 1 2 u 1 u + 2 2 = R (r)() + R (r)() + 2 R(r) () = 0 + 2 r r r r r r and (ignoring the possibility that u(r, ) = 0 and other logical points), we have R (r) 1 R (r) 1 () ++ + 2 =0 R(r) r R(r) r () and r2 R (r) () R (r) +r = R(r) R(r) ()

Thus there exists R such that r2 R (r) () R (r) +r = = R(r) R(r) ()

Thus there exists R such that r2 R (r) + rR (r) = R(r) (which is Eulers equation) and () = () If < 0 then the analysis involves Eulers equation in the case that the characteristic polynomial has complex roots; this is beyond our scope. Thus we only consider cases in which 0. First suppose that = 0. Then there exist C, D R such that () = C + D Also, the DE for R is r2 R (r) + rR (r) = 0 1

which is equivalent to (since we only look for solutions on (0, )) rR (r) + R (r) = 0 or d (rR (r)) = 0 dr Thus there exist A R such that rR (r) = A and R (r) = A/rfor all r (0, ) Thus there exist A, B R such that R(r) = A ln(r) + B for all r (0, ). This suggests (and easy to verify) that (A ln(r) + B)(C + D) is a product solution of Laplaces equation whenever A, B, C, D R Next suppose that > 0 Then there exist C, D R such that () = C cos( ) + D sin( ) Also, the DE for R is r2 R (r) + rR (r) = R(r) which is solved by rm if r2 m(m 1)rm2 + rmrm1 = rm or m(m 1) + m = m2 = or m = . Thus by ode theory there exist A, B R such that

R(r) = Ar for all r (0, ). This suggests (and easy to verify) that

+ Br

(Ar

+ Br

)(C cos( ) + D sin( )

is a product solution of Laplaces equation whenever A, B, C, D R and > 0 Thus, if R (positive or negative or zero), then both of the following functions are product solutions of laplacess equation: r cos() r sin()