
Integral-equation formulations 
117 
§3.5.2 by using Green's functions.  Again it 
is 
necessary 
that 
x(t) 
should 
be 
monotonic. 
Ockendon  (1975)  also  draws  attention  to  the usefulness  of  Fourier 
transforms  in  infinite 
or 
semi-infinite  domains  and  cites 
the 
Fourier 
transform derivation of Lightfoot's (1929) integral equation based 
on 
a 
moving 
heat 
source as  in equations (3.25), (3.26), and (3.27). 
3.5.2.  Green's /unctions 
The use 
of 
Green's functions  for the solution  of heat flow  problems 
subject  to  conditions  prescribed  on  fixed  boundaries 
is 
well  known. 
Carslaw and Jaeger (1959, Chapter 14)  give the basic theory and solu-
tions 
to 
a selection of standard problems in terms of appropriate Green's 
functions. Kolodner (1956, 1957) formulated Stefan problems in terms of 
integral equations, including the problem of the freezing of a lake of finite 
depth, by using  simple Green's functions,  though 
he 
does not expljcitly 
say so. 
It 
is 
interesting 
that 
in such an early paper Kolodner remarked 
that 
the 
equations in cases of physical interest are all of Volterra 
type 
of 
the 
second kind and hence are amenable to numerical treatment. Rubin-
stein (1971) based an analysis of the existence, uniqueness, and stability of 
solutions  of  Stefan  problems  on  integral  equation  formulations  incor-
porating  Green's  functions. 
He 
also  briefly  examined  the  numerical 
evaluation of integral solutions coupled with estimates of accuracy. More 
recently Rubinstein 
(1980a) discussed the application of integral equation 
techniques to several Stafan problems including a one-din'lensional prob-
lem with  analytical  input data, 
the 
solidification  of a  binary alloy,  an 
axially  symmetric  problem  with  concentrated  thermal  capacity  (see 
§1.3.11),  and a  problem with  a  hyperbolic  instead  of  the more  usual 
parabolic 
heat 
conduction  equation.  Collatz  (1978)  too  used  integral 
equations 
tc? 
find  practical  error bounds.  Chuang  and Szekely  (1971) 
employed  Green's  functions  to  solve,  in  integral  equation  form,  the 
problem of a solid slab, symmetrically placed in its own melt. There 
is 
a 
prescribed initial temperature, not necessarily uniform, and 
on 
the mov-
ing, 
outer 
surfaces x = 
±X(t) 
the temperatures, 
U, 
are the melting temper-
ature, 
UM, 
and there 
is 
a second condition of the form 
au 
a-+ 
(3u 
= 
t(t), 
ax 
x = 
±X(t) 
, 
with 
X(t) 
= e at t = 
O. 
The 
numerical evaluation of the integral solution 
proceeds by a process of successive approximation in which the locus of 
the melting  boundary 
is 
approximated by linear segments  in  the (x, t) 
plane. 
Later 
papers  by Chuang  and Szekely  (1972)  and Chuang  and 
Ehrich (1974) deal with corresponding cylindrical and spherical problems.