AMATH 353

Partial Differential Equations and Waves

Weston Barger
Summer 2016
Homework 5
Due: Wednesday, August 3, 2016

1. Let f (x ) be the 2π periodic function defined by

(
–1 –π ≤ x < 0,
f (x ) =
1 0 ≤ x ≤ π.

Compute the Fourier series of f (x ). What does the Fourier series converge to at x = 0?

2. Exercise 14.2

3. Solve the PDE



 x ∈ (0, π), t ∈ (0, ∞)

 u(x , 0) = sin2 (x ),

ut – uxx = 0,
 ux (0, t ) = 0,



ux (π, t ) = 0.


4. Solve the PDE




 0 ≤ x ≤ L, 0 ≤ y ≤ M ,

 ux (0, y) = 0,



uxx + uyy = 0, u(L, y) = g(y),


 u(x , 0) = 0,




 u(x , M ) = 0.

HINT: Using separation of variables, we get two distinct ODEs. Choose the ODE which has homoge-
neous boundary conditions.

1
5. Recall that in Lecture 9, we found that the solution to Laplace’s equation in the circle of radius R
(
1 1 r ∈ (0, R), θ ∈ [0, 2π)
urr + ur + 2 uθθ = 0 (0.1)
r r u(R, θ) = f (θ)

was given by
∞
a0 X n
u(r , θ) = + r (an cos (nθ) + bn sin (nθ)) , (0.2)
2
n=1

where
Z 2π Z 2π
1 1
an = f (θ) cos (nθ) dθ bn = f (θ) sin (nθ) dθ, (0.3)
πR n 0 πR n 0

for n = 0, 1, 2, 3, · · ·.

(a) By inserting (0.3) into (0.2) and assuming integrals and sums can be interchanged, show that
(0.2) is equal to
∞
" #
1 2π 1 X rn
Z
f (θ) + cos(nθ) cos(nθ) + sin(nθ) sin(nθ) dθ. (0.4)
π 0 2 Rn
n=1

(b) Show that (0.4) is equal to

∞
" #
1 2π 1 X rn
Z


f (θ) – + cos n(θ – θ) dθ. (0.5)
π 0 2 Rn
n=0

(c) Using that cos(z ) = (e iz + e –iz )/2, show that (0.5) is equal to
Z 2π " #
1 1 1
f (θ) –1 + + dθ. (0.6)
2π 0 1 – r e i (θ–θ) 1 – r e –i (θ–θ)
R R

HINT: Split and use geometric series.

(d) Simplify (0.6) to get
Z 2π
R2 – r 2
 
1
f (θ) dθ
2π 0 r 2 – 2rR cos(θ – θ) + R 2

HINT: The fact that 2 cos(θ – θ) = e i (θ–θ) + e –i (θ–θ) might be useful.

We have shown that (assuming we can interchange integrals and sums) that the solution of (0.1) is
Z 2π
R2 – r 2
 
1
u(r , θ) = f (θ) dθ.
2π 0 r 2 – 2rR cos(θ – θ) + R 2

This is known as Poisson’s integral formula. It allows us to compute solutions to Poisson’s equation
on a disk without an infinite sum.