MATH3700 Practice Questions Sem 2, 2020

Practice Questions Set: Weak Solution

1. Suppose that f, g : R → R, f, g ∈ C 2 (R). Show that the function

F (t, x) = f (x + t) + g(x − t)

satisfies the wave equation utt = uxx .

Setting
Z x Z x
1 1 1 1
f (x) = ψ(x) + φ(s)ds and g(x) = ψ(x) − φ(s)ds,
2 2 0 2 2 0

prove that the function F (t, x) = f (x + t) + g(x − t) is the solution of the wave equation
with the initial conditions F (0, x) = ψ(x) and Ft (0, x) = φ(x). Moreover, show that
x+t
ψ(x + t) + ψ(x − t) 1
Z
F (t, x) = + φ(s)ds. (1)
2 2 x−t

Write the solution u(t, x) at any point x and any time t of the wave equation

utt = 25uxx for − ∞ < x < ∞, t > 0,

u(x, 0) = x cos x, ut (x, 0) = e−x for − ∞ < x < ∞.

2. Assume that f ∈ C 2 (R), g ∈ C 1 (R) and h, hx ∈ C 0 (R × R). Then verify that

Z x+ct Z tZ x+c(t−t0 )
1 1 1
u(x, t) = [f (x + ct) + f (x − ct)] + g(s) ds + h(x0 , t0 ) dx0 dt0 .
2 2c x−ct 2c 0 x−c(t−t0 )

is a solution of the following iniital-value problem (inhomogeneous wave equation)

utt − c2 uxx = h(x, t) in R × R, u(x, 0) = f (x) in R, ut (x, 0) = g(x) in R.

3. Find a condition for the weak solution of the nonlinear conservation law ut + uux = 0 in
R × R+ with the initial data u(x, 0) = f (x). Let ϕ ∈ C01 (R × R+ ). Using integration by
parts, show that
Z ∞Z ∞ Z ∞
[uϕt + F (x, u)ϕx ] dxdt = − ϕ(x, 0)f (x) dx.
0 −∞ −∞

4. Show that the function u : [0, 1] → R defined by

(
x/8 0 < x < 1/2
u(x) =
5/8 x − 1/8 − 1/2 x2 1/2 < x < 1.

is a weak solution of the boundary value problem

−u00 = f in (0, 1) with u(0) = u(1) = 0,

and (
1
0, x≤ 2
f= 1
.
1, x> 2
MATH3700 Practice Questions Sem 2, 2020

Multiply the give ODE −u00 (x) = f by a test function v ∈ C0∞ (0, 1) and integrate over
(0, 1) to get
Z 1 Z 1
00
− u (x)v(x) dx = f (x)v(x) dx.
0 0
Integrating by parts we get
Z 1 Z 1
0 0
u (x)v (x) dx = f (x)v(x) dx for all v ∈ C0∞ (0, 1).
0 0

Show that the solution satisfies the above equation.

5. Consider the initial value problem ut + uux = 0, (x, t) ∈ R × R+

(
1 x<0
u(x, 0) =
0 x>0

(a) Show that (

1 x < t/2
u(x, t) =
0 x > t/2
is a weak solution of the initial value problem.
(b) Show that u(x, t) in (a) satisfies the conservation law
Z b
d
u(x, t) dx = F (u(x, a)) − F (u(x, b)),
dt a

where F (u) = u2 /2 for any interval [a, b] ⊂ R.

(c) Show that the solution satisfies the Rankine-Hugoniot jump condition.

6. Consider the initial value problem ut + uux = 0, (x, t) ∈ R × R+

(
0 x<0
u(x, 0) =
1 x>0

Show that 
 0 x≤0
u(x, t) = x/t 0 < x < t , (2)
1 x>t


is a weak solution of the given initial value problem. This type of solution which “fans” the
wedge 0 < x < t is called a rarefaction wave. This solution is continuous and differentiable
except along the line x = t.

7. Consider the nonlinear conservation law ut + uux = 0 in R × R with the initial data
u(x, 0) = f (x), where (
0, if x ≤ 0
f (x) = .
1, if x > 0
Show that both of the following functions w and v are weak solutions of this equation
(
0, if x ≤ t/2
w(x, t) = ,
1, if x > t/2
MATH3700 Practice Questions Sem 2, 2020

and 
0, if x ≤ 0

v(x, t) = x/t, if 0 < x < t .

1, if x > t


Use the following definition of a weak solution of the above initial value problem.

Definition 1. A weak solution of ut + (F (x, u))x = 0 is a piecewise continuous function

u(x, t) such that ZZ
[uϕt + F (x, u)ϕx ] dxdt = 0
R2

for any test function ϕ ∈ C01 (R2 ).