Problem 5: The two dimensional Laplace’s equation is governed by the following boundary

value problem
𝑢𝑥𝑥 (𝑥, 𝑦) + 𝑢𝑦𝑦 (𝑥, 𝑦) = 0, 0 < 𝑥, 𝑦 < 𝜋, (1)
BCs 𝑢(0, 𝑦) = 0, 𝑢(𝜋, 𝑦) = 0, (2)
𝑢(𝑥, 0) = sin(𝑥) , 𝑢(𝑥, 𝜋) = cosh(𝜋) sin(𝑥). (3)
According to MSV, consider the trial solution
𝑢(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝐹(𝑥)𝐺(𝑦), (4)
Differentiating both sides of Eq. (4) twice with respect to 𝑥 and 𝑦 respectively, we obtain
𝑢𝑥𝑥 (𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝐹 ′′ (𝑥)𝐺(𝑦), (5)
𝑢𝑦𝑦 (𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝐹(𝑥)𝐺 ′′ (𝑦), (6)
Substituting Eq. (5-6) into Eq. (1) yields
𝐹 ′′ (𝑥)𝐺(𝑦) + 𝐹(𝑥)𝐺 ′′ (𝑦) = 0, (7)
Dividing both sides of Eq. (7) by 𝐹(𝑥)𝐺(𝑦) gives
𝐹′′ (𝑥) 𝐺 ′′ (𝑦)
=− , (8)
𝐹(𝑥) 𝐺(𝑦)

The equality holds only if both sides are equal to the same constant. Accordingly, we set
𝐹′′ (𝑥) 𝐺 ′′ (𝑦)
=− = −𝜆2 ,
𝐹(𝑥) 𝐺(𝑦)

𝐹′′ (𝑥)
⟹ = −𝜆2 , (9)
𝐹(𝑥)

𝐺 ′′ (𝑦)
and = 𝜆2 . (10)
𝐺(𝑦)

The results (9)-(10) gives two distinct ordinary differential equations given by
𝐹 ′′ (𝑥) + 𝜆2 𝐹(𝑥) = 0, (11)
and 𝐺 ′′ (𝑦) − 𝜆2 𝐺(𝑦) = 0, (12)
To determine the function 𝐹(𝑥), we solve the second order linear ODE
𝐹 ′′ (𝑥) + 𝜆2 𝐹(𝑥) = 0, (13)
The auxiliary of Eq. (11) is
𝑚2 + 𝜆2 = 0, ⟹ 𝑚 = ±𝜆𝑖.
There the solutions of Eq. (11) is
𝐹(𝑥) = 𝐴 cos(𝜆𝑥) + 𝐵 sin(𝜆𝑥), (14)
similarly, for the solutions of Eq. (12) the auxiliary equation is
𝑚2 − 𝜆2 = 0, ⟹ 𝑚 = ±𝜆.
There the solutions of Eq. (12) is
𝐺(𝑦) = 𝐶1 e𝜆𝑦 + 𝐶2 e−𝜆𝑦 ,
or 𝐺(𝑦) = 𝑀 cosh(𝜆𝑦) + 𝑁 sinh(𝜆𝑦), (15)
where 𝐴, 𝐵, 𝑀 and 𝑁 are constants. To determine the constants 𝐴, 𝐵, and 𝜆, we use the
homogeneous boundary conditions
𝑢(0, 𝑦) = 𝑢(𝜋, 𝑦) = 0.
The condition 𝑢(0, 𝑦) = 0, gives
𝑢(0, 𝑦) = 𝐹(0)𝐺(𝑦) = 0, ⟹ 𝐹(0) = 0, (16)
similarly the condition 𝑢(𝜋, 𝑦) = 0, gives
𝑢(𝜋, 𝑦) = 𝐹(𝜋)𝐺(𝑦) = 0, ⟹ 𝐹(𝜋) = 0, (17)
Now we solve Eq. (14) along with the conditions given in Eq. (16) and Eq. (17)
𝐹(0) = 𝐴 cos(0) + 𝐵 sin(0) = 0, ⟹ 𝐴 = 0,
and
𝐹(𝑎) = 𝐴 cos(𝜆𝜋) + 𝐵 sin(𝜆𝜋) = 0, ⟹ 𝐵 sin(𝜆𝜋) = 0,
⟹ sin(𝜆𝜋) = 0, ⟹ 𝜆𝜋 = 𝑛𝜋, 𝑛 = 1,2,3, …
𝑛𝜋
𝜆𝑛 = = 𝑛, 𝑛 = 1,2,3, …,
𝜋

The function 𝐹𝑛 (𝑥) associated with 𝜆𝑛 is

𝐹𝑛 (𝑥) = 𝐵𝑛 sin(𝑛𝑥) , 𝑛 = 1,2,3, …
and 𝐺𝑛 (𝑦) = 𝑀𝑛 cosh(𝑛𝑦) + 𝑁𝑛 sinh(𝑛𝑦) , 𝑛 = 1,2,3, …
Combining the results 𝐹𝑛 (𝑥) and 𝐺𝑛 (𝑦) we obtain the infinite sequence of product functions
𝑢𝑛 (𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝐹𝑛 (𝑥)𝐺𝑛 (𝑦),
𝑢𝑛 (𝑥, 𝑦) = [𝐵𝑛 sin(𝑛𝑥)][𝑀𝑛 cosh(𝑛𝑦) + 𝑁𝑛 sinh(𝑛𝑦)],
⟹ 𝑢𝑛 (𝑥, 𝑦) = [sin(𝑛𝑥)][𝛼𝑛 cosh(𝑛𝑦) + 𝛽𝑛 sinh(𝑛𝑦)],
Using the superposition principle gives the general solution by
𝑢(𝑥, 𝑦) = ∑∞
𝑛=1[sin(𝑛𝑥)][𝛼𝑛 cosh(𝑛𝑦) + 𝛽𝑛 sinh(𝑛𝑦)], (18)
To determine 𝛼𝑛 , using the boundary condition 𝑢(𝑥, 0) = sin(𝑥), we obtain
𝑢(𝑥, 0) = ∑∞
𝑛=1 𝛼𝑛 [sin(𝑛𝑥)],

⟹ sin(𝑥) = ∑∞
𝑛=1 𝛼𝑛 [sin(𝑛𝑥)],

sin(𝑥) = 𝛼1 sin(𝑥) + 𝛼2 sin(2𝑥) + ⋯,

⟹ 𝛼1 = 1,
and 𝛼𝑛 = 0, ∀ 𝑛 except 𝑛 = 1.
𝑢(𝑥, 𝑦) = sin(𝑥) cosh(𝑦) + ∑∞
𝑛=1[sin(𝑛𝑥)][𝛽𝑛 sinh(𝑛𝑦)],

To determine 𝛽𝑛 , using the boundary condition 𝑢(𝑥, 𝜋) = sin(𝑥) cosh(𝜋), we obtain

𝑢(𝑥, 𝜋) = sin(𝑥) cosh(𝑦) + ∑∞
𝑛=1 𝛼𝑛 [sin(𝑛𝑥)][sinh(𝑛𝜋)],

⟹ sin(𝑥) cosh(𝜋) = sin(𝑥) cosh(𝑦) + ∑∞

𝑛=1[sin(𝑛𝑥)][𝛽𝑛 sinh(𝑛𝑦)],
 sin(𝑥) cosh(𝜋) = sin(𝑥) cosh(𝑦) + ∑∞
𝑛=1[sin(𝑛𝑥)][𝛽𝑛 sinh(𝑛𝑦)],

⟹ ∑∞
𝑛=1[sin(𝑛𝑥)][𝛽𝑛 sinh(𝑛𝑦)] = 0

⟹ 𝛽𝑛 = 0, ∀ 𝑛.
Consequently, the solution of the Laplace’s equation is given by Eq. (18) with 𝛼𝑛 and 𝛽𝑛 .
𝑢(𝑥, 𝑦) = sin(𝑥) cosh(𝑦).