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Chapter 6 Partial Differential Equations

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6.2. LINEAR AND QUASILINEAR EQUATIONS OF FIRST ORDER 25<br />

Hence u is constant on a characteristic.<br />

Consider, for example,<br />

The characteristics are determined by<br />

which yields the parabolas<br />

u t +2tu x =0, u(x, 0) = e −x2 .<br />

dx<br />

dt =2t<br />

x = t 2 + k, k constant .<br />

The characteristic through a point (ξ,0) is x = t 2 + ξ. Since u is constant on this curve we<br />

have<br />

u(x, t) = exp(−ξ 2 )=e −(x−t2 ) 2 .<br />

Example 6.2.17. In the study of fluid flow an important physical characteristic is the<br />

formation of shock waves. The simplest example of the formation of shocks can be witnessed<br />

in the study of certain quasi-linear equations in R 2 called hyperbolic conservation laws.<br />

These are equations of the form<br />

subject to initial conditions<br />

The characteristics are determined by<br />

Along this curve<br />

u t + c(u)u x =0, x ∈ R, t>0 (6.2.16)<br />

u(x, 0) = ϕ(x), x ∈ R. (6.2.17)<br />

dx<br />

dt = c(u)<br />

du<br />

dt (x(t),t)=u x(x(t),t) dx<br />

dt + u t(x(t),t) dt<br />

dt = u xc(u)+u t ≡ 0.<br />

Hence u is constant on a characteristic. The characteristics are straight lines since<br />

d 2 x<br />

dt 2<br />

= d dt<br />

( ) dx<br />

= d dt dt c(u) =c′ (u) du<br />

dt =0,

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