Fall 2019 Math 220/CME 302: Midterm

This is a closed books, notes, etc. exam.

You can cite without proof any results proven in lectures, or in the textbook, provided that you are not
explicitly asked to prove them.
Please use one blue book for problems 1-3; and use another blue book for problems 4 and 5.
Answer all questions. Each question is worth 20 points.

1. Solve the PDE uxx − 2uxy − 3uyy = 0 with the initial conditions u(r, 2r) = 0 and ux (r, 2r) = 2r2 .
2. (a) Given u ∈ D0 (Rn ). Define the distribution ∂xi u. [You only need to write down the definition
without proving that it is a distribution.]
(b) Let u ∈ D0 (R2 ) be defined by
Z ∞Z x
u(ϕ) = ϕ(x, y) dy dx
−∞ −∞

for every ϕ ∈ Cc∞ (R2 ). Compute ∂x u and simplify your answer.

3. Let f ∈ C(R ) (i.e. f : R → R is a continuous function). Suppose that for every ϕ ∈ Cc∞ (Rn )
n n
Z
f (x)ϕ(x) dx = 0.
Rn

Prove that f (x) = 0 for every x. [You may use without proof the fact that for every x0 ∈ Rn and
∞ n
R > 0, there is a function χ ∈ Cc (R ) with the following properties: (1) χ(x) ≥ 0 for all x, (2)
Rn
χ(x) dx = 1, (3) supp(χ) ⊂ B(x 0 , ).]

0 if x < 0

4. Consider the initial value problem ut + uux = 0 and u(0, x) = 1 if x ∈ [0, 1] . Consider the

0 if x > 1

piecewise continuous function u defined by

0 if x < 0 
0 if x < 0


 x if 0 < x < t
 
√
u(t, x) = t
t
for 0 ≤ t < 2, u(t, x) = xt if 0 < x < 2t for t ≥ 2.
 1 if t < x < 1 + 2  √
0 if x > 2t

 
0 if x > 1 + 2t


Prove that u is a weak solution to the given initial value problem. [You may prove it using a result
proved in HW about the Rankine–Hugoniot jump condition, provided that the result is clearly stated.]
5. Consider the boundary value problem for the Poisson equation in a bounded open domain Ω ⊆ R2
with smooth boundary ∂Ω: (
2 2
∂xx u + ∂yy u = f in Ω,
(1)
u ∂Ω = 0,
where f is a smooth function.
(a) Prove that there exists a constant C1 > 0 such that the following inequality holds for any C 1
function u with u ∂Ω = 0:
Z Z
u2 (x, y) dx dy ≤ C1 [(∂x u)2 + (∂y u)2 ](x, y) dx dy.
Ω Ω

(b) Using part (a), prove that there exists a constant C2 > 0 such that the following inequality holds
for any C 2 solution u solving (1):
Z Z
[(∂x u)2 + (∂y u)2 + u2 ](x, y) dx dy ≤ C2 f 2 (x, y) dx dy.
Ω Ω

[You may use the result in part (a) to deduce part (b) even if you did not solve part (a).]